Current Events > so who here works in accounting

(+) Yeah! (+)

tell me about it
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Im a barber. Can I help in any way?
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@Vamp_Aubrey @Coolppl_Owns
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Accounting is for nerds.

How can I help
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Hairy-man posted...

Im a barber. Can I help in any way?

i need a new hairstyle, ive been doing the same thing for 2 yrs and im sick of it

JustMyOpinion posted...

I took an accounting class or two in college. So I'm pretty much an expert.

i wish i had done that, i wasted college

Drpooplol posted...

Accounting is for nerds.

How can I help

what is it like to be an accountant
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I did bookkeeping for years

It's not my thing
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Money's not bad, there's some challenging work occasionally, which is nice. But it's not that engaging and for close to 3 months of the year I work 65-75 hrs a week. But also a big chunk of the year I only work 4 days a week and come and go as I please.

If you want stability in a career and your soul to be slowly squeezed from you over the years, it's your gig.
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I don't yet but it's my major
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Money isn't that great and public practice can be hell because of overtime during the busy season. You also get bosses who are anal about how you spend your time on various clients as that is how they bill. Most people leave public practice after they get their accounting designation. Also CPA stands for "Copy and Paste Accountant." It is a not so secret technique all accountants depend on and it is somewhat effective at making you look competent.

On the bright side there is plenty of demand for cheap labor grunt work as turnover can be high. On the downside that is the only type of position with high demand.
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I'm thinking of majoring in accounting, is it a good idea?

DarthAragorn posted...

I don't yet but it's my major

What year in college are you and do you have an idea of what sector you want to go.in.
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NathanX95 posted...

I'm thinking of majoring in accounting, is it a good idea?

EHH. It's stable, and you won't have a hard time having a career. Have you taken any college accounting classes yet?
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JustMyOpinion posted...

I took an accounting class or two in college. So I'm pretty much an expert.

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Drpooplol posted...

DarthAragorn posted...

I don't yet but it's my major

What year in college are you and do you have an idea of what sector you want to go.in.

Last semester at a community college, transferring to 4 year in the fall then 4 semesters left

No idea yet
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Drpooplol posted...

NathanX95 posted...

I'm thinking of majoring in accounting, is it a good idea?

EHH. It's stable, and you won't have a hard time having a career. Have you taken any college accounting classes yet?

Nope, but I'm transferring to a university in fall as an undeclared major.

I also think it's a good major, because even if you graduate with a degree and decide you don't like it, it's easy to pivot to other business related jobs. I know a good amount of people who've done that.

It's a marketable degree that companies really respect.
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I work in an accounting department but I don't have an accounting clerk. I was pretty much asked one day if I wanted to fill the position after working for my company for three years. I have been thinking about going back to school to get an accounting degree. I have been working as a clerk for about two years now.
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Cpa here. Taking a shit for half an hour because I don't want to go back to my desk.
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I'm an internal auditor and i like it
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Drpooplol posted...

I also think it's a good major, because even if you graduate with a degree and decide you don't like it, it's easy to pivot to other business related jobs. I know a good amount of people who've done that.

It's a marketable degree that companies really respect.

yeah I wish I'd done accounting for my undergrad tbh

I mean I've picked up basic bookkeeping as someone who managed projects and solicits grants but it would be super super helpful to actually be an accountant imo
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SwordMaster13X posted...

I work in an accounting department but I don't have an accounting clerk. I was pretty much asked one day if I wanted to fill the position after working for my company for three years. I have been thinking about going back to school to get an accounting degree. I have been working as a clerk for about two years now.

good to know, i was thinking of trying to get a role like yours and then going to school for something like a masters in accounting or w/e

Vamp_Aubrey posted...

I'm an internal auditor and i like it

what is that like? do i need a BA in accounting to get into it?
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Accounting major who just recently got his CPA and got a nice $5000 bonus from my firm for passing it on my first year.

Accounting is a hard and competitive business major to get into (finance comes close). Almost every single California Public University, the offers accounting major is impacted. My take would be if you go into an introductory Accounting class and have no idea what the fuck you are doing, drop the class and go for a different major because it does not get easier from there. You're going to have to change your way of thinking, like for instance Debits and Credits doesn't function the same way as you think with just your regular credit card. Journal Entries and creating different types of Financial Statements require you to know how to indentify what a asset, liability, and owner equity is. You also have to explain to your clients (using layman terms) the meanings of the numbers and making sure they're reporting their income in an accurate manner either under GAAP or IFRS (depending on what type of business they're owning domestic or international)

The benefits to being an accounting major is job security, decent pay (the pay gets better once you become a CPA because the sky is the limit), career diversity (meaning your skills as an accountant can even bring job opportunities that have nothing to do with the accounting field because it's such a highly regarded business major, I've seen it happen with coworkers at my firm), and lots of room for personal and business growth (especially good if you're an overachiever). The negatives like I mention is that the field is competitive, so if you want to get into a big firm you're going up against people who are masters at networking (AKA sucking the professional's dick). There are also certain busy seasons that forces you to 60-80 hours a week (the benefit though is when it's not busy season, there's not that much work to do so plenty of times I get out of work early) so if that sounds scary to you, I would recommend a different field. Management, Marketing, or even Business Administration are much easier business majors to get into.
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Prestoff posted...

