What does it mean to be brought on as an experienced hire? I recently applied for a Senior position only for the recruiter to ask if I would consider an Experienced Hire position… I have also been exploring other opportunities and have been in touch with other companies for Manager and Director roles… Does Experienced […]

Curious, in such a deadline-oriented and generally fast-paced profession, how do you think the working environment is in the accounting industry in terms of emotional intelligence? Do you think it is important to be emotionally intelligent? Have you ever specifically received EQ training? Do you feel like you work mostly with autistics? Also, do you […]

Hello – I had a final round interview with a big 4 company yesterday morning  (skype). I thought it went very well so I do have my hopes up BUT today I got an email from the recruiter that they will be in touch with me with the results in the next 2 weeks. If […]

Hello everyone.  I landed two jobs and both pay same rate. One company is a CPA firm (public accounting) that wants to start me out from the bottom (bookkeeping/getting coffee) and work my way up over time. Other company, I was offered through a temp to hire agency and is an auditing associate position for […]

I did a busy season internship for a mid sized firm in Chicago this year and I was expecting a full-time offer but didn’t get one. I was caught off guard because one of the partners I worked for told me he wanted me to come back to the firm and I told him I […]

Seems that most upper level accountants (Controller only) are involved with business matters, and the rest below the controller is solely a processor. Every company I have worked at is structured like this, because FP&A owned the financial analysis of the business. Accountants did nothing more than load files and reconcile accounts. Is there any […]

Hello, After a successful recruiting season, I got two internship offers from Pwc for audit and EY for risk advisory. But the problem is that for the initial Background check passed, but now the problem is I recently got a DUI. An I’m afraid that at they will rescind my offer. What should I do?

What kinds of jobs will give me experience in understanding business/solving business problems? I have accounting background with CPA, but don’t want to just keep track numbers everyday.

I received an offer from one of the Big 4 firms and still have final round interviews with two of the other Big 4 firms next week.  Should I mention that I received an offer from the first firm in the interview or would that hurt my chances of receiving an offer from the other […]

Big 4’ers, Has anyone else interviewed for Advisory recently? After 4 rounds of phone interviews (1 HR, 1 SA, 2 M’s), I gratefully made it through to the final round. KPMG will be flying me out to one of their office locations for in-person interviews with a few of their higher-ups this week and I’m […]

Just accepted a small city, mid-tier (lower part of the top 10) full-time offer after a failed round of interviews with larger firms. I went to a smaller midwest school, decided to save money and double major in undergrad instead of going to larger school to get a MAcc (I have a very good GPA, […]

I currently have offers for EY and Deloitte Atlanta in audit. Which firm is better for this region?

Hello all, I finished undergrad school with enough hours to sit for the CPA exam. So my game plan is to pass the exam without a masters degree (which is useless, or so I’ve heard). So rather than get an MSA, I’m thinking of getting a Masters in IT, since all of accounting is electronic […]

From the mailbag, a request for bad interview stories: Not quite a question on what to do, but more of a question on what your thoughts and similar experiences are. Wanted to see what similar stories are out there like this (if any).  For context, this was at a startup that despite being around for […]

Are staff through assistant controller level accountants really just a bunch of Excel monkeys? Is there really any critical analysis performed, or is that solely up to the controller? Asking for a friend.

I got an offer from the best of second tier and will start soon, BDO/GT  you guess. I graduated from a top 50 university with 3.9 GPA, and just completed the MSA program at a top 20 school. Half year before start date, I’ve passed all sections of CPA exams. Even though recruiting season has […]

I am working towards becoming a CPA and have been increasingly worried that possible tax reform and more automated programs will start to decrease the demand for future CPAs. Is continuing to pursue a degree in Accounting and taking the CPA Exam worth it? Will there be jobs in the future for this profession?

Hi there – looking for some advice for a phone interview with a university. I have about 8 years of tax experience in public accounting, 4 of which come from Big 4 and the other 4 from a local firm. My current title is Tax Supervisor which is essentially a young manager for all you […]

Any followup on how PWC taking over GE’s tax department is going?  Do the (former GE, now PWC) employees like it or hate it?  Any rumors of other corporate tax departments heading that direction as well?

