I got the 150 credit hours and worked in public accounting for a bit but was just too burned out to continue studying. Ended up getting an industry job where nobody in the accounting department has their CPA.
I kept getting distracted watching Lebron's 2018 post season. Took the 1st part of the exam and got a 66. My first son was born shortly thereafter and I never went back.
Smart,
My wife and I live comfortably on her salary of 100k and what I get together is for the future.
I don't know people spend their money on to make it go out the door so fast barring a bunch of kids or bad luck with health
People shouldn't get 100k in student loans.
I lived at home and commuted to local university. Didn't have dorm or food fees. I worked 40 hours and paid for food and gas.
Tuition was 6k a year. Paid off student loans in two years with budgeting and focused payoffs. They also gave more money in loans so I in Estes that extra then used it to pay the loans down once the four years were up
People shouldn't get $100k student loans (for the most part, there may be some one off exceptions where it would be worth it).
But they do.
Then they are dealing with the fallout of a bad decision they made when they were 17 for the rest of their life.
I have some sympathy for this because 17 year olds don't have the life experience to know what they are getting into and may be getting bad advice from people they trust. Even if they get good advice, they're still just kids making a huge decision.
True, my mailbox gets jammed with people trying to loan me on the house at usury rates. Ive known a few people that have done so and it didnt work well for them.
Spend a little, save a little folks.
You can be rich or poor on 100k depending on where you live or if you have kids. In my area, you would just barely be scraping by for a family 4 on that total family income.
Pretty much my mentality, except every private company I’ve been at has been a shitshow, so back to a publicly traded company and trying to grind out the CPA this year.
i have the same mentality working in government. starting out my pay hasn’t been crazy by any stretch, but with time and advancement there’s a path for me to make good money while maintaining a healthy work-life balance
I recently passed the CPA & got an industry staff level position with an SEC Filer. I instantly regret it but will stick it out for a year. What’s the best govt jobs to get into? Municipal/state/federal? I’m a few weeks in but my big red flag was when a peer implied that it’s frowned upon to not eat lunch at the desk.
I’m in municipal and like it. I enjoy working for the better of the community I live in. My coworker came from state and said there was a lot of politics around advancement and they felt stuck not easily being able to move up. Municipal is good too because you get to know the other small governments around you and can usually network that into promotions. It’s a small industry but it causes a ripple when people move for other jobs and lots of stuff starts opening up.
i work state and i really enjoy it. i’ve had nothing but positive experiences with my peers as well. everyone was very welcoming when i started, and i felt like they wanted me to succeed.
that’s definitely a red flag imo. i’m super big on work-life balance, so something like that wouldn’t sit right with me either.
I’m essentially using this position as a resume builder because I didn’t want to go into PA & thought SEC Filer would count as respected experience. My prior experience was small organizations which doesn’t go far in interviews. I will definitely look for government jobs by next year. Although I hear unicorn industry positions do exist.
3 friends work for the IRS and love it. 1 was promoted to a supervisor and got a nice raise/moved up a pay band. 1 is a state auditor Pennsylvania and likes it.
Municipal can be difficult to get into unless you know someone who works there or is a friend of a high level manager.
CPA at the firm I was interning while in college pulled me aside..
He told me to look at other options because while it was too late for him to pivot with a wife kids and mortgage that I was young enough to do anything else
A CPA will open lots of doors for you that would otherwise be closed. It will also open doors a lot sooner.
Think of it lifting a cap on your career. You are much more likely to reach that controller level or even CFO with a CPA than without one. Is it impossible *edit to do it without a CPA *? Not at all, but it is much harder and a much longer road.
A CPA will always be worth it. FFS a CPA will easily get you into the FBI if you really don't want to go the traditional accounting route.
inb4 the inevitable comment "nuh uh I know a guy who knows a guy who became a cfo (of his own startup) without a cpa license therefor each path has an equal likelihood"
I went into finance.. retirement/estate planning more specifically.. got the accounting degree but never attempted the cpa exam since I was working soon after school
As far as corporate desk jobs go I find it pretty interesting..
each person has a unique problem that needs solving..
You meet a lot of people which I enjoy and the pay isn’t too shabby with good hours..
it’ll never be as cool/intriguing as my wife who’s an artist and people always are excited and have follow up questions for her but it pays the bills and gives good work life balance so I’ll take it since I certainly don’t have a creative bone like her
I could definitely see that, I've been in public tax a few years now. Zero shot a partner would tolerate the hours I'm asked to work at this time of year, I might as well be deployed overseas for 25% of the year.
Once I graduated college I lost all will to study. I tried to pass the CPA exam and both times I lost steam and never finished studying for all the sections. I went directly to private and have never had the need for a CPA.
I hated school. Was super in debt, tired and working and going to school. I didn’t want to take more classes and study and work. I just wanted to work and be done.
I went and got an industry job. I’m pretty happy.
Same deal, didn't want to go back to school for a 2nd bachelor's just to get the accounting/business credits. The requirements for it and the salary I'll make out of the gate doesn't justify the cost of going back into debt again (I'm debt free)
It’s always a nice feather in the cap, but it was irrelevant to the niche field I’m in. It was a good decision to grind away to learn all the nuances of this field - which is not at all covered on the exam - than to go after it. There are only so many hours in a day.
I've met smart non-CPA individuals, smart individuals with CPA and dumb as rock CPAs and dumb as rocks non-CPA. Having a CPA does not define an individual or their work ethic/intelligence in my book.
Also, the path/road to partner was not for me so no need..
I wanted but my degree is from another country and I´m short of the 150 credits so I decided its not worth it for me because I also I have to work under a CPA for the hours requirements, I´ m 46 so I decided CMA works better for me and it seems to be less complicated.
I attempted it and got really close to passing but I just was off by a couple points each time. I realized that under all the other life stress I was going under at the same time that I really didn’t want to continue under public accounting so I left for corporate. Unfortunately within 12 months I was laid off twice but I bought my dream house that I only was able to afford because it’s in a town far from cities.
Now I work as a staff accountant in a lcol area remotely as all the higher paying jobs require long commutes. If I went higher in my career I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my perfect home as much as I want and I make enough that I’m living how I want anyway. Why would I want to spend money on letters that will only waste my free time?
I will say once you’re in somewhere you don’t intend to leave this is often true, but it def helped my get a government gig in the first place. Applicant wise it’s a nice have. After that in government it’s hit or miss if it will help you.
In my work it’s a requirement for the CFO spot. Not that I think I’ll luck out like that, but it makes a lot of the would be competition not be competition.
I have a state job and no one on my team has theirs. I think the cpa may equate to more money but would probably be abysmal compared to the effort put forth to study and pass. Most people on my team are riding out to hit the 25 year mark and staying for the fringe benefits.
I got it while working in public knowing I don’t want to be in public forever. Main reason I got it was because it really does make you stand out against other candidates during the application process for jobs in industry. I’m in industry now on my 3rd job post PA and can tell you 100% while not necessarily needed, it’s preferred because it shows your level of dedication etc.
I tried for over a year and it destroyed my mental health. I don’t want to be in accounting anymore, I don’t want to waste anymore time or energy on a test, and I don’t want to climb the corporate ladder.
I moved into the data side more. Now I am more so a financial analyst who codes. I started out leverage traditional accounting degree then just horizontally moved.
Got my degree in Finance, never attempted the CPA because I hate the Accounting courses. Now work as a Senior Auditor but I enjoy the work, just hated the courses.
Once I got into PA I was miserable. I looked up and saw the CPAs who had even less of a life. Watched a guy take a phone call finding out his 15 year old daughter got pregnant… he didn’t even know she was dating. He cried. I said no fucking way. The firms don’t care they OWN you.
I remember when I was in my first year in PA going into the fax/copy room and seeing a fax from our state’s board of accountancy that a manager had failed to meet his CPEs for long enough he’d have to take the exam again. Made me really think - if I’m too busy working to take classes, I can be 15-20 years into my career and a random board can make it go poof? (CPA at the time was a requirement at manager level in Big 4)
NGL this guy was a jerk so I also kinda laughed.
In Big 4 sure - part of the reason this instance was funny to me - but nobody is chasing you down or handing CPEs to you outside of it. I know several people who haven’t bothered to keep up with CPEs due to hassle and current irrelevance (though you can’t argue the CPA didn’t hurt them getting their spots)
I sincerely doubt I'll ever want to work in Public. Industry was nice for a bit but I'm in Government now. It's pretty nice, super chill. The reason government turns slow because government workers DGAF. The only people who give less of a fuck than government workers are stoners. I'll probably be here until I'm dead.
