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bigDinBr 
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2012
10 posts
| College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 7:17 am)
I'm currently a junior accounting major that is on track to graduate on time (May 2014). I'm not sure what I want to do or can do with my degree. All i know is what my cousin did and what lsu seems to push which is go to grad school and then work at a cpa firm. I know I will need another 30 hours upon graduation to sit for the cpa tests so grad school is likely in my future. I would just like to know what career options I have other than that and what path would provide me with the opportunity to be most successful financially. Any input or suggestions on career paths would be much appreciated.
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I Love Bama 
Alabama Fan
Alabama
Member since Nov 2007
27172 posts
 Online
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 7:23 am to bigDinBr)
I'll let other accountants chime in but most of my friends got their masters in accounting, went to work for one of the big firms, passed their cpa, got experience and then left for lower stress positions.
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NaturalBeam
LSU Fan
Member since Sep 2007
12326 posts
Online
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:01 am to bigDinBr)
First off, do you want to work in accounting? I got my BS in it as well, but my last final was the last time I ever touched a debit or a credit.
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CalcuttaTigah
Member since Jul 2009
376 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:02 am to I Love Bama)
Ding ding! We have a winner!
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PurpleAndGold86
LSU Fan
Houston, TX
Member since Jun 2012
5340 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:28 am to bigDinBr)
Pretty much what Bama said. I graduated with a degree in Accounting in December 2008. I started working for a public accounting firm in April 2009. I graduated with 138 hours, so I only needed 12 hours to sit for the CPA, so I knocked those out at Houston Community College while working in public accounting. Passed the CPA exam and left public accounting for much greener pastures.
If you have any interest in internal audit whatsoever, I would highly recommend doing the CIA program with Sumners. It sucks to go through it, but I did it and that is how I got my job. I interned during the summer and while I was there talked to the company about my wife and got her in there for an interview and she still works there today.
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bigDinBr
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2012
10 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:34 am to NaturalBeam)
Working in accounting is fine with me. I have/had pretty good teachers and they've kept it interesting so I'm not burnt out on debits and credits. I know I don't want to work in the accounting department of a small business because I witnessed that first had and it looked miserable. As of now thats the only thing I wouldn't want to do. I've taken few finance classes and have enjoyed those but was told to stick with accounting because it offered more options.
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BACONisMEATcandy
LSU Fan
My opinions are my own
Member since Dec 2007
37678 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:35 am to PurpleAndGold86)
quote:
I would highly recommend doing the CIA program with Sumners.
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bigDinBr
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2012
10 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:42 am to BACONisMEATcandy)
I was going to do the CIA program but opted out because I thought it would be too much with my current school load. 
I only have a 3.1 gpa and the professor said there was about a 15% chance of getting an internship through the program with that gpa. I figured I would be better off trying careers2geaux and working on my gpa this semester.
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PurpleAndGold86
LSU Fan
Houston, TX
Member since Jun 2012
5340 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 8:45 am to bigDinBr)
quote:
I only have a 3.1 gpa and the professor said there was about a 15% chance of getting an internship through the program with that gpa. I figured I would be better off trying careers2geaux and working on my gpa this semester.
This is not true. The magic number is 3.0. As long as you have a 3.0 you will get interviews. Once you get the interview it is all up to you.
For the record I had a 3.08. I was interested in 7 companies, got 6 interviews and an internship.
I would not let what the professor told you deter you in the least bit.
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Tenforty1728
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2012
46 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 3:25 pm to PurpleAndGold86)
I graduated undergrad with a BS in Accounting in 2010 and completed the masters program in 2011. If your plan is to sit for the CPA (meaning you'll need the extra 30 hours) I would recommend that if your financial situation allows for another year of school. Can't say that anyone in the professional world has asked me if I have a masters yet or if anyone cares once you have CPA behind your name, but I learned a lot in the program and didn't find it much harder than undergrad other than you have to go to class. Shouldn't be a problem by that point in your academic career.
As far as avenues you can go, I did not go work for one of the big 4 like 90% of my graduating class. There are good smaller companies in Baton Rouge or elsewhere that are looking for qualified, ambitious young people. Don't let the LSU department brainwash you into thinking you absolutely have to be an auditor and MUST go work for the big 4. Any time I told them I was going work for a firm with 10 CPAs and mostly working on small businesses you would have thought I told them I was going teach 1st graders how to add with my masters. Joke is on them, I have a much less stressful job than the 90% of my classmates and make almost what they make and will surely surpass them in a few years.
The CPA is the key in all of that education though. Don't go through it and not seal it with a CPA. Once you have those credentials your possibilities are limitless.