Had a job offer from tech consulting at EY as well as a straight data science position in a bank for full time. Pay was equivalent but bank would be 9 to 5. I am a graduating CS student. Not sure where to go with this – on one hand, love data science work and […]

I have been toying with the idea that we should go for a single rate tax not because it is a smart way to tax but it is what Alexander the Great would do. The current law is so complex that untangling it is likely impossible so let’s  ditch all of it , go to a […]

I’ve made a post about this previously, but currently I have accepted a full-time offer (big 4 – tax). I have not received the emails regarding my start date yet. I would like to change service lines to data analytics or IT Advisory to better utilize my skill-set. (accounting and information systems major) Any suggestions […]

Hello everyone, I am 22 and currently one year away from completing my Masters in Accounting with a tax focus. After I get my masters, I am planning on getting my CPA which requires the hours of experience under a CPA as you all probably know. I have worked at a small bookkeeping and tax […]

Hello all, I accepted an offer from a big 4. I am set to start sometime next fall. However, I’m currently living in a different city, which is 2 hours away from the office where I’ll be starting next year. I really enjoy living here, and the firm I accepted an offer from has an […]

Anyone know which internet browser and email client EY uses? Can EY staff use Chrome or Firefox? Thanks…  

Hello everyone, Hoping someone can either curb my anxiety, or give me some advice as to what action I need to take. My school requires all business majors to take four, separate one-credit hour classes designed to help students figure out what they want to do with their lives. They are non-negotiable and very bureaucratic […]

I was just wondering what life looks like for a tax accountant after public accounting. Do all big companies have a tax department?? Only certain industries?? I am really interested in working in a hospital, do they have a need for accountants??

I am an Accounting and Information Systems Double degree, and I will be graduating in December 2017. This past summer, I interned at a BIG 4 firm in tax services. Currently, I have received and accepted my offer; however, I have recently come to realize that I find more interest information systems. I have not […]

Ed. note: Here’s one from a reader who’s wondering if ghosting on candidates is becoming a thing. If you have trouble posting a question or discussion, email [email protected] Dear seasoned professionals, I always felt professional head hunters were more “sloppy” when it came to following up with candidates and keeping them updated on an interview […]

Can anyone relate to this? So, in school I genuinely enjoyed my financial accounting classes. Intermediate I & II, advanced accounting, cost, managerial, business law, etc. Even gov’t & nonprofit wasn’t so bad. I thought it was really interesting and liked studying GAAP and IFRS. However, now that I’ve graduated, I have found that I […]

Getting a JD and interested in working at a Big 4, what would an expected starting salary be for someone with a JD/accounting background in NYC, Boston, D.C. be?

Hi! Before I start, I want to apologize for my shoddy writing skills, inability to be absolutely concise, and for developing a TL;DR exposition. I’m a 32 year old non-CPA senior accountant that can code in SQL (my favorite), VB.NET, VBA, and some F# (not to be confused with C#). Coming to GC for some raw […]

Any accountants move into systems (ERP) analyst or SQL roles?

This isn’t really a question. I’m just trying to kill time and somehow possibly keep my mind off of the fact that my REG score will be posted online in about 3 hours (I know, GC is probably the worst place to be if I’m trying to avoid accounting, hah). I’ve aced my other 3 […]

Curious if anyone here has any experience or advice when it comes to working with highly affluent clients in public accounting…specifically in regards to powerful or “tax evading” clients. It may be more common at smaller firms, but I have seen and heard stories about Partners being roughed up by clients in an attempt to […]

I work at one of the big 4 and I want to transfer out of my group to a different group in the same practice. Do I need to talk to my current counselor and manager that I work with, or can I just bring this up to my current partner?

So I’ve been at Big Four for 2 years in audit, just got promoted, but still working on getting my CPA. I’d like to get out in the next month, but I don’t want to screw myself over and get stuck in a dead-end job. I’d stay at Big Four for another year if I […]

Here’s a query from the mailbag: My wife and I are looking to relocate. I got an offer from a regional firm in the area we were thinking about relocating to. It is a good offer with a competitive salary. However, I am worrying myself sick that my outside opportunities will dwindle away because I […]

I am considering to start my career in tax technology in one of the big 4 and wondering what are some of the opportunities in this field post-big 4? Tax technology seems like a blend of tax/accounting and technology implementation. Can I work as a business analyst afterwards?

I’m looking for some career advice. I graduated in May with my BS in accounting and have not been able to secure a decent job. I graduated Summa cum Laude (3.83 / 4.0 GPA) with 150 credits. I attended an AACSB accredited school. While not a first tier university, the school is widely recognized in […]

I’ll be heading into a Big 4 for its audit practice in NYC and I definitely want to do financial services. I was wondering between the two industries, which is the better option? Does one provide better exit opportunities than the other? How is the workload? Which will teach me more? Would love to hear […]

Background: BA in Accounting, CPA, CISA Few years experience in IT audit at midsize public accounting firm. Recently started new role as an IT auditor in internal audit at a large retail company. I like the IT/Info Sec world that I’ve found myself in, even though my education was only in Accounting (no IS/MIS). I […]

I am interviewing for core assurance with PwC and have a choice of either the San Francisco or Los Angeles office.  Just wanted to know from anyone familiar with either office about the industries served, size of office, office culture, pluses and minuses of each city, or any other helpful advice you might have.

