<p>I am a current college student nearing the end of my undergraduate accounting degree. I just recently landed a great job in the A/R department at a very large, global, and well known public (brewery) company. While not specifically audit/local CPA firm experience, it is a full-time, salaried position that allows me to work nights while attending class in the morning. The position is entry level, but it includes posting entries, balancing accounts, and managing A/R and credits for a specific region for the company.</p>
<p>Reading most of the posts on here, GPA and prior (accounting related) experience seem to be the top two criteria that most people worry about. My GPA is 3.5+ overall.</p>
<p>In anyone's experience who decides to respond to this, how much do you think this full-time accounting position will help if I choose to pursue a Big 4 internship? Would it be over-confident to think of it as more important since it is a full-time position and not just an internship?</p>
<p>Also, would it even be smarter to go to a Big 4 firm since I already have my foot in the door at a large public company? Will I be able to work my way up into an in-house audit/CPA role without any outside CPA firm experience?</p>
<p>Would this also just be considered working backwards since I already have a full-time position? Would it even be worth it to leave for a summer Big 4 internship, even though there’s a high possibility of being hired full-time after that?</p>
<p>I don’t know where you got that accounting related experience was so important for an internship, it’s not. I don’t know more than a handful of people who had accounting related experience before their big 4 internship. I didn’t. I have interviewed candidates with experience similar to yours who did not even get a 2nd interview</p>
<p>The most important aspect behind GPA is leadership experience in things like Beta Alpha Psi or other student organizations. HR wants to see that you can interact and get along well with people of your own age because that’s who you’ll be working with. </p>
<p>Everyone in accounting related roles in industry outside of your own managers who want to keep you will tell you that nothing compares to Big 4 experience. From first hand knowledge I can tell you that you will watch big 4 alumnus pass you up time and time again for open positions. Just the way it is.</p>
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<p>Come on. Really? You are working a job that an accounting major from a community college could do and you’re asking if it’d be working backwards to go to the cream of the crop for CPA entry level jobs?</p>
<p>On a side note - it sounds like you are a senior in college. If this is correct you are too late for a Big 4 internship which is done between senior and 5th year when you get the credits needed for your CPA whether that is a MAcc or whatever.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply - what you said definitely makes a lot of sense.</p>
<p>Based on what you said, I’ll ask this: should I focus on just applying for a Big 4 full time position if I want to go that route? Do you have any experience with hiring entry level full time employees? I’ve heard that it’s easier to get a full time position than an internship program, so if I’m past that point anyway, do the requirements/emphasis areas change for recruiters looking for full time employees?</p>
<p>I’m definitely very happy in my position now - I at least feel lucky to have a 45k+ salary, in my career field, while still in school - no matter how entry level it is. I’ve seen great evidence for advancement from within as well, but like you said, nothing beats that Big 4 experience, which is why I’m considering.</p>
<p>Could a spring/winter internship still be a possibility? I’m technically still a Junior with a winter semester graduation date.</p>
<p>I’ve known plenty of people who had a winter grad date and took the next semester off for a spring internship and then returned the following fall for their masters or other methods of getting CPA credits. </p>
<p>Your thoughts that getting full time is easier than an internship is another false idea. Who is telling you this? Lol. We hire a vast majority of our full time from internships but no it isn’t impossible to get a ft job without an internship, just MUCH less common. We usually do it out of desperation because of a new client or increased workloads.</p>
<p>I suppose I’ve just been fed bad information, haha. Thanks again for the reply.</p>
<p>I’m a BAP member, but I do not have a leadership role. At my school, many events take place in the evening during the week, and I cannot attend because of my job. I have to pay the bills, so I really don’t have a choice. I actively participate in their events when I can. I do, however, actively participate in community service and extracurriculars.</p>
<p>If HR is looking for how I interact with peers my own age, is there a reason that it specifically has to be Beta Alpha Psi? I work with a team at my job of people in my 21-23 age range. I know BAP is of course the most well known “extracurricular” for an accounting major, but is there seriously any disadvantage for people who work full time as well as take 15 hours a semester?</p>
<p>The winter/spring route is what I’m thinking. I do feel discouraged just because I feel like, for the majority of cases, I always hear the same thing - 4.0 GPA, Beta Alpha Psi, maybe some small firm CPA experience, then boom, you’re in (maybe a little exaggerated, but you get the point).</p>
<p>You misunderstood what I am saying. You said …</p>
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<p>My response was that specific accounting related work experience is not AT ALL a criteria. It is certainly a way to sell yourself, but it is by no means a criteria. I work with a few people who had an internship at smaller CPA firms before big 4, some people who had other business-type internships/jobs, and some who worked in the retail or restaurant industry. They all sold the interviewers on how it developed their team skills. My point is, you are not at some big advantage with an AR job over someone who worked in an office filing papers, but who also was E-VP of BAP or Treasurer of a Fraternity/Sorority.</p>
<p>It is like a checklist. HR would look at a resume and see 3.3+ GPA - check. Beta Alpha Psi/Greek/Etc. leadership? Nope. We’ll lets look at work experience - check. </p>
<p>I did not mean to discourage you. What you are telling me - if I had it in resume form - would get me excited to interview you. Your path is not traditional, but there is no doubt you are worthy of an interview. </p>
<p>I mentioned that I have seen people with similar backgrounds to you passed up and it is because they made the mistake of having your mindset coming in. Your job sounds great, but it isn’t going to make recruiters drool if you try to sell the fact that you have an edge because of the type of work you’ve done. No offense meant, but AR is not going to teach you anything about the way X Big 4 does their audit. The key is to sell that you learned how to work in a team and juggled a FT position while maintaining a stellar GPA.</p>
<p>A side story - I worked in retail and in restaurants. I sold HR on how it taught me to work in a team and communicate with customers of what they wanted. I was also a VP of my fraternity and the E-VP of BAP. However, I did not work full time like you. So you need to replace the leadership I sold to them with how well you have been able to manage your time.</p>
<p>I was hoping I could tag on to this post and ask a question.</p>
<p>I’m currently in a part-time accelerated MBA program at Simon (University of Rochester).</p>
<p>I have a full-time job, but I’m trying to figure out the value of leaving to intern at a Big 4 this summer. I finish up school June of 2013, so now would be the time to get in.</p>
<p>I’ve read how prior work experience is really only valued as leadership and time management experience, so am I right in saying, an internship at a Big 4 is much more valuable than a full-time job in an accounting function?</p>
<p>The cost of the switch will be substantial, but if long term benefit will outweigh the short term loss, it seems logical to take the Big 4 internship to better the chances of being offered a full time job.</p>