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Posted on 12/15/23 at 6:51 pm to cbree88
2 years and get into industry.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 6:53 pm to cbree88
Working crazy long hours with a bunch of bean counting, cardboard personalities in a field increasingly dominated by women suck balls?
Shocked….
Shocked….
Posted on 12/15/23 at 6:55 pm to Murray
Could be worse, I spent most of my auditing days in warehouses.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 8:01 pm to cbree88
Yes it sucks. Grind it out for two years, get your CPA then the doors will open up for you. Dont stick at a firm for too long. Two years, move on. You'll get a big bump in pay because CPA firms are always looking for experienced accountants and the bump in pay can be substantial. Especially starting out.
Main thing is to learn the basics so you can service your own clients. Thats the end goal. Be your own business owner and dont grind your life away, lining the pockets of another.
Main thing is to learn the basics so you can service your own clients. Thats the end goal. Be your own business owner and dont grind your life away, lining the pockets of another.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 8:09 pm to Jcorye1
On the plus side it toughened me up and I had every terrible job growing up, but that really had an impact. shite I wsa working such long hours that I didn't have time to pick up my suits from the dry cleaner.
This post was edited on 12/15/23 at 8:13 pm
Posted on 12/15/23 at 8:32 pm to ChexMix
quote:
Main thing is to learn the basics so you can service your own clients. Thats the end goal. Be your own business owner and dont grind your life away, lining the pockets of another.
This. Learn it all from the bottom up, develop relationships and pass the exam. Then, either go out on your own or to industry. I always enjoyed the work, the firm environment not so much.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 8:50 pm to Kattail
Frat brother went to work for a Big 4, hated it. Applied for the FBI and was hired as an agent. Recently retired and lives in The Keys and does some part time fishing charter.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:08 pm to Taxman2010
quote:
How many hours do you honestly work a week. I went to Big 4 due to "work-life balance." I still had to bill 40 hours a week which came out to like 55-60 hours in the office a week.
Enjoyed the first firm I was at because it was a smaller firm, but I hated it because my career path became stagnant and I was getting job title promotions w no change in responsibilities. Was an audit manager by title, but had no one to manage and no staff to delegate work to.
Went to a regional firm that wanted to be a big 4, they plugged the work-life BS. That just meant they didn’t make you work weekends, but you were expected to be on the clock by 7am and had to explain yourself if you left before 7pm. You also had to bring your laptop on vacations, be available to take calls during normal hours, and get your time in.
That’s when I started putting in my time the way they billed the clients. You bill someone .5 hours for a template letter that took me 5-7 minutes to write; I’m “getting paid” .5 hours.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:16 pm to cbree88
My observation is that most people who go work for a client are happier. In all my years in Big 4 I've never met a partner that didn't have some baggage--divorced, adulterer, kids hate them, alcoholic, coke-hound. Some hit all the vices. Some just rotate them.
I can at least say that I've met some normal Directors and VPs of Tax outside of public accounting.
I can at least say that I've met some normal Directors and VPs of Tax outside of public accounting.
This post was edited on 12/15/23 at 9:18 pm
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:19 pm to Weekend Warrior79
quote:Big facts! Old firm used to charge 3 hours for a 1040s that took me 15 mins to complete. Better believe it started taking me 2 hours around year four at the firm to complete them
That’s when I started putting in my time the way they billed the clients. You bill someone .5 hours for a template letter that took me 5-7 minutes to write; I’m “getting paid” .5 hours.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:28 pm to shutterspeed
quote:
CPA firms give me gas.
Don’t you mean GAAS?
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:45 pm to The Boat
quote:The GAAP checking in
Don’t you mean GAAS?
Posted on 12/15/23 at 9:51 pm to cbree88
Two of my neighbors are partners at Big 4 firms. They seem pretty happy.
Posted on 12/15/23 at 10:11 pm to ChexMix
quote:This is fantastic advice. And if you don’t want to get out the (public)game yet, at least bounce firms.
Yes it sucks. Grind it out for two years, get your CPA then the doors will open up for you. Dont stick at a firm for too long. Two years, move on. You'll get a big bump in pay because CPA firms are always looking for experienced accountants and the bump in pay can be substantial. Especially starting out. Main thing is to learn the basics so you can service your own clients. Thats the end goal. Be your own business owner and dont grind your life away, lining the pockets of another.
To OP, Your experience is HEAVILY dependent on your manager and your clients. Bad managers plus bad clients equals severe mental health decline.
I did my time in big 4. Made manager and passed CPA, and then left for a medium sized firm who offered good money.
So yeah it sucks but stick it out. You will thank yourself 10 years from now
Posted on 12/16/23 at 6:47 am to cbree88
quote:
Any of you guys have a terrible experience at a CPA firm?
I’ve had much worse jobs in industry. Much worse. CPAs in public practice are actually becoming more valuable. The beginning is hard though
Posted on 12/16/23 at 7:50 am to BeYou
quote:
plan to stay until they fire me or promote me to partner. are you working in tax?
Honest question. What’s the work life balance like if you keep doing that into your thirties. I knew lots that did it in 20s but not much after that. Like do you get to spend time with your kids?
Posted on 12/16/23 at 8:17 am to cbree88
No. Coal mines in China and prison camps in Siberia.
Posted on 12/16/23 at 8:32 am to cbree88
quote:
My supervisors are not very helpful, and they’re kind of dicks honestly
Young man, keep your head in the game. If you hang in there long enough, in 20 years you can be a supervisor and be a dick to some young kid. For now, just enjoy the big pay check and try to bang any young secretaries on your lunch break that you can find.
Posted on 12/16/23 at 8:36 am to cbree88
I’m a CPA and work in public. Really depends on the firm. I think mine is an overall good place to work, I’ve heard horror stories about others especially big 4.
I think law firms are among the worst places to work in terms of white collar jobs.
I think law firms are among the worst places to work in terms of white collar jobs.
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