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Noob Worries About Getting Boxed In By Super Specialized Business Line

Posted on by Daniel Braddock

Ed. note: If you have a question for the career advice brain trust, please don’t be put off by any snarky comments made in response to questions from others. There is no such thing as stupid questions, only stupid people. We love you.

Dear GC,

Recently I signed an offer to start with a large, multi-national firm in the Summer of ’12 as soon as I finish my MSA.  The pay is top of the market for my location (I know, thanks to your website).  The business line is very specialized tax–expatriate and foreign national work.  I did an internship with the firm, and enjoy the work immensely; however I am concerned that I am “boxing myself in” at such an early place in my career.  Opportunities for advancement are available within the firm, but I am worried that there may not be a life for me outside of public accounting with such a specialized skill set.  Question:  go with the flow or keep looking?  I like the work, but am I being short-sighted?

Regards,

MaybeMaybeNot


MaybeMaybeNot,
So sorry to see you don’t have the same problem as Jimmy Dean, but it sounds like your one offer is with a business line that you very much enjoy. So I ask – what the hell is wrong with that?

I understand that you feel concerned about “boxing” yourself in, but you made the biggest point yourself – this is early in your career. What is the worst that can happen to you? You fumble around in a Big4 tax group for a few years, get struck with the two year itch, and suddenly want out. So you do just that. You try out another Big4, or you do two seconds of research on Al Gore’s greatest invention and find a job elsewhere.

Do not second-guess your interest in the work you’ve been exposed to thus far. Those of you in the peanut gallery – what kind of options have you seen in recent years for someone in the same sitch as MMN? Share in the comments below.

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Welcome to the cancel-your-holiday-in-Libya edition of Accounting Career Emergencies. In today’s edition, another Fall 2011 Big 4 associate would like to nail down a certification in addition to the CPA before starting work. Can I keep my head from exploding long enough to formulate a coherent response?

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Back to our overachiever du jour:

Caleb,

I am about to pass the CPA exam and have 8 months until I begin at one of the “Big Four” firms in Florida. I am excited to start at the firm as it was my first choice however, I am not certain I will be in public accounting for the long run (like most people). My question is, being uncertain about my career path, what other certification should I obtain before I start in 8 months?

I have considered the CISA, CFE, CMA, CFA, Six Sigma but, I am not sure as I am not certain of my long term path. I want something that will give me an edge if I leave the firm and/or switch careers.

What certification would you recommend?

Any suggestions are helpful.

Dear Overachiever Du Jour,

After murdering the remainder of Stranahan’s in the house, I’m better prepared to answer your query.

I appreciate your ambition and we definitely think that obtaining additional certifications is a good idea for those that move on from public accounting but I fail to see how this benefits you now before you have an inkling of what kind of career you want. HOWEVER, I’m here to help sort you out as best I can, so I’ve put aside my judgments for two.

Based on your “considerations” listed, you seem to have a case of accounting certification ADHD which is fine but there’s no clear pattern as to what your interests are. I’m not going to recommend you do something just because it may be a hot area (forensics) or in-demand (information systems) but I am going to recommend you rank these certifications based on your level interest. Want to eventually be a CFO? Then go for the CMA. Want to pile up the financial reporting bodies? Get the CFE. You get the point. The important thing is to pursue a certification you find interesting rather than one that will just puts a few letters behind your name that may (but probably not) impress someone.

But really, do you want to spend the summer prior to starting work studying for a test? Get the band back together, take a trip, something.

Accountingfly Featured Job of the Week: Audit Senior With Cornwell Jackson

Accountingfly's featured job this week is for an Audit Senior position with Cornwell Jackson, PLLC […]

Job of the Day: All I Want for Christmas Is a New Job

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for hire me2.jpgIf a new job is on your list to Kris Kringle, then you’re in luck because we’re going to start throwing a job out there for your viewing pleasure on a daily basis. It’s up to you click the links provided. We can’t do everything after all.
Check out the details for a Senior Alternative Investments Accounting Analyst position at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York, after the jump.


Company: Brown Brothers Harriman
Title: Senior Alternative Investments Accounting Analyst
Location: New York City
Description: The Senior Accountant – Alternative Investments will be responsible for the accounting, operational and administrative functions for BBH alternative investment products.
Responsibilities: The individual will be responsible for the core accounting and reporting (financial and tax) for these products, including maintenance of general ledgers, partnership capital accounts and unit prices for offshore share classes. The position will also be responsible for operations and administration of the products, including subscriptions, redemptions, cash management, investor reporting, and supervision of administrators. As well, this position will directly support the front office staff who works on the products. The individual will deal with front office management of BBH, product and portfolio managers of BBH, external relationships with external accountants, some external product portfolio managers and administrators as well as the Core Accounting group of Controllers.
Requirements: Bachelor Degree, Accounting Major preferred; 4+ yrs of relevant experience, preferably with exposure to alternative investments; Good knowledge of financial products, including alternative investments
See this job’s entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.