Accounting career questions

<p>If one's first job out of college is in accounting (Big 4 or a mid-tier firm), would that person's career be pretty much locked into accounting jobs, i.e. how hard would it be to use accounting job experience as a foundation/launchpad to change careers into management, consulting, finance, VC, etc.? </p>

<p>How about an accounting internship during college - will it be difficult to get a post-college job in management consulting or business fields other than accounting if one's internship experience is solely in accounting?</p>

<p>Lastly, is an accounting position a good job to get into Business School with?</p>

<p>I actually have the exact same questions. Right now, I"m doing biomedical engineering, which has a bleak job outlook, so I think accounting may be better, but I'd definitley like to look into how an accounting degree plays into the professional world.</p>

<p>Bump, I'm also curious...</p>

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If one's first job out of college is in accounting (Big 4 or a mid-tier firm), would that person's career be pretty much locked into accounting jobs,

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<p>No.</p>

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how hard would it be to use accounting job experience as a foundation/launchpad to change careers into management, consulting, finance, VC, etc.?

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<p>Many people, if not most, start with accounting and move onto management, consulting, or even IBanking either directly or by going onto MBA program.</p>

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is an accounting position a good job to get into Business School with

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<p>Accounting is one of the top three feeder industry (Ibanking, Consulting, Accounting) that gets people into top BizSchool.</p>

<p>Accounting is one of the best starting points for any career.</p>

<p>Unless you have a firm grasp on accounting, nowadays its a lot harder to climb up the management ladder.</p>

<p>Accounting on a Big 4 level is a springboard to other careers. The turnover at the Big 4 is high. As previous posters mentioned some use the experience to get an MBA and go into ibanking or consulting while others join big firms' accounting departments and work their way to a controller (comptroller) or CFO (chief financial officer) positions.</p>

<p>i really hope you guys are right about all this. because next week, i'm going to change my major to accounting based on what I've read here. </p>

<p>i used to want to be a trader but i'm not sure if i'll survive, if i'll even get in, and how long i'll be able to do it. it sounds like corporate finance is where I'm aiming to go, and I guess getting into a big 4 is now my main goal. now my next question is, regarding summer internships, i should look forward to getting accounting internships right? instead of ones at BB</p>

<p>What's your major now? There are corp fin jobs you can get at the Big 4. I know for a fact EY and Deloitte have them others probably too.</p>

<p>i guess i will be a finance and accounting double with a math minor. im not sure what to do about internships this summer.. im still a 2nd year. should i go for a wealth management or operations at a BB or an internship at a small local accounting firm?</p>

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i guess i will be a finance and accounting double with a math minor. im not sure what to do about internships this summer.. im still a 2nd year. should i go for a wealth management or operations at a BB or an internship at a small local accounting firm?

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<p>Apply to both the BB and accounting internships. If you get into both, I would go with the BB internship, since having a big name on your resume might help. Consult your career counselor about this, but my counselor said that the bigger the name of the company I intern for, the better off I will be when searching for a full-time job (generally speaking).</p>