Accountants: Do you like your job? - Page 5

Depends on "bad". Have you heard of the phrase 'tax season'? Everyone wants their taxes done ASAP so you put out tons of T1s and work lots of overtime. It isn't hard work (usually) but you spend significant time on it.

I don't go to work thinking "yeah, I'm gonna work on some T1's/T2's/audits" and worrying whether or not I'm going to get bored of it. I go to work knowing I'm going to be chatting with my coworkers and trying to get as much work done as possible in the time I spend there. You figure out whether or not you are good with people and can work in a close knit environment before you decide whether or not the work is too difficult for you. The work isn't incredibly difficult so it is more or less a non-factor imo. If your mindset is otherwise I'm not sure if you're the type of person who would thrive in an accounting office (I don't have enough experience to say). A senior manager told me when he started that he went back to public practice (was formerly CFO of 2 internationally traded companies, not F-500) because he missed the comradery not because of the money (which is shit compared to what he was making).

Yes yes That's why people always emphasize that grades aren't the end all. (even in this thread) Do more research and form your own opinion. All the guys in accounting that I know are very sociable but that's not representative of any population besides the guys I know. yes (same would be true in any job for myself) Depends on who I'm talking with.

There are other options that may offer some excitement. For instance: http://www.fbijobs.gov/111.asp

I've taken 3 accounting classes in school. They are some of the most boring classes ever.

You have contributed so much joey. Thanks.

I'm in the UK, just getting to the end of my ACCA studies. Not sure if the equivalent body is in the USA? (Association Chartered Certified Accountants)

Are there are members in SF who are at the strategy level in their studies?

Not sure if this has been answered but, there are fee only advisors. This type IMO is the most reputable. They're not salesmen as you just pay them to advise you. They don't sell products, just education.

Dealing with the clients is the fun part of the job. Office environment? Not much of that aside from cleaning up the audit. Most of your work is done at the client and little is done at the firm office. You wont even have an assigned desk at your firm if you go big 4 in NYC. As for limited work in the summer? Not entirely true. A tad lighter on the load and shorter work weeks hour wise compared to busy season but I was still at clients for regular end of year audits, Qs, SOX, inventories, etc. Not all clients have year ends on dec 31. FBI isnt the only agency and realistically speaking is the most well know therefore it draws the most applicants. Look into the job series, 1811 criminal investigator, and youll find that there are dozens of agencies that have interesting areas of investigation, less applicants, and value the accounting background moreso than a non technical degree.

Thanks for all the great real world info! I am working on my undergrad in Finance, but it seems like I would be much more marketable with an Accounting degree given the foreseeable trend towards greater transparency and regulation. Do you guys agree with this assessment or not? I am only a junior and have the ability to switch to Accounting if I so chose (I enjoy both, finance slightly more), so any advice would be greatly appreciative.

Im in my junior year at UT and am following a general finance degree track. Does anyone have experiences with the MPA/PPA (masters program for accounting) degree? Many accounting students I know are going through the program. My peers all say it is extremely hard and takes up an extra year. However, they all say that they are guaranteed a job when they graduate. Is that true? Is anyone ever guaranteed a job because of a certain degree they hold? Is the masters degree that desireable?