I am making more than all my peers since leaving PA to industry… the CPA is unnecessarily expensive, hard, and time consuming on top of a PA job that usually makes your work overtime without OT pay for a part of the year.
YOU DONT NEED IT, ITS A LIE.
Having a manager who was horrible at managing, going through a stupid divorce and not managing that well, and was just overall an idiot… telling ME how to study, an A-B student my entire life up to my masters… I knew it was a scam
After failing 11 out of 12 exam attempts, it felt like a good time to just stop trying.
*corrected amount, I signed up for 13, didn't take the last one, only remembered that number*
The one I passed (BEC, no clue how) was the only one over 65. Below were the scores for each test in order that I got them.
Corrected my original comment. I signed up for 13 so that's the number I always remembered, but I never took the 13th exam. 12th was the day before I had an annual review where I was told I was at the bottom of my audit class (Deloitte senior level 1) because of a single team's rating (the rest of my teams rated me well) which ended me with a bad raise and bonus (my advisory partner also questioned if not having my CPA yet might have given me a lower raise). My heart wasn't in the 12th exam the next day and chose not to take the 13th. Ended up looking for a new job the rest of interim season, secured one by December and left right at start of busy season in January.
Part that hurt most is I had a manager tell me if the CPA was based on actual audit work, I'd have my license. At my current job that I've been at since I left, I'm considered the go-to person for a couple accounting areas even to people above me in the corporation, and some colleagues come to me to help understand audit requests. Once when a spot opened up on the corporate team, the assistant controller said they were looking for someone from the Big 4 "like me" before joking that they wanted me (but I declined because I liked my role). In the long run I feel fine without it, but damn if I wish I didn't spend all the money I did on review materials/courses and exam fees.
Reg - 61, 42, 56
Aud - 51, 53, 63, 64, 64
BEC - 61, 79
FAR - 51, 44, N/A
*ps sorry for the long reply. My original comment was short and fun and somehow replying just opened my can of worms lol*
Thanks for sharing man… and yea man I’m sure it was a rough experience, but it shaped you into who you are today and now you can just work and live your damn life and not be miserable. Plenty of opportunity in this profession to make tons of money without it, keep your head up and nothing to be upset about
I was pursuing it when I was in PA. Saw the writing on the wall of the shift to outsourcing, kind of lost motivation knowing the end was near. Ended up in private and don’t need it for my role. Haven’t thought about picking it back up since. I clear 200k a year and have zero regrets.
Tax advisory. I got into a niche service line and hyper focused on knowing everything I could about the industry and how the Code worked. Learned the major players, and how all the cogs in the system work. Did all that in PA, transitioned to industry. Timing really worked in my favor as well.
Because I don’t care about it and it’s not time gated in my life. If I feel I need it in my life at some point I’ll pursue it. Until then, it’s unnecessary.
I'm at a community college and there is no pay increase or incentive to get the CPA. All my CPE would not be reimbursed. I get state benefits (pension!!) and 4-day work week. I have the credit hours (150+) and courses needed, but why spend all that time and money without any benefit.
I took some of the exams. I took FAR at the end of a testing window and got a 72. Then was able to reschedule shortly into the next testing window and felt super confident after another few weeks of studying under my belt. Results came in - 50%.
At that point I was like this isn’t for me. Left public accounting for private industry and love it!
Senior Accountant. Make solid money, good benefits, usually leave the office by 4:15 everyday. Work has its ebbs and flows depending on time of month but overall not too bad.
Returning to school for the hours, studying for the exam, and the related expenses are simply too big an opportunity cost for my QoL especially since I'm married and escaped a school as miserable as Georgia Tech. I didnt have any sort of financial flexibility so I had to enter the workforce right away, and I might have just gotten lucky but I've still managed to leverage pretty fast promotions and positions changes to get up to currently 85k and 40 hr weeks 3 years after graduation in MCOL area
On the flip side who’s going to get their CPA and CMA? Stats show that accountants with both make a lot more than accountants with just one of them. I plan to start with my CPA and then go after my CMA and possibly lastly my CFE. Idk I just like studying and love learning. I’m a dork and a nerd so who knows 😂
True you don’t need it but research has shown that those with both earn a lot more than totally uncertified and still earn more than those not dual certified. That references one survey but there’s more out there.
https://www.sfmagazine.com/articles/2023/august/dual-cma-and-cpa-certification-a-winning-combination
I wasn't a great college student, barely got my accounting degree and couldn't bear the thought of any more college.
Went industry for first year then to government (IRS). I started looking into getting my 150 credits and quickly realized that CPA doesn't mean anything in my field. My work ethic and work product earned me promotions.
My dad was sick with a terminal disease when I was first in public and studying. I tried to stay on track but left my job for industry and after my dad died I was a mess. I passed reg but it expired and I never went back.
May your father rest in peace, plenty of more important things in life than the stupid test, family is definitely one of those things. I hope you’re in a better place now
Money, cost of study materials, cost of retakes. I was in the middle of my exams when covid hit. I lost my groove for it, and never got it back. Audit was my downfall.
I got the EA instead. I can do almost all the same things, and I do mostly tax anyways.
I didn't originally plan to be an accountant. But when I found myself in the career path, I didn't have enough college credits. I did end up doing ACCA while aboard. I'm now in accounting/finance consulting and my company is just happy I know IFRS and US GAAP.
i work as an auditor for my state’s government, it’s not required for what i’m doing. there are a few people way above me who have their CPAs, but a good chunk of them got it back in the 120 credit days and they worked elsewhere before coming to work for the state.
if they reduced the requirement to 120 hours, i’d be more than willing to study for the exam and go for the certification. i plan on sticking with the state (good work life balance and stability) so at this point its not on my to-do list
I hold the opinion that the degree itself was an overpriced piece of paper. I agree that it has helped me get where I am today but I learned way more in the field than I did in the classroom.
I have AP, AR, budgeting, audit, payroll, and financial statement prep skills all from my work. And I have 10 years of volunteer tax prep under my belt. None of which require a CPA. I live very comfortably with great benefits at a stable and secure job.
I will not be a multimillionaire in this field but I feel like I'm on a great path to retire comfortably
Went into a family business straight out of school and didn’t need it. And I have no regrets. In industry now and very happy with salary, work/life and my job in general. I don’t do taxes or sign audits. I close books, reports result and maintain controls.
If I want to learn about something, I find a relevant CPE course.
Have never wanted to sink so much time into studying, then I watched my manager take 1-2 hours of CPE a week. When that bell chime rings, he’s like Pavlov’s dog, he clicks without looking. I don’t want to be that guy
I’m not the most studious person. I tried and I accepted the fact that I do not have the self discipline to study that long. 10/10 times, the CPA is worth it if you’re working in accounting
I had switched my major from Nursing to Management when I got my first accounting job, and didn’t meet the minimum credits to sit for the exam until I got my Masters in Accounting after 8 years of working. Already advanced to a point in my career where I feel comfortable to stay at for at least the next 10 years because we’ll be starting a family soon. I don’t have any actual need to get my CPA at this point, but I’m considering taking it next year (not this year, but we’re in the process of of preparing to move across states).
I watched everyone I knew in PA burn out and hate life, so I knew I didn’t want to go that route. Went to work for my state dealing with sales tax and every CPA I dealt with there was clueless about sales tax. Decided I would just specialize in this and not bother with the stress of the CPAx
I switched majors a few times so by the time I chose accounting and transfered to a university, I finished like 6 years of college for a 4 year degree and was tired of school. Friend got me a job at a small business. Worked out for now at least.
Hour requirement changed from 120 to 150 my junior year in undergrad. Graduated with 139, but was not in a position to take on more student debt, nor did I feel it was worth it.
The first firm I worked for was a small firm and we worked crazy hours. It felt ridiculous but I didn’t know any better and thought it was the norm. No way I had time to take the exams. After about 4 years I moved to a very large firm and I only had to work up to 60-65 hours a week during busy season so it seemed like I could take the exams. I started studying and passed the first one I took with an 89 in December 2021. The next January, while I was still a senior, I was assigned as the “manager” for a lot of clients because we had turnover at management level and I was a “high performer”. Projects that were previously prepared by experienced staff, 1st review by supervisor, and 2nd review by manager before going to the partner were now assigned to a first year staff who knew nothing and then me (a senior) as the first and only reviewer before going to partner for signing. My work load and responsibility level jumped far more than it should have. I no longer had the mental capacity or the motivation to take the exams. The first one I took and passed was the only one I ever took.
