<p>lol this thread is so funny… the same people that were defending how great accounting was several months ago now are revealing how much they regret or hate majoring in accounting…</p>
<p>goose, </p>
<p>i responded in the same way because you posted the exact same thing in two different threads; i just responded to both of them. </p>
<p>thats sort of what the problem is. a good gpa used to be considered 3.0+ and now its 3.5+. A similar thing happened to the measure of social/interview skills. Your infering that anyone who has a 3.5+ gpa and doesnt have an offer, that it is because they have bad social skills. Not necesarilly true. Just because the positions are competitive (due to the number of applicants/scarcity of openings) does NOT mean they have bad social or interviewing skills. </p>
<p>I hope well-rounded individuals can land jobs. Hopefully, they can land good jobs and not just jobs that you dont even need a degree for. I think you may be being too optimistic. Besides, you seem to want to change the definition of “good/bad/great/quality” based on what the marketplace considers good/bad/quality (which is the same thing as blaming it on the competition.) If you do that, then of course people w/ “quality” interviewing skills wont have trouble finding jobs. </p>
<p>I just don’t want anyone, who is normal (is social, outgoing, NOT an introvert), think that as long as they get a high gpa theyll get a good job. Quite possible but still hard. </p>
<p>At my school, the other opportunities (outside public accounting) are also very competitive and not nearly enough to employ those (with good gpas, and seemingly good social skills (from my perspective as another student, anyways)) get offers. The regional firms usually actually have a higher GPA requirment (at my school) cause they interview so few people and only want to talk to the best. </p>
<p>PS: i actually havnt graduated yet. So am just basing this off of my observations/discussions with others. Could be wrong about some of it, but don’t think so.</p>
<p>I thought Accounting was the holy grail of business majors lol</p>
<p>Seriously everyone always talks about how great Accounting is and in many cases they are right. But I have taken 2 (and will be 3 by the end of this summer) Accounting courses. Have done pretty well (3.5 GPA in my accounting classes so far) but have realized I HATED it. You shouldn’t force being an accounting major just because they have good career prospects, especially if you really don’t enjoy the work.</p>
<p>Accounting is a great business major to have and is very versatile. But choosing a major/field to work in is YOUR choice and while outside sources can help it shouldn’t be the only thing you use to make a decision.</p>
<p>So yes, as a Finance/Economics double major I might struggle to find a career immediately after college. But I know that when I do find that career I won’t hate it.</p>
<p>Here is how recruitment goes:</p>
<p>1) High GPA –> First round interview
2) Can answer behavioral questions and interview well –> Second round interview
3) Can hold a conversation in a social setting and at the office (2nd round) –> Offer</p>
<p>Like I have said many, many times, if people are getting first round interview (due to a high GPA) and they are not receiving offers or making it to the next round of interviews, it just means that their interview and social skills are not “good” relative to the marketplace. </p>
<p>Being “good” at something is always relative. </p>
<p>Recruitment in public accounting is about as straightforward as it gets. Depending on which step in the process you are denied, it is pretty easy to figure out what you need to work on to be more successful in the future.</p>
<p>1) No first interview –> GPA too low.
2) No second interview –> Answer behavioral questions better and create better rapport with interviewer.
3) No offer after second round –> Create better rapport at the office and in social settings.</p>
<p>Straightforward and simple.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Accounting is probably the most well respected of the business majors, so using your terminology it probably is considered the “holy grail”.</p>
<p>Not many people just loveeeee accounting. Overall it is a pretty boring subject, but it is a useful skill set that allows recent college grads to gain entry into the marketplace with a foundation to build off. </p>
<p>It all depends on what someone values and what they are willing to sacrifice to go about achieving the best cost-benefit for them personally. For you, the cost of doing accounting was not worth the positives for exit opportunities. There is nothing wrong with that. It is the same reason I did not do an economics double major–I didn’t think the costs of taking those classes outweighed my ability to take more accounting classes in which I saw more inherent value in the marketplace. Everyone has a different perspective in their utility maximization. As long as you are comfortable with your decision, then that is all that should matter.</p>
<p>My business knowledge owns yours. I am an auditor.</p>
<p>Im an accountant/cpa and a mom, which is the reason im on this site. </p>
<p>Let me put it this way, if you are wanting to go into business, then accounting is the way to go. No other major comes close to giving you what you need to be in business. Its the down and dirty stuff, the numbers. That being said, its a good profession but if its not in your heart then dont do it.</p>
<p>Once I went to public accounting and then on to private, I realized that it was not for me.
But I will always have a job and I also give my accounting background the accolades it deserves for being successful in a totally unrelated field.</p>
<p>I hope that helps you, if you have any other questions, please feel free to email me.</p>
<p>I believe I have above decent social skills but I have great leadership skills. Im very likeable by most workers at the same time. Not sure how much that will help with me getting an accounting job after graduating though. Keep in mind I plan to earn a high GPA and become a CPA one day. I want to eventually earn 6 figures.</p>
<p>Im surprised hearing that accountants are having a hard time finding jobs.</p>
<p>@Whatdidyou - Why are accounting firms looking for salesmanship? I thought accountants mostly do auditing work. I never knew they had to have good sales skills. Im surprised accounting students have good grades at your school as Ive heard it is by far the most difficult undergraduate business related major at my school.</p>
<p>@toomanymajors - The demand of accountants is certainly something that has gotten my attention. I specifically made the switch from Business Management to Accounting for this reason.</p>
<p>@jonahrubin - Do you have a source? Because I heard the exact opposite. I remember reading somewhere that there will be an 18% rise in hiring of accountants the next 10 years. I also remember reading several weeks ago of a famous CEO claiming there is a shortage of accountants.</p>
<p>@UKclassof13 - I doubt many people “enjoy” accounting. I have taken accounting courses and though I certainly don’t enjoy it, it makes sense, and it is a relatively high paying major. The things that I like to don’t pay well. I know that I shouldn’t put money first but I am so sick of being poor all my life. I made a promise to myself that I will die a rich man. I hated economics a little more than accounting though hah (I dont really hate accounting).</p>
<p>If your much more likable than the other students in your class, you have a good chance at getting an offer if you keep up your GPA. The flipside of this is for the majority of good accounting students will not get offers because the big4 recruiters will like you and a few others more. </p>
<p>Thats what I mean by salesmanship. It doesnt matter if you get good grades, know your accounting material better, are social… If you cant get the recruiter to likie you more than, what is it? at least the 10-15 other people they interview for the exact position, then you wont get the offer. Although, I do think sales skills become more important at the manager level when your expected to bring business to the firm. </p>
<p>Acctg students get good grades because some accounting courses are pretty easy, most are somewhat difficult, and there are a couple that are VERY hard. ACCTG students manage to pull it off by getting mostly As in non-business and GER courses, and then getting decent grades in the accounting courses. It is not too difficult to keep your GPA above a 3.5 at my school (well, for alot of people it is but enough students are able to do it that it keeps interviewing very competitive, where some people with 3.4+ gpas dont get any interviews). Especially since recruiting for internships occurs before students have taken very many of the more difficult upper level accounting courses.</p>
I regret major in Accounting because I learned the business/accounting world is not a friendly place. I learned people really do not care for your or your health but care more about the bottom line of the firm or the manager of the firm which is really dumb because a firm should be about its employees and its manager. I do not like it because as a woman I got harassed by men in those accounting firms. Last, I don’t like because its not like school you go into an accounting firm thinking its straight forward as what you were taught there but its not really.
^^^^ Please do not post to threads that are years old. They should be for reference only.