While attending a Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting several years ago, we had the pleasure of hearing many great speakers give presentations on the accounting industry. One in particular, CEO of Grant Thornton International, gave some excellent career advice when asked by a student about the CPA Exam. Below we’ve paraphrased the best advice for those pursuing a career in accounting:
- Firms won’t promote anymore if you don’t have the CPA Exam completed early on.
- If you think your first year at a firm is going to be busy, then you are severely underestimating how busy you’ll be the second year!
- Putting off the CPA Exam is career suicide. It’s not up for debate or question; candidates need to get it done right away. Most accounting firms desire that you are at least pursuing the Exam by your start date.
- The CPA Exam should still be your top choice over other exams and is the most respected certification. Get it done no matter what you think you’re going to do in life. Don’t sell yourself short while pursing your career–you will regret it.
You’ve heard it straight from the horse’s mouth! If you’re thinking about obtaining your CPA license, the time is now.