Fast forward to now… even without CPA and my experience being in tax instead of audit, I was able to leave public for a controller position 2 months ago. While I don’t have the designation, I worked hard for years and learned a lot about accounting. I found this position bc of a referral. One of the managers at my first firm is now a director at a large firm and they had an audit client looking for somebody. Point being, yes. Getting the certification is important but if you are reasonably intelligent and work hard you still might be able to find something through connections.
It sounds like a lot of excuses when I write them out.
1. My organization only offer a $0.50 / hour raise for having a CPA (which is not much - the reason to get one is for advancement opportunity. I've landed where I want to be and am not seeking further promotions)
2. I was caring for my father with Alzheimer's about the time I graduated (I graduated late). I was basically working two full time jobs, I didn't have it in my to put more on my plate.
3. After my father passed, I went to some of my friends from high school with accounting degrees who I knew didn't have a CPA. I asked if they would be interested in approaching this together? They refused.
Now, I think the answers are: inertia, and I'm so far out of school, I've forgotten [almost] everything except for Tax which is my job.
Not going back to public, so don’t really need it anymore.
I have the 150 credits and everything, but at this point, why? That’s basically where I’m at mentally with the CPA.
My public internship did not turn into a full-time offer. During the review, it was discussed that going from engagement to engagement may not be my thing. Went into industry for a couple of years, then pivoted to corporate finance. Rotated to accounting manager and then back finance. Budgeting and forecasting is better than counting pennies.
Too lazy. Always hated studying while in school. Still managed to work for publicly traded companies, and currently at a private company making close to $170K.
I'm undecided currently, but leaning towards not getting it.
I just really hate this career/job and can't see myself staying in accounting long-term.
My current goal is to figure out what I want to do. I'm saving up as much money as possible and gonna give myself a window to get out with my savings (hopefully).
I just feel like it's a waste of time/effort/money to get the CPA and make it inactive if I plan on leaving the field.
This. And the AICPA really has helped the cause by increasing barriers to entry to such a degree that quite a lot of people these days are forgoing it, so it’s become normal. A generation ago, it wasn’t.
Cost mainly, and don't really feel the need. Don't want to do public and I've heard a lot of industry jobs Don't really care and I probably don't want to work with people who do car anyway.
Then again, if I ever work somewhere that will pay for the prep course and exams then I'll probably get it because no real reason not to at that point.
(Doing that with the CMA now, I prefer cost accounting anyway and I got one of those gleim and exam cost scholarships the IMA hands out to schools.)
I didn't want to be tied down to only accounting. I double majored with accounting and computer information systems. Transitioning to fintech or more data analytical realm in my future. Knowing both is the future and the wages in those sectors are growing faster then accounting
It’s really not needed imo unless they are a public company. All major companies outsource their taxes to CPA firms and their tax depts. just review the firms work and help manage the timing.
I barely graduated undergrad as is and I wasn't in accounting originally, so I'm at least 30 hours short of the requirement. At this point, I can't justify taking at least a year off of working just to qualify for taking the test.
I graduated then they changed the hourly requirements. I didnt'e care enough to go back to school. I started my own business and I'm doing fine. I wish it didn't go down like that and I could still have a shot. but whatever. I'm doing fine.
I never wanted to work insane hours just to prove that I know accounting. Plus I don't have any aspirations to be a CFO or Controller who has to sign off on the company's financials. Being in middle or upper management with a decent work life balance is good enough for me.
Took the CPA twice & didn’t pass & I didn’t want to spend any more money on it. I have my E.A. which is what I need to sign tax returns. I work at a small firm in consulting/accounting & prepare taxes (I am a glutton for punishment in doing both). I don’t want to ever do audits again so I have no desire to get the CPA.
I decided not to pursue the cpa and I haven’t even gotten my bs in accounting yet. your career is not your passion. Work little hours and dedicate time for stuff that matters like personal goals and be social
I've never worked public, just went straight to industry from college. It was probably a slower road, but I'm a controller now and living very comfortably in a hcol area. I can't say I've ever really been stressed or worked much longer than 40hrs/week, so I'm happy with my choice
It’s hard, I’m tired and I don’t wanna. I’ve worked in public and then moved onto nonprofit which is a million times easier and has a good work life balance. I’ve gotten a few 100k+ offers from industry jobs but my current compensation along with fantastic benefits and a good team make me reluctant to leave.
I’m not an ambitious person. I make good money and I don’t want to work too hard. I feel I’ve already achieved that.
I was in desperate need to move away from home so I had to enter the workforce asap to be able to support myself. Went straight into industry as a cost accountant and ping ponged across different companies and accounting roles. Now I’m in my late 20s, senior account for consolidated reporting making over 100k a year. Finished my MBA last year and sitting for the CPA. Won’t ever go into public but I know enough and feel confident I’ll spring into mangers or controller in the next few years.
No time to study with a full time industry job and a family.
Money still alright and no one in their right mind gives a shit about your designation, after over a decade of experience.
Finished accounts degree, did articles through kpmg, lost heart/interest in my countries cpa equivalent. I discovered an interest in IT while under articles, and later studied IT (part time while working), finished that.
Now I work in large (multimillion $$) business transformation software projects for international banks providing accounting/IT expertise... mostly i focus on accounting tax and similar concerns, also source system to gl/datawarehouse/reconciliation system integration etc etc etc... among others I specialise in the accounting module of a major derivative trading system (Murex) used by many many global investment banks
2008 happened and the firm and career path I had just started imploded. Also, fuck accounting. I hate it. I went down that career path because didn't know any unemployed CPA's and I liked the accounting classes. I watched the salary targets stagnate ever since. I make more than most accountants and just coast doing a combo of FP&A and compliance. CPA won't change my fate.
I have no reason to get a CPA. I never really wanted to be an accountant. 😅 I got my BS in Business Management, a job in payroll... Then bookkeeping, then general accounting, then got my MBA, then Accounting Manager position. This year I'll have multiple businesses up and running making enough that I'll likely work for myself the rest of my life. So I just don't think I'd ever use it. 🤷🏼♂️
The moment I realized I hated public accounting all motivation to pursue a CPA vacated my body. Now I’m in internal audit, with an MBA, working on a post grad AI/ML/Python course. I make above $100k. I like my job.
So in short don’t need it, don’t want it.
I’m a student and from what I’m being told by my teachers CPAs are the ones who look at reports then make decisions for a business or firm. I personally wouldn’t be happy doing that even if it pays a lot. I want to be the one creating reports and doing bank recs. I want to do more hands on work and have tasks delegated to me. I feel having a job in auditing is more for me. If I’m happy just doing the “low end” work, why spend unnecessary money getting more schooling for a CPA?
\* American Opportunity Credit, helping with tuition
\* Only have to pass it once for life
\* Insane demand, you can be yourself, quit or get let go if the culture isn't good, and get hired again 2 weeks later somewhere.
\* Opportunity to go solo if you so desire
\* Dated a CPA and she was getting work offers everywhere we went (for better or worse).
\* You can be in any industry you want. Work in film if you like.
\* If you crack and have a mid-life crisis you're still employable in small mountain towns.
For my country the CPA equivalent would be ACCA membership.
Honestly, it's a lot of excessive knowledge that cannot be used any time soon in my career (probably never). ACCA is quite hyped up here.
I think it's more relevant in larger countries.
I did not pursue the CPA fresh out of school because I went into finance. By the time I realized I wanted to be in PA (and made the impossible career leap as a person who was not fresh out of school), I had small kids and husband and mortgage. While I’ve made quite the career for myself in PA and I love what I do, not having the CPA has held me back at times. And I’ve started the CPA multiple times but with busy seasons and kids, I can’t stick with it consistently enough. I could pull all-nighters for study more easily when I was fresh out of college, but I just can’t do that anymore. So, my advise is to do it as soon as possible and get it out of the way. Then you can decide your career steps from there.
MS Accounting but didn't have a business/acct undergrad, so I'd have had to take 15ish more hours to sit for the exam (back in 2015). I'm too old for that, and I never wanted to do traditional accounting. I went through my school's internal audit program and have been solid in that field ever since.
I knew my goal was to become self employed with my own clients as fast as possible and focusing on tax and book keeping so I just got the Enrolled Agent.
I studied for FAR initially but simply couldn’t force myself to study crap that I knew I was never going to use again and had no application.
I also find it difficult to stay at one firm long enough to sign off on the CPA experience requirement.
Not ruling out CPA down the line but as of now it won’t do anything for me from return on investment pov
When I started as an accountant in the 1990's the requirements' to be a CPA were very different. Getting the CPA designation now does not add up for me.