Accounting major who just recently got his CPA and got a nice $5000 bonus from my firm for passing it on my first year.

Accounting is a hard and competitive business major to get into (finance comes close). Almost every single California Public University, the offers accounting major is impacted. My take would be if you go into an introductory Accounting class and have no idea what the fuck you are doing, drop the class and go for a different major because it does not get easier from there. You're going to have to change your way of thinking, like for instance Debits and Credits doesn't function the same way as you think with just your regular credit card. Journal Entries and creating different types of Financial Statements require you to know how to indentify what a asset, liability, and owner equity is. You also have to explain to your clients (using layman terms) the meanings of the numbers and making sure they're reporting their income in an accurate manner either under GAAP or IFRS (depending on what type of business they're owning domestic or international)

The benefits to being an accounting major is job security, decent pay (the pay gets better once you become a CPA because the sky is the limit), career diversity (meaning your skills as an accountant can even bring job opportunities that have nothing to do with the accounting field because it's such a highly regarded business major, I've seen it happen with coworkers at my firm), and lots of room for personal and business growth (especially good if you're an overachiever). The negatives like I mention is that the field is competitive, so if you want to get into a big firm you're going up against people who are masters at networking (AKA sucking the professional's dick). There are also certain busy seasons that forces you to 60-80 hours a week (the benefit though is when it's not busy season, there's not that much work to do so plenty of times I get out of work early) so if that sounds scary to you, I would recommend a different field. Management, Marketing, or even Business Administration are much easier business majors to get into.

is it possible to get into accounting without a degree? what about if i am not interested in public accounting with a big 4 firm or something?
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I hate our accounting department. They think they're special but anyone can do their job.
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Yeah, it'll be really low paying jobs, though. Like 13-15 an hour with little hopes of moving up. You can get a masters in accounting in less than 2 years and have an alright time getting a job paying in the 40ks
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Romulox28 posted...

Prestoff posted...

Accounting major who just recently got his CPA and got a nice $5000 bonus from my firm for passing it on my first year.

Accounting is a hard and competitive business major to get into (finance comes close). Almost every single California Public University, the offers accounting major is impacted. My take would be if you go into an introductory Accounting class and have no idea what the fuck you are doing, drop the class and go for a different major because it does not get easier from there. You're going to have to change your way of thinking, like for instance Debits and Credits doesn't function the same way as you think with just your regular credit card. Journal Entries and creating different types of Financial Statements require you to know how to indentify what a asset, liability, and owner equity is. You also have to explain to your clients (using layman terms) the meanings of the numbers and making sure they're reporting their income in an accurate manner either under GAAP or IFRS (depending on what type of business they're owning domestic or international)

The benefits to being an accounting major is job security, decent pay (the pay gets better once you become a CPA because the sky is the limit), career diversity (meaning your skills as an accountant can even bring job opportunities that have nothing to do with the accounting field because it's such a highly regarded business major, I've seen it happen with coworkers at my firm), and lots of room for personal and business growth (especially good if you're an overachiever). The negatives like I mention is that the field is competitive, so if you want to get into a big firm you're going up against people who are masters at networking (AKA sucking the professional's dick). There are also certain busy seasons that forces you to 60-80 hours a week (the benefit though is when it's not busy season, there's not that much work to do so plenty of times I get out of work early) so if that sounds scary to you, I would recommend a different field. Management, Marketing, or even Business Administration are much easier business majors to get into.

is it possible to get into accounting without a degree? what about if i am not interested in public accounting with a big 4 firm or something?

It's possible because I've seen people get into accounting just by helping others file Individual Income Tax (you just need to get a certificate for this) and/or bookkeeping. You won't be able to grow in the accounting field without a BS degree and you won't be able to make up to 6 figures without a CPA license (I'm pretty sure you don't need to be an accounting major to be able to take it, but don't take my word for it).

And if you're not interested in Public Accounting, private or smaller firms might take you, but they would prefer someone in the accounting field for the.... accounting work.
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Drpooplol posted...

Yeah, it'll be really low paying jobs, though. Like 13-15 an hour with little hopes of moving up. You can get a masters in accounting in less than 2 years and have an alright time getting a job paying in the 40ks

yikes, my current job pays more than 40k

Prestoff posted...

It's possible because I've seen people get into accounting just by helping others file Individual Income Tax (you just need to get a certificate for this) and/or bookkeeping. You won't be able to grow in the accounting field without a BS degree and you won't be able to make up to 6 figures without a CPA license (I'm pretty sure you don't need to be an accounting major to be able to take it, but don't take my word for it).

