Degree Plan TESU BSBA in Accounting

[freeloader]

Greatly appreciated for your explanation.  I always thought that salaries statistics are a bit misleading for CPAs. So its good to know extra information.
Do u think its reasonable to consider opening own CPA business? Or its better to stick to buiding career inBig 4?

I wouldn’t want to work for a Big 4 accounting firm. I work for the federal government and am getting my accounting degree at UMPI. My ambition is to become a revenue agent (auditor/examiner) with the IRS. 

Firstly, it is hard to get a job with a Big 4 firm. They often have their pick of the best students at the best schools.  Maybe if I had gone into accounting when I was in school the first time, but not for me now. 

Secondly, they expect people to work A LOT. I had friends from college who worked at Big 4 firms. The two that I talked to spent multiple nights per month at their office, working through the night or sleeping I their office. They were on the road all the time and were under huge pressure to move cases along VERY quickly. I am middle-aged now with a family. NONE of that sounds fun to me. 

Thirdly, they tend to churn through people. Their organizational structure is like a pyramid. Lots of junior people at the bottom, very small number of people at the very top (the ones who make huge money). Both of my friends that joined Big 4 firms left after a few years—one got burnt out and quit, the other had it made clear he wasn't becoming a partner and quit. Again, not for me. 

If you end up doing the TESU thing, I would really try to talk to people in your area who work as accountants in different jobs/industries. Also, consider trying to get an internship if you can. Business schools, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, tend to do a lot of events that bring speakers to campuses, bring firms and other employers to campuses, etc. One of the downsides of doing an online degree is missing out on that. Try to see if you can replicate it for yourself.  TESU may also be able to help you with some of that learning, since you are in the area. 

Practically speaking, you are going to have to work for/with somebody else when you first get started. Assuming you want the CPA (in Jersey), you have to work under a licensed CPA for a year in an accounting (or audit, tax, etc) job for a year before you officially earn the designation. 

After that, it just depends on what you want to do.  Do you have friends and acquaintances who would hire you for accounting jobs?  Are you interested in doing a lot of selling and marketing?  If so, then going out on your own might make a lot of sense. If you do, your income potential is going to be pretty limited unless you have people working for your firm. Do you want to deal with hiring/firing, HR-type stuff, etc?  If so, running a small firm makes sense. If not, it might not be for you. 

Maybe you like the idea of working 40 hours per week, leaving your work at the office, and having tremendous job security but kind of limiting your earning potential. If so, a job with the federal or NJ government might be for you. 

Maybe, after you take more accounting classes, you realize that tax and audit (the main thrust of Big 4 and many larger regional firms) are not your interest. Maybe you fall in love with managerial accounting. Instead of the CPA, maybe you end up working as a CMA with a big company. Maybe you decide you like payroll or AP/AR, and end up working for a company in a role doing one of those types of work. 

The long and the short of it—if you don’t have a lot of experience with accounting and haven’t taken any/many/most of your accounting classes, try to keep an open mind. There are accountants working in a huge variety of jobs in different settings.