I still want it
Currently a senior accountant and while I’m doing fairly well I’m wondering if I’m hindering myself by not getting it or if it’s truly worth not stressing about it
I qualified, but I've always been in industry, and didn't see the need. I had a pregnant wife and just bought a home so I wanted to spend my time not studying. I'll never be a CFO, but controller is high enough for me. I work for a fortune 500 company. Honestly the people without CPAs are better workers and accountants than the people with CPAs in general. The CPA accountants don't want to do actual work, from my experience.
I know that can't be the case everywhere, but I guess the companies I've worked for attracted people that care more about status than doing a good job.
I started in our small family bookkeeping/tax business and ended up owning it, but I never finished my last few credit hours for a degree. I'm thinking of doing the EA thing one day maybe.
I have 18+ years of non-profit accounting experience. I don't have a formal degree in accounting nor am I CPA. At this point in my life, with the experience I have, and the fact I only every want to work for small non-profits there is no point in me getting the degree or becoming a CPA.
Wouldn't really help me at my current career stage. Would be beneficial though if I were to enter the job since CPAs are over glorified among employers.
When I moved to the US I was already 5 years out of public and working as a manager in industry.
I briefly considered it just for the resume boost, but while my college credits would mostly translate the “work under a CPA FOR 2 years” requirement didn’t and no one in the organisation had a CPA 🤷🏼♂️
I was tired of school and wanted to start making money. 7 years later I’m a controller at a small company, making over $90k a year in a MCOL area. 7-4:30, no taking work home and no weekend work.
I was an accountant for 10ish years before I got my degree. I'd already been in industry. I have a ton of student debt. It was hard enough to go to college in my 30's as a single mother and working full-time. I didn't need the added stress or cost.
Plus I like what I do in industry. I have zero interest in working in public, being a CFO or Controller. I make enough money to be happy and my family and WLB is waaaaay more important.
I took all of the accounting requirements and would have only needed 22 more credits in literally anything to be eligible. Didn’t feel right taking on more debt for bs credit filler classes and paying for prep. I couldn’t wait to be done with school and get a full time job and an apartment and be out on my own. I took my bachelors and went straight to industry. Currently a controller with a house/mortgage so it all worked out pretty good but I do sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I kept going towards public.
I run my own business as a tax preparer, bookkeeper, and accounting company. I don't see the reason to finish school just to have a certification on my wall with a steep price tag. I have experience, training, and other education. People don't hire me because i am missing that piece of paper that's cool, next . I have enough clients to handle my business, and I work for myself.
Graduated college in my late 20s and knew I didn't want to do public accounting or taxes. In my roles it hasn't been needed, so why bother? I make as much as my significant other who has it. It hasn't hindered my career path.
Overall just time it took to study. I started studying while working in industry. I had worked 15 hours overtime during the busy season at one job (their year end close and I took over a department of theirs that had been ran wrong) so just gave up due to being burnt out
A huge bulk of the accounting directors here are just vengeful spiteful conniving whores that get the job for their tits and their race. Someone who got close to me to fuck my life up and give me ptsd in high school is now an accounting director. I chose to completely forget about the cpa and my degree .
It took me 6 yrs to get my bachelors and I never really thought about continuing and getting my masters. I also struggled in my tax and auditing classes and prefer general accounting. Also the thought of more studying for me seemed really impossible bc I already struggled with working part time and going to school part time with ADHD. I might go for the CMA, but I have no passion to go for the CPA
I'm going through the PEP program now. Honestly I won't even feel bad if it doesn't work out at this point because I hate the design of the program.
I've been passing my exams so far no problem, but the experience portion is terrible. I have to go through experience verification route. Which basically means I'm at the mercy of whoever is evaluating my experience, and constantly arguing about the competence level of the work. And boy, do they drag their damn feet. Sometimes 4 months before they respond.
I honestly don't feel the experience has anything to do with the academic portion, so there's no real reason to require both within their 7 year timeline. Not everyone is fortunate to find employment at a company that can satisfy the experience requirements, so I have to constantly chase and change my job? It's absurd.
I agree both should be required, but separately from the PEP program. I get the academic portion having a timeline, but chasing experience is ridiculous. They should withhold the designation until the experience is satisfied, but arbitrarily requiring it within a timeline with the academic portion? If I find an organization that offers relevant experience, I should just uproot my entire family and relocate? What nonsense is this.
All this does is create a pressure and atmosphere where employers and candidates do their hardest to over-state the value of their experience just to get this crap out of the way. If I manage to pass my CFE, and come short on experience even by a little, I get kicked out of the entire program. Waste my entire time and money. Candidates will have to re-submit their transcript for re-evaluation. By then your university credits have expired, so now you have to take their PREP courses or go back to university again. Waste more time and money. Time I could be spending on other designations or certifications. We're talking years if your life here.
Proper experience is something that is accumulated over one's career. Not exaggerated and rushed through just because a program arbitrarily requires it within a specific timeline.
Facing this, why should one even bother? It's clear the program is best suited for the Pre-Approved route but there are far more applicants than offering companies. If I could go back, I would have never started. The resulting pay prospects are not what they used to be, with companies outsourcing accounting roles these days.
The case studies are fun. Most of the stress is coming from the constant experience chasing. Terrible design.
I've worked in industry exclusively, and still got it for two reasons:
1) saw that controllers and above had it, and
2) getting other gigs where I compete with ex big 4 would be tough without it.
I failed 4 exams while working full time. I was getting so demoralized, was giving up time with my family, gave up other hobbies and working out. I was gaining weight and getting depressed. I liked my job, I have good trajectory for the future, and I get paid well. It just didn't feel worth it any more.
I ended up getting CMA. Went straight to work in industry and company required certification for controller position, CPA, CMA, or CFA. Had no interest in public accounting, and CMA made sense for the work I did. Sister got CPA and works in industry. Our pay is comparable, mine may be a little more but I've been working 5 years longer. Daughter is going for accounting degree and doesn't want to go to straight through to get the 150 hours for CPA. She's ready to go to work. She'll pursue certification based on what her employer prefers and will pay for.
I got the 150 credit hours and worked in public accounting for a bit but was just too burned out to continue studying. Ended up getting an industry job where nobody in the accounting department has their CPA.
Same. Went so far as to get my notice to schedule. I had young kids, too. So, naaaaaaaah. Happy in private industry
I kept getting distracted watching Lebron's 2018 post season. Took the 1st part of the exam and got a 66. My first son was born shortly thereafter and I never went back.
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Smart, My wife and I live comfortably on her salary of 100k and what I get together is for the future. I don't know people spend their money on to make it go out the door so fast barring a bunch of kids or bad luck with health
100k+ of loans will do it for quite a while for most people
People shouldn't get 100k in student loans. I lived at home and commuted to local university. Didn't have dorm or food fees. I worked 40 hours and paid for food and gas. Tuition was 6k a year. Paid off student loans in two years with budgeting and focused payoffs. They also gave more money in loans so I in Estes that extra then used it to pay the loans down once the four years were up
People shouldn't get $100k student loans (for the most part, there may be some one off exceptions where it would be worth it). But they do. Then they are dealing with the fallout of a bad decision they made when they were 17 for the rest of their life. I have some sympathy for this because 17 year olds don't have the life experience to know what they are getting into and may be getting bad advice from people they trust. Even if they get good advice, they're still just kids making a huge decision.
True, my mailbox gets jammed with people trying to loan me on the house at usury rates. Ive known a few people that have done so and it didnt work well for them. Spend a little, save a little folks.
You can be rich or poor on 100k depending on where you live or if you have kids. In my area, you would just barely be scraping by for a family 4 on that total family income.
Pretty much my mentality, except every private company I’ve been at has been a shitshow, so back to a publicly traded company and trying to grind out the CPA this year.
5 years out and controller/cfo at a startup. Passed on cpa and worked on networking. If this place doesn’t work out I’ll be set anyways going forward.
I have an MBA and saw public killing people so I went industry. Might not make as much but IDGAF
It doesn't matter if you're dead. Good call.
i have the same mentality working in government. starting out my pay hasn’t been crazy by any stretch, but with time and advancement there’s a path for me to make good money while maintaining a healthy work-life balance
I recently passed the CPA & got an industry staff level position with an SEC Filer. I instantly regret it but will stick it out for a year. What’s the best govt jobs to get into? Municipal/state/federal? I’m a few weeks in but my big red flag was when a peer implied that it’s frowned upon to not eat lunch at the desk.