I often hear of big 4 people often gaining 20 lbs due to the long hours of sitting, dinner runs, and Friday binge drinking. I myself gained a few pounds while I interned with a big 4 during busy season. I also met a few managers/senior managers who worked 100 hour weeks and seemed to […]

I saw a post on LinkedIn that Amazon’s accounting department is coming to the East Coast (4 cities) for recruiting. I thought it’d be valuable to share with this audience as well, if anyone is interested in attending. I am going to try to make it to the DC event!

Hey everyone, First-time poster. Long time reader. So, I’m in a little binding here. I currently have a full-time offer with PwC since March and I have already accepted it. Recently, money has been tight around my house, and I would like to help my parents out. I received an internship offer for the winter […]

To give background, I’m in my second year as an assurance associate at PwC. I knew pretty quickly when I started my job that I wouldn’t be an auditor forever, but I would stick it out because the experience was good and I’m learning a lot. I know that I eventually want to work internationally […]

I interned at B4 firm this past summer and accepted a FT offer. I graduate this year, December 2017, with 150 credits. The January 2018 start date at my firm may or may not be available this year. I have a feeling that it won’t be offered, but have been told that it depends on […]

Here a question you probably heard before. What should I do with my career? I am currently enrolled in an MBA program and I have exhausted my non concentration courses, so I need to make a decision.  I hope some of you can provide some light of your experiences and help me out. I have […]

Hi all, For those of you who took the CPA exam while working full time, what were your schedules like? I am currently using Wiley and am trying to follow the study schedule it set up for me on my online account.  I have it set up to study every day except Fridays (I end […]

I’m currently a Senior 3 with a larger regional firm. Since I have no desire to become partner, and would like to set myself up for a nice career in industry at some point, I’m heavily considering these two options: 1) Pre-IPO supervisory industry role with a large fast growing company. Pros would be: Around […]

Ed. note: Here’s another question from the mailbag. As is alluded below, some users are still experiencing problems posting to Open Items, so we continue to investigate. In the meantime, if you are unable to publish your post, email it to [email protected] Apologies for the inconvenience. Has anyone below the rank of Director in industry […]

I was recently offered a position with a big4 and the offer is contingent on the receipt of a Secret Clearance. Has anybody had this kind of contingent offer before? And how long does it take to obtain a Secret Clearance? Thanks in advance.

Hello, I’m currently working with a small firm in the southern part of the country. The culture is fun and relaxed, but the work is kind of boring (since we have small no name clients, the work is kind of dull), but I have an interview for a corporate gig, and I’d receive a 22% […]

Ed. note: Here’s another post from the mailbag. We’re still in the process of cleaning up our recent updates so if you have trouble submitting an Open Item, send it to [email protected] and we’ll get it published. Hello wise and entertaining folk of GC: Wanted to see what your thoughts and advice would be for […]

Ed. note: We received this request in the mailbag after the OP had difficulties submitting to Open Items. Our recent updates may affect certain users, so if you’ve had trouble posting a thread, you can send it to [email protected] and we’ll throw it up for you. Hi All, I’m a second year tax associate in […]

I have three years for private accounting background. I then jumped to audit at National CPA firm. Eight months later, after the first busy season, I was laid off. I accepted Field Examiner’s position, where my work invoices examining books of asset based borrowers for banks and other Financial Institutions (ABL Lending). These turn of […]

Hi All, I graduated from a top 10 accounting program with BBA/Macc, did the typical path of two years audit in a mid-size public accounting firm, got my CPA, then left for industry in a corporate accounting (month end close/GL role). I’ve been in industry for 4 years now (6 years total experience) and am […]

New to this site but I’m at a firm just outside of the Big 4 a few months out of a top LLM program. I make great money (relative to my coworkers) but I am bored out of my mind. I do absolutely nothing all day. I realize things can be slow in the beginning […]

So, I passed the CPA exams two years ago, and also passed the AIPCA ethics exam. Now, I have the experience needed to apply for CPA, but I was wondering if I need to retake the ethics exam. Does the score ever expire (for Virginia)? I’m not talking about the state specific ethics exam (the […]

