CPA/Masters' vs Work Experience

<p>Hey all, I'll be graduating with BS in Accounting this December. I go to school at USF in Tampa, FL. Unfortunately, after graduation I have to move back home to my small city of Ocala, FL for a year. Would employers really care if I don't have any experience as long as I've finished my Masters' degree and I've completed all 4 parts of the CPA exam. I know small firms will most likely hire me, but what about Big4/National firms?</p>

<p>I never lived in Ocala (lived in Gainesville) but I feel for you. Having said that, it is possible to get a Big 4 job with a masters, however, why don’t you see if you can get an internship with a Big 4 after you finish your BS and prior to entering the MS program. You may even consider doing the MS part-time while working. Is your goal to get a Big 4 job?</p>

<p>Yeah, it’s really a small market. My original plan was to get a job/internship right after my BS but an emergency came up forcing me to move home for about a year and there are very few accounting jobs in ocala for recent graduates. My goal is to get a job/internship with a big4 company or national firm.</p>

<p>In your situation, any job will be a good job. One of the good things about the local accounting jobs is that they offer you a chance to see all facets of an operation. When I was a company controller, I always found that the auditors with the big accounting firms had no practical experience doing a set of books. Even in small local CPA firms, you get more exposure to those more practical experiences. In the meantime, it may serve you well to study and sit for the CPA exam. Then when the emegency passes, you might be available for that Big 4 job/internship and can begin working towards the masters. You may even have passed the exam and just need to complete the experience requirements. Good luck.</p>

<p>Ocala,FL is pretty far from any of the big four firms unless your willing to commute an hour and 30mins or more everyday. You should have tried getting an internship during your junior year rather than wait until now. I could be wrong so correct me if I am, but it could look bad to employers if you have a Masters and completed the CPA exam without any prior work experience. The best thing you can do, is take geo advice and work part time at an accounting related job even if it’s not your primary goal and at the same time completing your MAcc. After just study for the CPA exam and hope you pass all four parts.</p>

<p>Network and hustle and bustle your way into a Big 4 or large international firm. If you can, don’t settle for a small firm or local no-name CPA firm as the starting point in your career. Your exit opportunities are MUCH MUCH greater with a big firm under your belt. </p>

<p>I’ve seen too many students settle for a private industry or local CPA firm job straight out of college due to the bad economy. As a result, they are not able to land a Big 4 gig because they are now under-qualified for the Big 4 as experienced hires.</p>

<p>There is a reason why the Big 4 dominate the rankings when it comes to the “top places to start your career.”</p>