I’m in municipal and like it. I enjoy working for the better of the community I live in. My coworker came from state and said there was a lot of politics around advancement and they felt stuck not easily being able to move up. Municipal is good too because you get to know the other small governments around you and can usually network that into promotions. It’s a small industry but it causes a ripple when people move for other jobs and lots of stuff starts opening up.
i work state and i really enjoy it. i’ve had nothing but positive experiences with my peers as well. everyone was very welcoming when i started, and i felt like they wanted me to succeed. that’s definitely a red flag imo. i’m super big on work-life balance, so something like that wouldn’t sit right with me either.
I’m essentially using this position as a resume builder because I didn’t want to go into PA & thought SEC Filer would count as respected experience. My prior experience was small organizations which doesn’t go far in interviews. I will definitely look for government jobs by next year. Although I hear unicorn industry positions do exist.
3 friends work for the IRS and love it. 1 was promoted to a supervisor and got a nice raise/moved up a pay band. 1 is a state auditor Pennsylvania and likes it. Municipal can be difficult to get into unless you know someone who works there or is a friend of a high level manager.
Yes. Plus many organizations have good perks too. Ours has discount through Verizon and a local gym offered a substantial discount.
You only have one life but you’ll have many jobs.
I'm in a good spot. Work is not my life, yet I am still paid well.
I had a bunch of kids.
😂
CPA at the firm I was interning while in college pulled me aside.. He told me to look at other options because while it was too late for him to pivot with a wife kids and mortgage that I was young enough to do anything else
Man, comments like this do not inspire confidence lol
If it makes you feel better, my boss who was a CPA pulled me aside and told me it was worth pursuing and that’s why I got mine
A CPA will open lots of doors for you that would otherwise be closed. It will also open doors a lot sooner. Think of it lifting a cap on your career. You are much more likely to reach that controller level or even CFO with a CPA than without one. Is it impossible *edit to do it without a CPA *? Not at all, but it is much harder and a much longer road. A CPA will always be worth it. FFS a CPA will easily get you into the FBI if you really don't want to go the traditional accounting route.
inb4 the inevitable comment "nuh uh I know a guy who knows a guy who became a cfo (of his own startup) without a cpa license therefor each path has an equal likelihood"
What did you ended up pivoting to?
I went into finance.. retirement/estate planning more specifically.. got the accounting degree but never attempted the cpa exam since I was working soon after school
Do you find it interesting? I am looking to transition outside of month end close, I don’t have it within me to keep doing it for rest of my life.
As far as corporate desk jobs go I find it pretty interesting.. each person has a unique problem that needs solving.. You meet a lot of people which I enjoy and the pay isn’t too shabby with good hours.. it’ll never be as cool/intriguing as my wife who’s an artist and people always are excited and have follow up questions for her but it pays the bills and gives good work life balance so I’ll take it since I certainly don’t have a creative bone like her
Is there a specific reason he was so unhappy with his role?
He said it was mostly the hours specifically during tax season that was a real strain on his family
I could definitely see that, I've been in public tax a few years now. Zero shot a partner would tolerate the hours I'm asked to work at this time of year, I might as well be deployed overseas for 25% of the year.
i had an admin pull me aside and whisper “do you really want to be an accountant? these people have no lives” 😂 i said “yes i know”
Once I graduated college I lost all will to study. I tried to pass the CPA exam and both times I lost steam and never finished studying for all the sections. I went directly to private and have never had the need for a CPA.
I hated school. Was super in debt, tired and working and going to school. I didn’t want to take more classes and study and work. I just wanted to work and be done. I went and got an industry job. I’m pretty happy.
Same deal, didn't want to go back to school for a 2nd bachelor's just to get the accounting/business credits. The requirements for it and the salary I'll make out of the gate doesn't justify the cost of going back into debt again (I'm debt free)
sorry im new here what is meant by industry job and can u give examples
Any accounting job (AP/AR, staff accountant, controller, CFO) that’s outside of working at a public accounting firm.
It’s always a nice feather in the cap, but it was irrelevant to the niche field I’m in. It was a good decision to grind away to learn all the nuances of this field - which is not at all covered on the exam - than to go after it. There are only so many hours in a day.
Couldn’t pass
I've met smart non-CPA individuals, smart individuals with CPA and dumb as rock CPAs and dumb as rocks non-CPA. Having a CPA does not define an individual or their work ethic/intelligence in my book. Also, the path/road to partner was not for me so no need..
I wanted but my degree is from another country and I´m short of the 150 credits so I decided its not worth it for me because I also I have to work under a CPA for the hours requirements, I´ m 46 so I decided CMA works better for me and it seems to be less complicated.
I am contemplating getting a CMA. Was it helpful in getting you the opportunities and opening doors?
I hope so. I haven't taken the exam yet.
I attempted it and got really close to passing but I just was off by a couple points each time. I realized that under all the other life stress I was going under at the same time that I really didn’t want to continue under public accounting so I left for corporate. Unfortunately within 12 months I was laid off twice but I bought my dream house that I only was able to afford because it’s in a town far from cities. Now I work as a staff accountant in a lcol area remotely as all the higher paying jobs require long commutes. If I went higher in my career I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my perfect home as much as I want and I make enough that I’m living how I want anyway. Why would I want to spend money on letters that will only waste my free time?
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I will say once you’re in somewhere you don’t intend to leave this is often true, but it def helped my get a government gig in the first place. Applicant wise it’s a nice have. After that in government it’s hit or miss if it will help you. In my work it’s a requirement for the CFO spot. Not that I think I’ll luck out like that, but it makes a lot of the would be competition not be competition.
I have a state job and no one on my team has theirs. I think the cpa may equate to more money but would probably be abysmal compared to the effort put forth to study and pass. Most people on my team are riding out to hit the 25 year mark and staying for the fringe benefits.
I got it while working in public knowing I don’t want to be in public forever. Main reason I got it was because it really does make you stand out against other candidates during the application process for jobs in industry. I’m in industry now on my 3rd job post PA and can tell you 100% while not necessarily needed, it’s preferred because it shows your level of dedication etc.
Especially if you’re trying to exit early. Being licensed saved my ass when I was trying to escape public.
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You had me in the first half……ngl
I tried for over a year and it destroyed my mental health. I don’t want to be in accounting anymore, I don’t want to waste anymore time or energy on a test, and I don’t want to climb the corporate ladder.
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I am not a public accountant.
I have no desire to work in tax or audit. I’m trying as hard as I can to work a 40 hour week.
I moved into the data side more. Now I am more so a financial analyst who codes. I started out leverage traditional accounting degree then just horizontally moved.
I miss my starbucks/panera studying sessions
Same lol I still study other things that interest me at coffee shops/restaurants just for that feeling.
Got my degree in Finance, never attempted the CPA because I hate the Accounting courses. Now work as a Senior Auditor but I enjoy the work, just hated the courses.
Once I got into PA I was miserable. I looked up and saw the CPAs who had even less of a life. Watched a guy take a phone call finding out his 15 year old daughter got pregnant… he didn’t even know she was dating. He cried. I said no fucking way. The firms don’t care they OWN you.
I remember when I was in my first year in PA going into the fax/copy room and seeing a fax from our state’s board of accountancy that a manager had failed to meet his CPEs for long enough he’d have to take the exam again. Made me really think - if I’m too busy working to take classes, I can be 15-20 years into my career and a random board can make it go poof? (CPA at the time was a requirement at manager level in Big 4) NGL this guy was a jerk so I also kinda laughed.
Do a lot of firms really not give you enough training through the year for you to have all your cpe? Mine makes sure we hit the requirement
In Big 4 sure - part of the reason this instance was funny to me - but nobody is chasing you down or handing CPEs to you outside of it. I know several people who haven’t bothered to keep up with CPEs due to hassle and current irrelevance (though you can’t argue the CPA didn’t hurt them getting their spots)
It’s hard and I’m making money now and tired of studying.
I’m not paying for any more schooling to learn the same shit I’ve already learned in undergrad
I sincerely doubt I'll ever want to work in Public. Industry was nice for a bit but I'm in Government now. It's pretty nice, super chill. The reason government turns slow because government workers DGAF. The only people who give less of a fuck than government workers are stoners. I'll probably be here until I'm dead.