Can anyone shed some light on Federal audit work in the US? I am starting a position through the Recent Grad program with one of the branches, performing internal audits. The particular program is 4 years to get to GS 12. I would like to know what else I would be about to do in Fed […]

I am about to head back to school, so I will be quitting my firm.  The problem is in order to give a full two weeks notice, I would have to declare prior to the bonus payout date.  If I declare, will they still pay out the bonus, which was announced in writing?  And if […]

I was recently offered an internship for a Big 4 for Summer 2018. At the time of my offer, I had a 3.8 GPA. However, my transcript recently updated with an F in a programming course that I took last semester  due to allegations of plagiarism on the final project (worked together with a classmate on […]

Hey GC community, Curious to know everyone’s favorite public accounting buzzwords or phrases used by auditors.  My top three would have to be “high level”, “cadence” and “clarify my understanding”. Cheers!

Hi, InfoSec guy here. Looking for advice on staying agile while meeting ITGC controls. AWS is the gold standard IMO: AWS isn’t alone. Companies like Facebook & Etsy utilize similar processes that pass SOX ITGC audits. I get the feeling most auditors are new to the concepts and push-back when narratives don’t match traditional P&P. […]

Hello All, I accepted a full time offer with a Big 4 firm. My ratings as an intern were mediocre, most of them mentioned that I need to work on my technical skills, but I figured that I will get better with time and experience. I would, however, like to work on my soft skills. […]

Hello Everyone, I have 12+ years experience with a Master’s degree in Engineering as well. Just heard from PwC HR today that I have cleared the technical round for IT Advisory and I am being considered for Manager role (asked for SM/D role but I was told that I need to prove as M within […]

I have worked as a senior accountant in a small public firm for the past 3 years doing tax and audit/compilations/reviews. My clients include manufacturers, construction, and service industry clients. I have my CPA license and MBA. Before public, I worked in the tax department of a large private university for 5 years. I am […]

Hey guys – looking for someone who’s been around Big 4 for some real honest advice. Here it goes. I’m interning in audit right now with a Big 4 firm in a very small office (audit practice only…. Only 30 people in our office) and the full time recruiting process is rolling around the corner. […]

I currently am a staff in an IT audit position. I feel sometimes like I am acting staff, senior, and manager on my engagements, with responsibilities including: Coordinating directly with upper Audit management. Identifying and recommending scope changes. Coordinating documentation requests and meetings with the client. Documenting evidence provided by the client. Managing the budget. […]

Is it considered part time to work 32 hours or less. And if so, what is your firms policy? It seems that my hours will fluctuate so 32 hours one week, 40 another. Sounds like flex time. How is it at your firm?

Any referrals?

Here’s an advice-seeker that wrote in over the weekend: Hello Going Concern! I am a recent Boston graduate who has been working in an AP and Payroll position with a small energy company for the past two years while I pursued my master’s degree in the evening. My bachelor’s degree was in music (which was […]

Hey I’m going to be starting at EY in the Tax Performance Advisory field and I was wondering if anyone had any experience they would like to share on that field. I haven’t seen much talk about it so I would like to hear some of your opinions. I’d like to know what the work […]

Hey Everyone, So I am currently a cyber security intern at a Big 4 and to say the least, my experience so far has been.. unexpected. I was heavily recruited for my Accounting & MIS double major and was told I was going to be in a technical role where I would utilize both of […]

Hello, In need of some advice…  I’ve worked in accounting/finance for 8 years at an Advertising agency, so I have experience.  I’m currently a budget analyst.  I have my AA in Business Administration.  I will graduate with my BA in Finance this May.  My dream is to become a CFO of an Ad Agency.  I’m […]

I am 23 years old working as staff auditor in one of SEA Office. As disclaimer I didn’t come from target school. Honestly I think the pay has been good compared to my peers starting in industry. However I think I can do better than wasting my time for slim chance to be partner, thus […]

I am legally blind and cannot drive. Should I choose audit over tax? How much travel is in audit?

I work at a regional firm in NY and I was reviewing the PWC compensation thread and was wondering if someone could explain the ratings/levels to me.  I’ve never worked at Big 4 so the A1 to A2 levels don’t mean a lot to me. Is this just going from a first year audit associate […]

I plan to leave my big 4 firm after completing my second year. I have a new job lined up with a buddy of mine and I can start anytime starting in September, but I want to wait until January. I currently have vacation booked for a few weeks around Christmas and New Year time. […]

If paid OT is not a possibility what do you get instead? higher salary? PTO time, bonus?

