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Rising Star
As someone in industry seeing people in their 40s studying for it in order to progress, yes it is very important.
I have to agree here. I'm trying to take that next step in my career and not having it has made it harder to get into a role I know I can do based on my experience.
Pro
There’s no reason you would ever regret getting your CPA.
There are plenty of scenarios where you might regret not getting it
Glassdoor deleted my post because I was cursing 🤣. So here’s the gist;
- Public firm: absolutely essential
- Corporation; not so much because you
can BS Senior management and/or the
board bc they have seizures when their
brains try to understand accounting
- The firm always sees you as expendable;
don’t fall for all of that “teamwork”
nonsense. Keep your own counsel. The
person in the next cubicle will most likely
be lying in wait to stab you in the back.
Hope this helps 😆🫠
There are plenty of jobs in private that have a “CPA preferred or required.” So you will essentially be out of contention for those.
And many of these are the better higher paying jobs.
I agree. I only interned in Public but got the License anyway and it has definitely helped me in the job market.
You don't need it to work at McDonald's. Good luck!
I dont have a CPA, and I wish I did. I spend a oot od time convincing people that I am competent despite not having it. I would suggest getting it.
I'm studying for the CPA now. Currently have an EA but I want to move up and I like money
You will never regret having your CPA, but you might regret not having it. It can be a differentiator to get your foot in the door, or can be the thing that pushes you over the top when multiple candidates have similar background and experience. I have been in both industry and public accounting, and it helped (and I am in consulting, not audit) in a number of situations. It has never hurt. If you can get it, do so. It might come in handy 10 or 20 years down the road. You never know what life will throw at you. I never expected it to be valuable to me in a technology consulting role, but it has proved to be. Good luck!
Chief
VERY if you like money and finding good jobs
It’s a competitive work force out there. If you can get, it will only help.
There are more and more companies that are waiving the requirement of CPA. Most b4 and MM firms have dropped cpa requirement for transaction diligence and deal jobs
Extremely. Don’t bother with accounting without it.
Who’s to say you would never want to go back to public at some point in the future? A lot of industry jobs look for CPA. I started in industry and had no need to get CPA. I figured I might as well get it just in case. I never would have been able to get where I am now without it.
As the job market gets more competitive it’s better to have a CPA.
If you don’t have the energy to do it now just grind it out at your current position (doesn’t make sense if you don’t plan to stay) and you can figure it out later.
Are you tax or audit? For tax you can most likely sub in an EA but for audit to be able to sign you need a CPA. Even making the jump to industry you will be ranked below those with a CPA
True you can sub an EA for tax but at my firm, EA’s are the red headed step child. I just passed my EA. I wish I would have just went and got my CPA to be done with it. Guess what I’m starting after tax season? Also compare EA salary/associates degree/bachelor degree to CPA. There is a big difference.
Take what’s yours in this world. The CPA license is farse, along with every other professional certification. If you have the wherewithal to be considering it you have more knowledge the vast majority of people who have ever existed. Money, currency, resources, etc. all exist and someone can take them. Be clever, be persistent and never take no for an answer. My father is 2 time felon worth more than 95% of the people on this app. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do or aren’t interested in. Public accounting and the path to partnership is the NOT the only path to success. Live your life, do what you want and take what you think belongs to you. Life is too short. Don’t listen to these people.
So the earth is flat?
If you have great mentors, guidance, and connections, then the CPA may be useless. However, if you don’t have any of those, I’d say it’s very important to learn the CPA material. Not to mention, when competing for a job, the candidate with a CPA will most often have the advantage. Good luck!
Public: essential.
Corporate or government/nonprofit: absolutely not needed. Also, anything called “MBA” is just silly. Let your experience speak for itself. Also: don’t burn 🔥 any bridges and network constantly-in a capitalist society like ours it’s all about who you know. The business world doesn’t care about you as a person. It’s all about the $$. I speak with 36 years of experience in both corporate and governmental accounting. Good luck 🍀.
Yes. The accounting courses required are a joke. It now costs so much money for a Graduate degree, OP is better off getting a CPA license or a masters degree in accounting. Most of the courses required for an MBA are fluff.
Never a bad thing even if you move into industry - many jobs will require or prefer CPA license. I’ve never seen it be anything but viewed as positive and potential for higher earnings.
Doesn't hurt, and certainly opens doors. In fact, it commands respect. Proves you are not lazy and you have a clue about what the profession is.
I recommend it solely because if push comes to shove, you can always be on your own and get your own clients. Nothing like the freedom of being your own boss and getting to pick your own clients. Fractional CFO work is on the rise so there is a huge demand for services beyond tax, audit, review, and compilation
Chief
It's difficult to get and takes effort. But you'll never regret having it. With only a few years of experience I'm offered higher roles and better pay than those with lots of experience but no license.