And if you're not interested in Public Accounting, private or smaller firms might take you, but they would prefer someone in the accounting field for the.... accounting work.

wont be able to make 6 figures without a CPA? damn lol

i have a BA now but it's unrelated, i currently work in a field tangentially related to accounting and was thinking of trying to get into it, since i really need to gtfo of my current role
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Romulox28 posted...

wont be able to make 6 figures without a CPA? damn lol

Can confirm.

If you want more money, you should get into sales. If you're a personable person. Just share your stories that you've shared with gamefaqs, and you should be fine.
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Romulox28 posted...

wont be able to make 6 figures without a CPA? damn lol

The only time I've seen a non-CPA accountant make 6 figures are usually sole proprietors that get a lot and/or big clients.

Romulox28 posted...

i have a BA now but it's unrelated, i currently work in a field tangentially related to accounting and was thinking of trying to get into it, since i really need to gtfo of my current role

What's major did you get a BA in?
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Drpooplol posted...

If you want more money, you should get into sales. If you're a personable person. Just share your stories that you've shared with gamefaqs, and you should be fine.

thought about it at one point but i dont know how good of a fit i'd be

Prestoff posted...

The only time I've seen a non-CPA accountant make 6 figures are usually sole proprietors that get a lot and/or big clients.

yikes, that is really bad

Prestoff posted...

What's major did you get a BA in?

Information Technology
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Romulox28 posted...

thought about it at one point but i dont know how good of a fit i'd be

You could try it part time maybe for some things to try it out, or do some shadowing.
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Romulox28 posted...

yikes, that is really bad

Yeah I simplified that too because they have to do other stuff like helping clients setting up IRA, selling insurance, payroll tax, etc.

Romulox28 posted...

Information Technology

What exactly do you do in that field?
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Drpooplol posted...

You could try it part time maybe for some things to try it out, or do some shadowing.

i can be a good talker sometimes and i like working with people but i'm pretty introverted, i dont know if i have that "closing" mentality

Prestoff posted...

What exactly do you do in that field?

the major was just general IT, a mix of mgmt classes, technical ones (databases, software, programming, etc), some fluff, etc.

currently i work as a reconciliation analyst. basically i work with the A/R people to resolve billing issues
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Romulox28 posted...

i dont know if i have that "closing" mentality

This is the only thing stopping me from getting into sales. Well that and the fear of not making quotas
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I have a Bachelors in Accounting, but I never went into the CPA public accounting stuff. TBH I'm basically a book keeper. >_>
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The big 4 are notoriously difficult to get into. If you can't get into them there are always small public accounting firms, but they have high turnover and low pay. If you do get into a big 4 you are probably going to have a good career.

If the topic creator is already making 40k I wouldn't recommend switching to accounting.
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DragonGirlYuki posted...

The big 4 are notoriously difficult to get into. If you can't get into them there are always small public accounting firms, but they have high turnover and low pay. If you do get into a big 4 you are probably going to have a good career.

If the topic creator is already making 40k I wouldn't recommend switching to accounting.

my job is a dead end tho so i need to do something
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The CPA path is long and hard. No guarantee either you will end up more than just a bookkeeper. Your current job is likely better than being a bookkeeper.
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JustMyOpinion posted...

Big 4 has awful turnover too what with people not enjoying working 16 hours a day 4 months a year.

It is normal for people to washout. But some stick it out as having a big 4 firm on your resume looks very good once you get your CPA. Most people don't stay in public practice after their CPA.
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DragonGirlYuki posted...

The CPA path is long and hard. No guarantee either you will end up more than just a bookkeeper. Your current job is likely better than being a bookkeeper.

i'm basically just an AR person, it's a crappy job

JustMyOpinion posted...

Big 4 has awful turnover too what with people not enjoying working 16 hours a day 4 months a year.

thats what i will tell myself on the commute home today as i try and convince myself to not drive off a cliff. that and i really dont want to have to commute to manhattan if i can avoid it lol
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How easy do you find your job?
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My cousin is 18 and going to college this fall and he's planning on doing accounting. this topic is worrying me
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DragonGirlYuki posted...

How easy do you find your job?

pretty easy
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Romulox28 posted...

DragonGirlYuki posted...

The CPA path is long and hard. No guarantee either you will end up more than just a bookkeeper. Your current job is likely better than being a bookkeeper.

i'm basically just an AR person, it's a crappy job

Just out of curiosity, what all do you do as an AR person, what's a normal day like, and how much a year do you get paid?
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Romulox28 posted...

Drpooplol posted...

You could try it part time maybe for some things to try it out, or do some shadowing.

i can be a good talker sometimes and i like working with people but i'm pretty introverted, i dont know if i have that "closing" mentality

Prestoff posted...

What exactly do you do in that field?

the major was just general IT, a mix of mgmt classes, technical ones (databases, software, programming, etc), some fluff, etc.

currently i work as a reconciliation analyst. basically i work with the A/R people to resolve billing issues

You don't want to get into programming?
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Romulox28 posted...

DragonGirlYuki posted...

How easy do you find your job?

pretty easy

So you got plenty of time to surf the net and goof off right? You won't be relaxed in a public accounting firm. They will work you like dogs.
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