Any CPAs here? Need advice

[Thatrogueassdiaz]

I'm probably the only one going against the grain but I said fukk school and used this logic.

1. I don't want to work for people all my life
2. Accountants can eat well during tax season and you don't need to be a CPA to

So I decided to

1. Become an Enrolled Agent
2. Become a certified bookkeeper
3. Become a QuickBooks Pro Advisor

All 3 of these can be obtaining if less than a year and for less than a fraction of the cost of undergrad/grad school.

I'm doing taxes this year, obtaining clients and marketing myself setting things up for next season. I have a PTIN and EFIN. I started a business as a sole proprietor and got an EIN. I will have those 3 designations by the end of the summer and will be able to do just as much as a CPA when it comes to taxes. I can do bookkeeping and payroll as well. But again, I'm not trying to work for a big firm I would rather earn 6 figures working for myself and being in control than playing the corporate game. Either way good luck.

:amandaberry:

 

[Camile.Bidan]

I am a B4 CPA.


The exam is not really that hard.


Auditing is not like anything that you learned in school. You don't really learn auditing in school. It has to be learned on the job.



Industry (working for a corporation) pays a lot more than Public, but it's boring work.


Math in basic accounting is not hard, but that doesn't mean you don't need higher levels of mathematics for substantive testing. Understanding valuation models, and basic statistics can really help you understand how to approach a substantive analytic. Recently, I had to create a model using elementary Statistics to test something. Additionally, I used calculus last week to prove something to one of my superiors. So, knowing basic math like Calculus and Statistics can really help.

Understanding accounting is not about the math though. It's about Accounting. I am always surprised by how little Auditors seem to know about basic journal entries. If you know your basic journal entries, it all becomes much easier.



And the big Deal these days isn't just about Substantive Testing---It's controls testing (SOX 404). I can't tell you how helpful my education in AIS (accounting information systems) has been to me, and I only took one class in AIS. I refer back to that class almost everyday. You really need to understand every process. For example, know what happens from the Purchase order all the way to the Recognition of revenue. Understand things like a control attributes or program change control.


I spend half about 80% of my day talking to clients and documenting, I spend very little time fooling around in workbooks in excel. That's another thing. Understand excel, and memorize as many shortcut keys as you can. I have memorized 100's of shortcut keys, and I can whip out a Vlookup or a Pivot table in seconds. Excel should be something basic that you don't even think about (like riding a bike), so you can focus on concepts and analysis and client interaction.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

I am a B4 CPA.





I am always surprised by how little Auditors seem to know about basic journal entries. If you know your basic journal entries, it all becomes much easier.

this is one of the reasons why I stopped going to school to pursue a CPA. Journal Entries, Debits and Credits, General Ledger postings.. I taught myself that in 1 day. I learned how to use QuickBooks in a week. You're basically paying for the title and prestige and having a CPA can be used as a stepping stone but because I'm more into the tax side of accounting chose to go a different path.

 

[Thatrogueassdiaz]

It can get very hard, but like anything worth getting a degree in, if you put the effort and time in you can do fine. I have 4 accounting classes left til my bachelors. I'm gonna try hard to smash these last few classes out the park so I can finish with a decent GPA. The hardest part is just remembering the "steps" of solving a certain kind of problem. Sometimes you'll have to do a problem that requires 9 different steps that don't necessarily make intuitive sense. And if you get a bad teacher, god help you.

I am a B4 CPA.


The exam is not really that hard.


Auditing is not like anything that you learned in school. You don't really learn auditing in school. It has to be learned on the job.



Industry (working for a corporation) pays a lot more than Public, but it's boring work.


Math in basic accounting is not hard, but that doesn't mean you don't need higher levels of mathematics for substantive testing. Understanding valuation models, and basic statistics can really help you understand how to approach a substantive analytic. Recently, I had to create a model using elementary Statistics to test something. Additionally, I used calculus last week to prove something to one of my superiors. So, knowing basic math like Calculus and Statistics can really help.

Understanding accounting is not about the math though. It's about Accounting. I am always surprised by how little Auditors seem to know about basic journal entries. If you know your basic journal entries, it all becomes much easier.



And the big Deal these days isn't just about Substantive Testing---It's controls testing (SOX 404). I can't tell you how helpful my education in AIS (accounting information systems) has been to me, and I only took one class in AIS. I refer back to that class almost everyday. You really need to understand every process. For example, know what happens from the Purchase order all the way to the Recognition of revenue. Understand things like a control attributes or program change control.


I spend half about 80% of my day talking to clients and documenting, I spend very little time fooling around in workbooks in excel. That's another thing. Understand excel, and memorize as many shortcut keys as you can. I have memorized 100's of shortcut keys, and I can whip out a Vlookup or a Pivot table in seconds. Excel should be something basic that you don't even think about (like riding a bike), so you can focus on concepts and analysis and client interaction.

So ur not strapped to a desk? U do a lot of moving around, visiting clients?

 

[SmoothOperator88]

I am a B4 CPA.


The exam is not really that hard.


Auditing is not like anything that you learned in school. You don't really learn auditing in school. It has to be learned on the job.



Industry (working for a corporation) pays a lot more than Public, but it's boring work.


Math in basic accounting is not hard, but that doesn't mean you don't need higher levels of mathematics for substantive testing. Understanding valuation models, and basic statistics can really help you understand how to approach a substantive analytic. Recently, I had to create a model using elementary Statistics to test something. Additionally, I used calculus last week to prove something to one of my superiors. So, knowing basic math like Calculus and Statistics can really help.

Understanding accounting is not about the math though. It's about Accounting. I am always surprised by how little Auditors seem to know about basic journal entries. If you know your basic journal entries, it all becomes much easier.



And the big Deal these days isn't just about Substantive Testing---It's controls testing (SOX 404). I can't tell you how helpful my education in AIS (accounting information systems) has been to me, and I only took one class in AIS. I refer back to that class almost everyday. You really need to understand every process. For example, know what happens from the Purchase order all the way to the Recognition of revenue. Understand things like a control attributes or program change control.


I spend half about 80% of my day talking to clients and documenting, I spend very little time fooling around in workbooks in excel. That's another thing. Understand excel, and memorize as many shortcut keys as you can. I have memorized 100's of shortcut keys, and I can whip out a Vlookup or a Pivot table in seconds. Excel should be something basic that you don't even think about (like riding a bike), so you can focus on concepts and analysis and client interaction.

I'm going be interning at one of the B4 this summer. For someone who is looking to get as much as he can out of his experience, what would you say are the most important things to focus on? Thanks!