[skyline889]

.

 

[TedwardRoberts]

Accounting, being a business field, is definitely subject to the prestige factor. The better your business school, the better off you'll be. However, I'll say two things:

1.) The best business schools are the best because they get you involved, in the door, and allow you to network your butt off. You can do that anywhere! Internships are your friend.
2.) The certifications are important. If you want to make money, getting the CPA or CFP is definitely a start.

Go to school where you can, if you can't afford the high-end schools. Just meet a lot of people, and work REALLY hard, then become certified. At least in my area, if you had a little experience and a CPA, you could definitely get a decent paying job.

 

[Audio Addict]

Personally, I think it is what you make of it and your commitment. I suspect the major CPA firms would recruit at your school. Your grades, your involvement in professional activities and ultimately passing the CPA will set up a good career path.

I went to a good school, not what you would say a top school in the country but doing well in school, passing the CPA exam, starting with a large public firm in a major area open some opportunities. I have been with my current company almost 30 years now and I will tell you never stop learning.

The breath of knowledge needed these days is tremendous and with the merging of GAAP and International Standards scheduled in the next few years it isn't going to stop anytime in the near future. Add to that all the specializations available and the opportunities almost seem endless. Even with no changes you have to deal with just the changes in references from the recent codification of existing GAAP. Now FAS 109 has to be reference in all new codification terminology.

Good luck.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I am not an accountant, but I've spent 25 years in the corporate ranks and the last 10 working closely with Finance executives. Anyway...

I think it entirely depends on how you want to steer your career and what companies you may want to work for. If your ultimate goal is to hang your shingle out as an independent CPA and do accounting for Mom & Pop small businesses, the school name on your diploma isn't going to mean squat. On the other hand, if you hope to someday be a CFO for a Fortune 50 company, the university may mean much, much more - because it may get you jobs after graduation that are the stepping stones to that ultimate goal. It also depends on the specific company - I have seen companies who only hire new grads from selected schools, either because that's where the executives came from, or whatever. They send their recruiters to those schools, and nowhere else. Sometimes those were "Big Name" schools, and sometimes they weren't. I have also seen companies that didn't really give a cr@p what school you came from. If you know someone (or someone's Dad or whatever) at the company and they route your resume to the right person - you might have a better chance than an ivy leaguer who just sends their resume through the company web site.

I would go to the placement office at your school and see what companies send recruiters there to hire Accounting majors. Do you want to work for any of those companies?

 

[Uncle Erik]

I have a degree in accounting, but still haven't gotten around to working in the professionally field yet. I hope to in the next year or two - I've been in the law continuously since 1993.

What school you go to helps with networking, but you can also pick that up through professional organizations as well as earning additional degrees and qualifications. My plan was to go the attorney/CPA route. I'm most of the way there, but need to get some accounting experience in.

If UoP is too expensive, you ought to check in with the distance program at Linfield. Great little school and the distance program is something like 25% of the cost of regular tuition. Classes are at night and on weekends so you can have a job while you attend. They offer accounting, too.

 

[Leto Atreides II]

You should try to go to the best school for your field, and that might sometimes be deceptive. I went to Portland State for an engineering degree, which turned out to be a great recruiting ground for my current company -- they took me on as an intern and then hired me right at the beginning of a hiring freeze that is still in effect.

As a result of my choice of school, I am actually not in debt after graduation, which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I was actually making money my last semester in the form of grant surpluses.

 

[skyline889]

.

 

[Cankin]

What does CFP stand for??

 

[skyline889]

A CFP is a Certified Financial Planner.

 

[Cankin]

If you're looking to be a CFO, I believe CFA is a better choice if you're looking at the finance side at corporate level?

and it's true that a brand name school would get you to the door of the board room, only your experience and professionalism can reserve a seat in the board room for you.

PS: that's not my own word, but that's I was told by a banker

 

[pabbi1]

If you want to be a CAO (Chief Accounting Officer), the better school helps. Not sure USC / UCLA are it, but a top 50 accounting school will help get you in and up the ranks in a firm.

I have worked with (not for) the Big 4 for the past 20 years, and had an offer to be an Android (Arthur Andersen), but Public is not where I live, and those guys are all desperately selling to survive - hearing more about negative balances in those partner accounts.

You have some additional decisions, like Audit vs Tax, or Technology, and whether you are willing to do 3-4 years of slavery to the firm (80+ hours a week in season), then moving to the Corporate world of drudgery for 10 years or so to get a "C" level position in the Fortune 5000. Then start hopping UP every 3 years or so.

It is a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll, but, a JD on top of the Accounting degree wouldn't hurt, especially for the (multinational) competition you will be facing in 20 years.

Just being a CPA won't cut it if you are aiming that high. Harvard, Stanford, UChicago, ITT, UTexas, U ILL Urbana and London School of Econ are training the folks that will be manning the top slots in the Fortune 500. It is just a numbers game.

 

[skyline889]

.

 

[Audio Addict]

I recently attended our states presentation to new CPA's with some new CPAs on our staff and one of the top honors actually got all 100s with one exception that was a mere 99. I could not believe it. He was now working for PwC I think. WOW!

 

[skyline889]

Wow that's incredible! How much did he study?!

 

[dirtrat]

My sons an accountant and we went through this same scenario many years ago. Honestly if you are getting into a government accounting job it doesn't matter. Even private firms may not make a difference unless the exact job you are trying to get it real competitive.