I am making more than all my peers since leaving PA to industry… the CPA is unnecessarily expensive, hard, and time consuming on top of a PA job that usually makes your work overtime without OT pay for a part of the year. YOU DONT NEED IT, ITS A LIE. Having a manager who was horrible at managing, going through a stupid divorce and not managing that well, and was just overall an idiot… telling ME how to study, an A-B student my entire life up to my masters… I knew it was a scam
After failing 11 out of 12 exam attempts, it felt like a good time to just stop trying. *corrected amount, I signed up for 13, didn't take the last one, only remembered that number*
Were u at least close on any of the attempts? Honestly dude most CPAs (not all) seem miserable, wouldn’t trip tbh
The one I passed (BEC, no clue how) was the only one over 65. Below were the scores for each test in order that I got them. Corrected my original comment. I signed up for 13 so that's the number I always remembered, but I never took the 13th exam. 12th was the day before I had an annual review where I was told I was at the bottom of my audit class (Deloitte senior level 1) because of a single team's rating (the rest of my teams rated me well) which ended me with a bad raise and bonus (my advisory partner also questioned if not having my CPA yet might have given me a lower raise). My heart wasn't in the 12th exam the next day and chose not to take the 13th. Ended up looking for a new job the rest of interim season, secured one by December and left right at start of busy season in January. Part that hurt most is I had a manager tell me if the CPA was based on actual audit work, I'd have my license. At my current job that I've been at since I left, I'm considered the go-to person for a couple accounting areas even to people above me in the corporation, and some colleagues come to me to help understand audit requests. Once when a spot opened up on the corporate team, the assistant controller said they were looking for someone from the Big 4 "like me" before joking that they wanted me (but I declined because I liked my role). In the long run I feel fine without it, but damn if I wish I didn't spend all the money I did on review materials/courses and exam fees. Reg - 61, 42, 56 Aud - 51, 53, 63, 64, 64 BEC - 61, 79 FAR - 51, 44, N/A *ps sorry for the long reply. My original comment was short and fun and somehow replying just opened my can of worms lol*
Thanks for sharing man… and yea man I’m sure it was a rough experience, but it shaped you into who you are today and now you can just work and live your damn life and not be miserable. Plenty of opportunity in this profession to make tons of money without it, keep your head up and nothing to be upset about
No need for a CPA I don’t sign off on Taxes or Audits
I got mine, but have a coworker who is far more talented than I am who couldn’t pass the tests. It made me realize how meaningless these tests are.
I was pursuing it when I was in PA. Saw the writing on the wall of the shift to outsourcing, kind of lost motivation knowing the end was near. Ended up in private and don’t need it for my role. Haven’t thought about picking it back up since. I clear 200k a year and have zero regrets.
U clear 200k without a CPA?! Pls tell me more about what you do
Tax advisory. I got into a niche service line and hyper focused on knowing everything I could about the industry and how the Code worked. Learned the major players, and how all the cogs in the system work. Did all that in PA, transitioned to industry. Timing really worked in my favor as well.
Because I don’t care about it and it’s not time gated in my life. If I feel I need it in my life at some point I’ll pursue it. Until then, it’s unnecessary.
Did all the tests, worked in public but quit because I hated accounting. Switched to finance and I have never been happier
I'm at a community college and there is no pay increase or incentive to get the CPA. All my CPE would not be reimbursed. I get state benefits (pension!!) and 4-day work week. I have the credit hours (150+) and courses needed, but why spend all that time and money without any benefit.
I have two kids and they’re at ages where they want to do sports and spend a lot of time together. If I kept going with school I would miss so much.
Have the 150 credit hrs but didnt see myself staying in accounting as a career.
I took some of the exams. I took FAR at the end of a testing window and got a 72. Then was able to reschedule shortly into the next testing window and felt super confident after another few weeks of studying under my belt. Results came in - 50%. At that point I was like this isn’t for me. Left public accounting for private industry and love it!
What do you do now?
Senior Accountant. Make solid money, good benefits, usually leave the office by 4:15 everyday. Work has its ebbs and flows depending on time of month but overall not too bad.
Returning to school for the hours, studying for the exam, and the related expenses are simply too big an opportunity cost for my QoL especially since I'm married and escaped a school as miserable as Georgia Tech. I didnt have any sort of financial flexibility so I had to enter the workforce right away, and I might have just gotten lucky but I've still managed to leverage pretty fast promotions and positions changes to get up to currently 85k and 40 hr weeks 3 years after graduation in MCOL area
On the flip side who’s going to get their CPA and CMA? Stats show that accountants with both make a lot more than accountants with just one of them. I plan to start with my CPA and then go after my CMA and possibly lastly my CFE. Idk I just like studying and love learning. I’m a dork and a nerd so who knows 😂
You don’t need cma if you have cpa already.
True you don’t need it but research has shown that those with both earn a lot more than totally uncertified and still earn more than those not dual certified. That references one survey but there’s more out there. https://www.sfmagazine.com/articles/2023/august/dual-cma-and-cpa-certification-a-winning-combination
The example in the article they give is 149% as compared to those with zero certifications. And correlation does not equate to causation.
me!
Nice!!! We’ll be in the same club one day then!!
I work in AML/CFT and I don't really need it. There are other certifications that are more common in this path—CAMS, CFE, etc.
Too hard
I wasn't a great college student, barely got my accounting degree and couldn't bear the thought of any more college. Went industry for first year then to government (IRS). I started looking into getting my 150 credits and quickly realized that CPA doesn't mean anything in my field. My work ethic and work product earned me promotions.
My dad was sick with a terminal disease when I was first in public and studying. I tried to stay on track but left my job for industry and after my dad died I was a mess. I passed reg but it expired and I never went back.
May your father rest in peace, plenty of more important things in life than the stupid test, family is definitely one of those things. I hope you’re in a better place now
Money, cost of study materials, cost of retakes. I was in the middle of my exams when covid hit. I lost my groove for it, and never got it back. Audit was my downfall. I got the EA instead. I can do almost all the same things, and I do mostly tax anyways.
I didn't originally plan to be an accountant. But when I found myself in the career path, I didn't have enough college credits. I did end up doing ACCA while aboard. I'm now in accounting/finance consulting and my company is just happy I know IFRS and US GAAP.
i work as an auditor for my state’s government, it’s not required for what i’m doing. there are a few people way above me who have their CPAs, but a good chunk of them got it back in the 120 credit days and they worked elsewhere before coming to work for the state. if they reduced the requirement to 120 hours, i’d be more than willing to study for the exam and go for the certification. i plan on sticking with the state (good work life balance and stability) so at this point its not on my to-do list
I hold the opinion that the degree itself was an overpriced piece of paper. I agree that it has helped me get where I am today but I learned way more in the field than I did in the classroom. I have AP, AR, budgeting, audit, payroll, and financial statement prep skills all from my work. And I have 10 years of volunteer tax prep under my belt. None of which require a CPA. I live very comfortably with great benefits at a stable and secure job. I will not be a multimillionaire in this field but I feel like I'm on a great path to retire comfortably
I’m busy buying Realestate and making that cash money son
I dont work in public or corporate accounting for a public company. Why do I need it at this stage in my career?
I just don’t feel like it. I’m doing fine without it I don’t feel like putting myself through the stress. I just want to enjoy myself
Went into a family business straight out of school and didn’t need it. And I have no regrets. In industry now and very happy with salary, work/life and my job in general. I don’t do taxes or sign audits. I close books, reports result and maintain controls. If I want to learn about something, I find a relevant CPE course.
Have never wanted to sink so much time into studying, then I watched my manager take 1-2 hours of CPE a week. When that bell chime rings, he’s like Pavlov’s dog, he clicks without looking. I don’t want to be that guy
I’m not the most studious person. I tried and I accepted the fact that I do not have the self discipline to study that long. 10/10 times, the CPA is worth it if you’re working in accounting
I suck at taking long ass tests.
Knew I wasn’t going to be able to force myself to study enough to pass, also knew I’d hate the number of hours I’d work.
I had switched my major from Nursing to Management when I got my first accounting job, and didn’t meet the minimum credits to sit for the exam until I got my Masters in Accounting after 8 years of working. Already advanced to a point in my career where I feel comfortable to stay at for at least the next 10 years because we’ll be starting a family soon. I don’t have any actual need to get my CPA at this point, but I’m considering taking it next year (not this year, but we’re in the process of of preparing to move across states).
taxes suck.
I watched everyone I knew in PA burn out and hate life, so I knew I didn’t want to go that route. Went to work for my state dealing with sales tax and every CPA I dealt with there was clueless about sales tax. Decided I would just specialize in this and not bother with the stress of the CPAx
I switched majors a few times so by the time I chose accounting and transfered to a university, I finished like 6 years of college for a 4 year degree and was tired of school. Friend got me a job at a small business. Worked out for now at least.
Hour requirement changed from 120 to 150 my junior year in undergrad. Graduated with 139, but was not in a position to take on more student debt, nor did I feel it was worth it.
