Here’s an advice-seeker that wrote in over the weekend:
Hello Going Concern!
I am a recent Boston graduate who has been working in an AP and Payroll position with a small energy company for the past two years while I pursued my master’s degree in the evening. My bachelor’s degree was in music (which was a terrible idea) and my MBA isn’t from a very well-known school, but I supplemented my education with a ton of accounting courses with UCLA’s extension program and am now eligible to sit for the CPA exam. I am invested in getting my CPA license, and feel confident that I have the wherewithal to pass in the next year.
My questions for you are, given my very little experience, what would be the best way to move my career forward into an actual accounting role as opposed to AP or Payroll? Also, should I be looking for particular types of positions right now or perhaps wait until I’ve passed the CPA exam? I really need advice on getting the necessary accounting experience to be taken seriously as a candidate, and am not above taking an internship if I have to. I’m sure I’m not the typical candidate a Big 4 firm would be looking for, but I am driven and committed to putting in the hard work it would take to succeed. Any advice you could provide would be much appreciated!