<p>Hey TheMK99, I totally agree with Dawgie.</p>
<p>Big Four job + CPA = blow your brains out from unhappiness because you lead a boring life and have a dull job</p>
<p>JCoveney, how is that any different from the life of a BB Investment Banker or a McKinsey Consultant?</p>
<p>Undergraduate Business is a waste, you can agree or disagree. I am just telling you guys what I have been told by many. Undergraduate Business is about as useless of a major as you can study. An MBA is all you need and is superior.</p>
<p>Thanks for the generalizations Vinny; they are definitely substantiated coming from you; thanks for letting us all know. I should disregard my undegrad accounting major because Vinny said so. Thanks for letting me know!</p>
<p>A business degree from a top school is way more valuable than an engineering degree from some average school. Sure I think that most business programs are a joke compared to engineering, math, or physics. But, you really can't blame someone for wanting to go to Wharton so they can get a $70k a year job at a top company can you? Graduate from a school like Wharton, Ross, or Haas and you are set.</p>
<p>UB-Vinny I bet your 2.8 GPA will get you into Harvard Business School since you only need an MBA! Right? Or am I making more generalizations than even you?</p>
<p>You people do know the word "hard" is based upon personal perception right? Newton failed geometry exams, Einstein failed algebra. Maybe they were bored with the material, or maybe they weren't good at those respective subjects at the time. Each person has their list of what they are good and what they aren't good at, so trying to compare all majors to each other in terms of difficulty is pretty stupid.</p>
<p>Did Einstein really fail algebra? I thought that was b.s.</p>
<p>Shawn12 notes,"Two thing : Big Four job + CPA = Well off for life. End of story.LOL"</p>
<p>Response: Not quite! First, you have to make partner. This takes 8-12 years of hard work and dedication. Many people aren't willing to pay these dues. Even if you are willing to sacrifice your life for this, many people are forced out. Big 4 firms have an "Up or out policy." They don't normally keep people around if they think that they can't make partner. I do understand that this may have changed for those that have very strong technical skills,but for most folks, the "up or out" policy is still alive and kicking.</p>
<p>Second, even if you make partner, there is no guarantee that you will stay around. The firms can and do fire partners. They just buy out your interest.</p>
<p>Third, even after making partner, many partners still work long hours.</p>
<p>Finally, being a partner can subject you to tremendous liability. Just ask any former Authur Andersen partner.</p>
<p>. Yes, you will make a LOT of money; however, It isn't as rosy as you believe</p>
<p>UB VINNY you have still failed to state what school you are from in respect to whether intermediate accounting is 200 or 300</p>
<p>
[quote]
but you guys end up with less ending salary. (and last time I checked, most I-Bankers made more starting salary than engineers, but I will let it slide for the moment.)</p>
<p>business majors are hard for a different reason. while business students to be as book-smart as engineering students, they surely are required to develop high analytical skills, communication skills, interpersonal ability, creativity etc. Business majors are not as technology/science oriented as engineering majors but we do put more emphasis on human interaction and effective communcation.</p>
<p>and sorry, engineers don't really change the world. Except for a select few (Ph.D and beyond) in MIT, CalTech and a couple of top-notch engineer schools, most (especially B.S) end up being salesmans.</p>
<p>mechanical engineering = refrigerator salesman. if you're lucky ps3 salesman.
civil engineering = sprinkler salesman.
electrical engineering = lamp salesman.
chemical engineering = paint salesman.</p>
<p>business = we own these companies.
[/quote]
You are an idiot.</p>
<p>JCoveney, its probably a crapload better than your job. Accounting is the not most exciting job, but at least you are working with a group of people, traveling to different places, and it is easy to transition to other positions amongst Big Four (Tax, Internal Audit, Transaction Services, Forensics, IT Audit, Consulting {Deloitte}). Pays is awesome, job stability is great. Awesome benefits, tuition reimbursement, and CPA accommodation's. Hours suck obviously but thats what the bars are for after work with your team. </p>
<p>Sorry, but your profession is not the deciding factor of whether your life is boring or not, thats decided by what the individual does outside of work.</p>
<p>Yea that quote above is pretty stupid, salesman? Not quite.</p>
<p>In all fairness, my dad's a civil engineer and I can assure he's NOT a sprinkler salesman. But he got a PhD from THE best university in Korea and got a job as a professor. And he's sort of a "salesman" when he tries to get his students into top grad schools.</p>
<p>That's why I'm majoring econ/business/finance. Because I don't want to get a PhD and end up mainking the same amount of money that I could have made out of undergrad. He started at $28k WITH A PHD IN ENGINEERING lol I could make that working at Starbucks.</p>
<p>Civil engineering makes the least starting out of all engineering(Pretty sure about this). Engineers make good starting salary theres no denying that, but years down the road, not really.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Engineers make good starting salary theres no denying that, but years down the road, not really.
[/quote]
Refer to post #76.</p>
<p>JCoveney, </p>
<p>"Big Four job + CPA = blow your brains out from unhappiness because you "</p>
<p>One does not have to stay at the big four forever. After 3 years of work experience in the Big Four (with CPA), big companies will always be giving me sweet offers . Usually as a CFO or as a company controller . Therefore, one is set for life. </p>
<p>Also, I was accepted to U-PENN CAS, but I turned it down. I went to a good state school instead because I got a full scholarship. Man, It was the best thing I could of done.(Do a DCF model on both cases.) Now, I got a amazing job and career path that is the same as you guys and I have no ($0) debt. I could not imagine being $160,000 in debt. That debt will cut into your salary for years and years after you graduate. But, goodluck anyways.</p>
<p>Do not refer to #76, engineers do not make nearly what an accountants makes 10 years down the road. I don't give a crap how much you engineers argue about which major is difficult, but this is not debatable. Sorry to bring your hopes down Mr Payne, stay at whatever company you want for 10 years doing engineering, and I'll stay at Big Four for 10 years, you won't be making nearly as much as me.</p>
<p>How much do partners make in the big four? Upwards of millions?
How much are you making starting your own CPA firm after 5-10 years at the big four? 300-500K?
I'll take accounting any day of the week!</p>