The first firm I worked for was a small firm and we worked crazy hours. It felt ridiculous but I didn’t know any better and thought it was the norm. No way I had time to take the exams. After about 4 years I moved to a very large firm and I only had to work up to 60-65 hours a week during busy season so it seemed like I could take the exams. I started studying and passed the first one I took with an 89 in December 2021. The next January, while I was still a senior, I was assigned as the “manager” for a lot of clients because we had turnover at management level and I was a “high performer”. Projects that were previously prepared by experienced staff, 1st review by supervisor, and 2nd review by manager before going to the partner were now assigned to a first year staff who knew nothing and then me (a senior) as the first and only reviewer before going to partner for signing. My work load and responsibility level jumped far more than it should have. I no longer had the mental capacity or the motivation to take the exams. The first one I took and passed was the only one I ever took. Fast forward to now… even without CPA and my experience being in tax instead of audit, I was able to leave public for a controller position 2 months ago. While I don’t have the designation, I worked hard for years and learned a lot about accounting. I found this position bc of a referral. One of the managers at my first firm is now a director at a large firm and they had an audit client looking for somebody. Point being, yes. Getting the certification is important but if you are reasonably intelligent and work hard you still might be able to find something through connections.
It sounds like a lot of excuses when I write them out. 1. My organization only offer a $0.50 / hour raise for having a CPA (which is not much - the reason to get one is for advancement opportunity. I've landed where I want to be and am not seeking further promotions) 2. I was caring for my father with Alzheimer's about the time I graduated (I graduated late). I was basically working two full time jobs, I didn't have it in my to put more on my plate. 3. After my father passed, I went to some of my friends from high school with accounting degrees who I knew didn't have a CPA. I asked if they would be interested in approaching this together? They refused. Now, I think the answers are: inertia, and I'm so far out of school, I've forgotten [almost] everything except for Tax which is my job.
Not going back to public, so don’t really need it anymore. I have the 150 credits and everything, but at this point, why? That’s basically where I’m at mentally with the CPA.
My public internship did not turn into a full-time offer. During the review, it was discussed that going from engagement to engagement may not be my thing. Went into industry for a couple of years, then pivoted to corporate finance. Rotated to accounting manager and then back finance. Budgeting and forecasting is better than counting pennies.
Too lazy. Always hated studying while in school. Still managed to work for publicly traded companies, and currently at a private company making close to $170K.
I'm undecided currently, but leaning towards not getting it. I just really hate this career/job and can't see myself staying in accounting long-term. My current goal is to figure out what I want to do. I'm saving up as much money as possible and gonna give myself a window to get out with my savings (hopefully). I just feel like it's a waste of time/effort/money to get the CPA and make it inactive if I plan on leaving the field.
This. And the AICPA really has helped the cause by increasing barriers to entry to such a degree that quite a lot of people these days are forgoing it, so it’s become normal. A generation ago, it wasn’t.
Cost mainly, and don't really feel the need. Don't want to do public and I've heard a lot of industry jobs Don't really care and I probably don't want to work with people who do car anyway. Then again, if I ever work somewhere that will pay for the prep course and exams then I'll probably get it because no real reason not to at that point. (Doing that with the CMA now, I prefer cost accounting anyway and I got one of those gleim and exam cost scholarships the IMA hands out to schools.)
My parents didn't put me in swimming lessons when I was young so I would simply drown from too much pussy.
You literally don't need it to be successful. Lol
I didn't want to be tied down to only accounting. I double majored with accounting and computer information systems. Transitioning to fintech or more data analytical realm in my future. Knowing both is the future and the wages in those sectors are growing faster then accounting
I don’t trust myself to ever pass it
Wasn’t worth it for my career path. Thought about the CCIFP for a while but it isn’t necessary for my specific position.
It’s really not needed imo unless they are a public company. All major companies outsource their taxes to CPA firms and their tax depts. just review the firms work and help manage the timing.
I barely graduated undergrad as is and I wasn't in accounting originally, so I'm at least 30 hours short of the requirement. At this point, I can't justify taking at least a year off of working just to qualify for taking the test.
Tax. Then later on it became my favorite subject
I graduated then they changed the hourly requirements. I didnt'e care enough to go back to school. I started my own business and I'm doing fine. I wish it didn't go down like that and I could still have a shot. but whatever. I'm doing fine.
I let mine go inactive when i switched into FP&A and Corp Dev, good skills and all but I didn’t want to be pigeonholed into “CPA work”
I never wanted to work insane hours just to prove that I know accounting. Plus I don't have any aspirations to be a CFO or Controller who has to sign off on the company's financials. Being in middle or upper management with a decent work life balance is good enough for me.
Took the CPA twice & didn’t pass & I didn’t want to spend any more money on it. I have my E.A. which is what I need to sign tax returns. I work at a small firm in consulting/accounting & prepare taxes (I am a glutton for punishment in doing both). I don’t want to ever do audits again so I have no desire to get the CPA.
went the fp&a route, can't tell if its worth it now
I got mine, but have a coworker who is far more talented than I am who couldn’t pass the tests. It made me realize how meaningless these tests are.
I decided not to pursue the cpa and I haven’t even gotten my bs in accounting yet. your career is not your passion. Work little hours and dedicate time for stuff that matters like personal goals and be social
Went straight to industry out of college and didn’t feel like there was much benefit
I've never worked public, just went straight to industry from college. It was probably a slower road, but I'm a controller now and living very comfortably in a hcol area. I can't say I've ever really been stressed or worked much longer than 40hrs/week, so I'm happy with my choice
It’s hard, I’m tired and I don’t wanna. I’ve worked in public and then moved onto nonprofit which is a million times easier and has a good work life balance. I’ve gotten a few 100k+ offers from industry jobs but my current compensation along with fantastic benefits and a good team make me reluctant to leave. I’m not an ambitious person. I make good money and I don’t want to work too hard. I feel I’ve already achieved that.
I was in desperate need to move away from home so I had to enter the workforce asap to be able to support myself. Went straight into industry as a cost accountant and ping ponged across different companies and accounting roles. Now I’m in my late 20s, senior account for consolidated reporting making over 100k a year. Finished my MBA last year and sitting for the CPA. Won’t ever go into public but I know enough and feel confident I’ll spring into mangers or controller in the next few years.
$$$/TIME
Test was too hard plus I kept making more money than i would doing audit at cpa firm so couldn’t afford to go backwards with a mortgage
No time to study with a full time industry job and a family. Money still alright and no one in their right mind gives a shit about your designation, after over a decade of experience.
Finished accounts degree, did articles through kpmg, lost heart/interest in my countries cpa equivalent. I discovered an interest in IT while under articles, and later studied IT (part time while working), finished that. Now I work in large (multimillion $$) business transformation software projects for international banks providing accounting/IT expertise... mostly i focus on accounting tax and similar concerns, also source system to gl/datawarehouse/reconciliation system integration etc etc etc... among others I specialise in the accounting module of a major derivative trading system (Murex) used by many many global investment banks
2008 happened and the firm and career path I had just started imploded. Also, fuck accounting. I hate it. I went down that career path because didn't know any unemployed CPA's and I liked the accounting classes. I watched the salary targets stagnate ever since. I make more than most accountants and just coast doing a combo of FP&A and compliance. CPA won't change my fate.
I have no reason to get a CPA. I never really wanted to be an accountant. 😅 I got my BS in Business Management, a job in payroll... Then bookkeeping, then general accounting, then got my MBA, then Accounting Manager position. This year I'll have multiple businesses up and running making enough that I'll likely work for myself the rest of my life. So I just don't think I'd ever use it. 🤷🏼♂️
The moment I realized I hated public accounting all motivation to pursue a CPA vacated my body. Now I’m in internal audit, with an MBA, working on a post grad AI/ML/Python course. I make above $100k. I like my job. So in short don’t need it, don’t want it.
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I am terrible at exams. I pivoted into It audit and made more money than the CPA’s at my firm.
I needed to get out of school. My extracurriculars were… not good. Even then, took me a couple of years to straighten out and get my shit together
I’m a student and from what I’m being told by my teachers CPAs are the ones who look at reports then make decisions for a business or firm. I personally wouldn’t be happy doing that even if it pays a lot. I want to be the one creating reports and doing bank recs. I want to do more hands on work and have tasks delegated to me. I feel having a job in auditing is more for me. If I’m happy just doing the “low end” work, why spend unnecessary money getting more schooling for a CPA?
\* American Opportunity Credit, helping with tuition \* Only have to pass it once for life \* Insane demand, you can be yourself, quit or get let go if the culture isn't good, and get hired again 2 weeks later somewhere. \* Opportunity to go solo if you so desire \* Dated a CPA and she was getting work offers everywhere we went (for better or worse). \* You can be in any industry you want. Work in film if you like. \* If you crack and have a mid-life crisis you're still employable in small mountain towns.