Say you own your own bookkeeping business and have a handful of clients, but want to enter back into a public accounting position with a large firm. Will this be looked at negatively as someone who doesn’t want to work for someone else, or will it be viewed as someone who is a self-starter and […]

1. When you first start working at a firm, who gives you this information? Do they tell you outright you must get this many hours per year…or else….? 2. How can you possibly allocate your time efficiently and effectively when you typically don’t even know what jobs you will be scheduled for? Sometimes you won’t […]

I was graduate with my MSA degree at Dec 2016. I am currently sitting for CPA exam and looking a full-time job in NYC. I didn’t got a job offer at Big 4 through campus recruiting. And I went to lots interview but finally those companies concerned about H1b visa. I think I am not […]

If someone worked for several small public accounting firms for several years and left to start their own firm, what should they include in the cover letter and resume about their practice if they want a position at Big 4? Is it frowned upon if you started your own business and want to go back […]

Hello GC, I am curious if you think Big 4 would hire me in above 1st year associate. I have 3 years experience auditing financial information inside my company, so not true financial statement audits. I have a BS and MS in Accounting, a CPA license, and a CIA certification. I went to industry first […]

I recently interviewed for a experienced hire tax position at a Big 4 after tax season. However, I was told that I was not going to be hired due to a “headcount issue.” Basically, is a “headcount issue” a euphemism for not being liked? Or is there really a headcount issue and there is a […]

I am curious about: 1. Technical/accounting skills 2. Extent/frequency/nature of client interaction 3. Supervisory/training responsibilities 4. In office responsibilities (greeting clients, onboarding/interviewing clients and new hires, etc.) 5. Budget adherence, time management, and downtime privileges I often read or hear about differences regarding the type of work being performed, but I’m curious about other factors […]

Hey there, I know that posts like this have been made before, but I wanted to write out my own situation because it kinda makes me feel better. I started at one of the Big 4 in audit last September. Things were kinda rocky in the beginning because I was dealing with a really awful […]

I’m an accounting and finance double major at a top 10 undergrad business school in the northeast. Up until now, I was going the accounting route full force. I recruited heavily with the Big 4 my sophomore year and ended up doing summer leadership programs with EY and PwC, which led to internship offers for […]

I have a MAcc, CPA, two years experience in international tax at major market B4 firm, and a complete inability to be excited by or find interest in anything tax-related. To anyone who’s left tax behind entirely, what field did you end up in, how have you enjoyed the shift, what should I look for […]

I received a job offer for a Senior Internal Audit position in industry. I have 1.5 years of audit experience and 3 years of transaction services experience at a Big 4 firm. If all goes well, I would be up for promotion to Manager next year, but I’m really tired of the long hours and […]

So a couple of you asked to keep you guys updated on my internship because you all were surprised they allowed a high schooler through the glass doors. Many of you said that I will just be making copies and paperwork, I won’t actually get to work on client stuff. Well, to my surprise and […]

I am helping an International Law Firm recruit an Legal Project Manager and they would like to have an accountant perform the role. One of my colleagues is trying to convince me that the position can be filled by an IT person who has worked with accounting systems. What do you think? The position description […]

Long timer lurker, CPA here with two Bachelor’s degrees (no Master’s) and 7 years of experience in small public accounting firm settings. I want to switch to private. I have been looking for a director of finance/controller role for a company, however I have no “on paper” managerial experience. I have done audits/reviews/compilations of companies […]

I’m a CPA working in a non-accounting field (equity research).  I have all my CPE requirements except for law and ethics. Does anyone else have an issue with trying to get their law and ethics requirement, do they sign up for a class online and take that?  (I signed up for a webcast with CPE, […]

Hi All – I was hoping to get some insight from the experienced heads on this board. I’ve been working in private for 13 years. I got into accounting by accident (straight to private, no public), and it ended up growing on me. I decided to get my CPA…I passed all of the exams last […]

Hi All, So I am a big 4 senior who might be due for promotion to manager this September however I have had one of “those” clients who made me think that this whole audit thing doesn’t really mean much and things just end up being signed regardless. I don’t mind the hard work involved […]

Hi, I am a US citizen with a masters degree in corporate finance, I have set my goals clear to work in financial advisory and preferably in the US, however having lived most of my life abroad it was hard convincing employers to invest in me, i had an opportunity in Deloitte Middle east in […]

I’m in a small finance team at a small company, and I’ve been dealing a lot with subscription service spend. I’m wondering what you guys have seen out there:How do you keep track of software renewals and trials across the company?How do you identify subscriptions you didn’t know you had?How do you get feedback about […]