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ladytiger118
LSU Fan
Casterly Rock
Member since Aug 2009
5375 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 6:41 pm to Tenforty1728)
Agree with you. Big 4 is not everything that its cracked up to be; lots of newly graduated Acct majors burn out on public accounting in Big 4 within 1-4 years of graduation. Working in industry, a local/regional firm, or for a small CPA firm is still good. I wouldn't listen to what those dumb Egghead academics in the LSU Acct department say.
LSUCIA is great, but I didn't kiss Sumner's butt like some of the students do. I'm applying for internships through the program for this summer; I didn't do it last year because I took some summer classes.
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tom
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2007
2245 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 7:38 pm to PurpleAndGold86)
quote:
If you have any interest in internal audit
Internal Audit was stealing computer science majors when I was in school. Mainly foreign students because you are basically guaranteed a job that pays well right out of school.
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BlownderLSU
LSU Fan
Houston, TX
Member since Jun 2010
205 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 10:27 pm to tom)
I'm a big 4 recruiter. We look at anyone 3.0 and up. It's comparative to your peers at some point. Sumners has a great program but I think a lot of students sign up not know external/internal difference and would have originally preferred external.
This post was edited on 2/7 at 10:33 pm
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reb13 
Ole Miss Fan
Oxford, MS
Member since May 2010
7982 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/7/13 at 11:31 pm to bigDinBr)
I am senior right now and am doing an internship with one of the big 4 and I would definitely say this is the best thing to do before you graduate. You get a great idea of what it is like to be in public accounting during busy season.
Depending on where you want to be I would start talking to recruiters and trying to figure out the best way to do it. There is one kid in my intern class from LSU so I know they allow you to do spring internships.
On the graduate school part, you can do that or if you want get a double major. The firms don't really care they just want you to be CPA elgible when you start.
quote:
Houston Community College
I live like 2 blocks from there right now 
quote:
We look at anyone 3.0 and up.
In my experience it really depends on location, Dallas you had to have a 3.5ish and above or know someone but Houston I know of people with low 3s. Houston is great place to be and is where I am at now.
This post was edited on 2/7 at 11:36 pm
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RonFNSwanson
LSU Fan
Browtown
Member since Mar 2012
11914 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/8/13 at 12:36 pm to bigDinBr)
quote:
know I don't want to work in the accounting department of a small business because I witnessed that first had and it looked miserable.
That's what my girlfriend does. She loves it. She didn't want to be a CPA though, this is more her style.
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TheIndulger
LSU Fan
Lafayette
Member since Sep 2011
4676 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/8/13 at 6:43 pm to bigDinBr)
quote:
I know I don't want to work in the accounting department of a small business because I witnessed that first had and it looked miserable.
Are you sure you want to be an accountant if you think it looks miserable?
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fontell 
Auburn Fan
Montgomery
Member since Sep 2006
1744 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/8/13 at 6:49 pm to TheIndulger)
With a masters in accounting you can adjunct teach for colleges and be in pretty high demand. Just a side gig sure but it is a real option.
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EA6B 
Navy Fan
TX
Member since Dec 2012
249 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/8/13 at 8:33 pm to bigDinBr)
quote:
I only have a 3.1 gpa and the professor said there was about a 15% chance of getting an internship through the program with that gpa. I figured I would be better off trying careers2geaux and working on my gpa this semester.
I don't know anything about accounting internships, but the biggest mistake I made in college was listening to professors that told be not to try something because of my gpa.
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ATL TGR
LSU Fan
Houston
Member since Apr 2008
2629 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/8/13 at 10:19 pm to TheIndulger)
Lol. Debits and credits are easy. Accounting is easy. Its all abt what you want to do. Public accounting isn't bad. You can choose to stick it out or not.
Regardless of what you do getting your cpa is key
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BlownderLSU
LSU Fan
Houston, TX
Member since Jun 2010
205 posts
| re: College student seeking advice (Posted on 2/9/13 at 8:02 am to reb13)
quote:
In my experience it really depends on location, Dallas you had to have a 3.5ish and above or know someone but Houston I know of people with low 3s. Houston is great place to be and is where I am at now.
It depends year over year, but our cut off for considering people is 3.0. After that, we look at how you stack up against your peers.
I'd suggest doing external/internal internships if your schedule allows. In a lot of instances you will use very little of your accounting knowledge in an internal audit setting. Ie more process evaluation vs traditional accounting. It's really a matter of preference.
I think the biggest piece of advice I'd give current students is to have short/long term goals of what you want to get out public acct experience if you do it and what level job youd like to have when you leave. Without them its very easy to want to quit while you are working 60+ hr weeks for prolonged period.
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