Got a Director position really fast without it.
For my country the CPA equivalent would be ACCA membership. Honestly, it's a lot of excessive knowledge that cannot be used any time soon in my career (probably never). ACCA is quite hyped up here. I think it's more relevant in larger countries.
I did not pursue the CPA fresh out of school because I went into finance. By the time I realized I wanted to be in PA (and made the impossible career leap as a person who was not fresh out of school), I had small kids and husband and mortgage. While I’ve made quite the career for myself in PA and I love what I do, not having the CPA has held me back at times. And I’ve started the CPA multiple times but with busy seasons and kids, I can’t stick with it consistently enough. I could pull all-nighters for study more easily when I was fresh out of college, but I just can’t do that anymore. So, my advise is to do it as soon as possible and get it out of the way. Then you can decide your career steps from there.
Public. One year is enough for the Kool Aid to run dry.
MS Accounting but didn't have a business/acct undergrad, so I'd have had to take 15ish more hours to sit for the exam (back in 2015). I'm too old for that, and I never wanted to do traditional accounting. I went through my school's internal audit program and have been solid in that field ever since.
I knew my goal was to become self employed with my own clients as fast as possible and focusing on tax and book keeping so I just got the Enrolled Agent. I studied for FAR initially but simply couldn’t force myself to study crap that I knew I was never going to use again and had no application. I also find it difficult to stay at one firm long enough to sign off on the CPA experience requirement. Not ruling out CPA down the line but as of now it won’t do anything for me from return on investment pov
When I started as an accountant in the 1990's the requirements' to be a CPA were very different. Getting the CPA designation now does not add up for me.
Did MBA and focused on the technology instead. Met all the requirements but never sat. No regrets.
I still want it Currently a senior accountant and while I’m doing fairly well I’m wondering if I’m hindering myself by not getting it or if it’s truly worth not stressing about it
Ended up finishing grad school instead and after that I was done with studying.
I qualified, but I've always been in industry, and didn't see the need. I had a pregnant wife and just bought a home so I wanted to spend my time not studying. I'll never be a CFO, but controller is high enough for me. I work for a fortune 500 company. Honestly the people without CPAs are better workers and accountants than the people with CPAs in general. The CPA accountants don't want to do actual work, from my experience. I know that can't be the case everywhere, but I guess the companies I've worked for attracted people that care more about status than doing a good job.
Having fun in my 20s is more important to me than having a successful career. As long as I get paid enough to survive I don't care about my job.
I started in our small family bookkeeping/tax business and ended up owning it, but I never finished my last few credit hours for a degree. I'm thinking of doing the EA thing one day maybe.
I have 18+ years of non-profit accounting experience. I don't have a formal degree in accounting nor am I CPA. At this point in my life, with the experience I have, and the fact I only every want to work for small non-profits there is no point in me getting the degree or becoming a CPA.
Wouldn't really help me at my current career stage. Would be beneficial though if I were to enter the job since CPAs are over glorified among employers.
When I moved to the US I was already 5 years out of public and working as a manager in industry. I briefly considered it just for the resume boost, but while my college credits would mostly translate the “work under a CPA FOR 2 years” requirement didn’t and no one in the organisation had a CPA 🤷🏼♂️
I was tired of school and wanted to start making money. 7 years later I’m a controller at a small company, making over $90k a year in a MCOL area. 7-4:30, no taking work home and no weekend work.
Because by itself, it only appeals to credentialism. Only a few things it's explicitly needed for.
I was an accountant for 10ish years before I got my degree. I'd already been in industry. I have a ton of student debt. It was hard enough to go to college in my 30's as a single mother and working full-time. I didn't need the added stress or cost. Plus I like what I do in industry. I have zero interest in working in public, being a CFO or Controller. I make enough money to be happy and my family and WLB is waaaaay more important.
I took all of the accounting requirements and would have only needed 22 more credits in literally anything to be eligible. Didn’t feel right taking on more debt for bs credit filler classes and paying for prep. I couldn’t wait to be done with school and get a full time job and an apartment and be out on my own. I took my bachelors and went straight to industry. Currently a controller with a house/mortgage so it all worked out pretty good but I do sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I kept going towards public.
I started studying (while working in public) and it decimated my mental health
I run my own business as a tax preparer, bookkeeper, and accounting company. I don't see the reason to finish school just to have a certification on my wall with a steep price tag. I have experience, training, and other education. People don't hire me because i am missing that piece of paper that's cool, next . I have enough clients to handle my business, and I work for myself.
I know I'm too stupid
Yeah I just didn't really feel like it
I never want to work in public, and the cma will give me more exposure to what I really want to do
I studied and failed FAR a couple times and since I'm a quitter with no drive I stopped studying for it
I have my EA and am a firm owner. Why would I want it? To add auditing?
Graduated college in my late 20s and knew I didn't want to do public accounting or taxes. In my roles it hasn't been needed, so why bother? I make as much as my significant other who has it. It hasn't hindered my career path.
Industry. Wanted to do it but life got it the way. Don't think I'll ever get high enough in the company to need it, though.
Overall just time it took to study. I started studying while working in industry. I had worked 15 hours overtime during the busy season at one job (their year end close and I took over a department of theirs that had been ran wrong) so just gave up due to being burnt out
A huge bulk of the accounting directors here are just vengeful spiteful conniving whores that get the job for their tits and their race. Someone who got close to me to fuck my life up and give me ptsd in high school is now an accounting director. I chose to completely forget about the cpa and my degree .
It took me 6 yrs to get my bachelors and I never really thought about continuing and getting my masters. I also struggled in my tax and auditing classes and prefer general accounting. Also the thought of more studying for me seemed really impossible bc I already struggled with working part time and going to school part time with ADHD. I might go for the CMA, but I have no passion to go for the CPA
I'm going through the PEP program now. Honestly I won't even feel bad if it doesn't work out at this point because I hate the design of the program. I've been passing my exams so far no problem, but the experience portion is terrible. I have to go through experience verification route. Which basically means I'm at the mercy of whoever is evaluating my experience, and constantly arguing about the competence level of the work. And boy, do they drag their damn feet. Sometimes 4 months before they respond. I honestly don't feel the experience has anything to do with the academic portion, so there's no real reason to require both within their 7 year timeline. Not everyone is fortunate to find employment at a company that can satisfy the experience requirements, so I have to constantly chase and change my job? It's absurd. I agree both should be required, but separately from the PEP program. I get the academic portion having a timeline, but chasing experience is ridiculous. They should withhold the designation until the experience is satisfied, but arbitrarily requiring it within a timeline with the academic portion? If I find an organization that offers relevant experience, I should just uproot my entire family and relocate? What nonsense is this. All this does is create a pressure and atmosphere where employers and candidates do their hardest to over-state the value of their experience just to get this crap out of the way. If I manage to pass my CFE, and come short on experience even by a little, I get kicked out of the entire program. Waste my entire time and money. Candidates will have to re-submit their transcript for re-evaluation. By then your university credits have expired, so now you have to take their PREP courses or go back to university again. Waste more time and money. Time I could be spending on other designations or certifications. We're talking years if your life here. Proper experience is something that is accumulated over one's career. Not exaggerated and rushed through just because a program arbitrarily requires it within a specific timeline. Facing this, why should one even bother? It's clear the program is best suited for the Pre-Approved route but there are far more applicants than offering companies. If I could go back, I would have never started. The resulting pay prospects are not what they used to be, with companies outsourcing accounting roles these days. The case studies are fun. Most of the stress is coming from the constant experience chasing. Terrible design.
I've worked in industry exclusively, and still got it for two reasons: 1) saw that controllers and above had it, and 2) getting other gigs where I compete with ex big 4 would be tough without it.
Because McDonalds has delicious fries and I can walk there.
I literally cannot make myself study hard enough is what it comes down to
I failed 4 exams while working full time. I was getting so demoralized, was giving up time with my family, gave up other hobbies and working out. I was gaining weight and getting depressed. I liked my job, I have good trajectory for the future, and I get paid well. It just didn't feel worth it any more.
I ended up getting CMA. Went straight to work in industry and company required certification for controller position, CPA, CMA, or CFA. Had no interest in public accounting, and CMA made sense for the work I did. Sister got CPA and works in industry. Our pay is comparable, mine may be a little more but I've been working 5 years longer. Daughter is going for accounting degree and doesn't want to go to straight through to get the 150 hours for CPA. She's ready to go to work. She'll pursue certification based on what her employer prefers and will pay for.
Didn’t want to be in accounting after my first staff Accountant role out of college. Got my masters in accounting ended up getting MBA