Accounting & Finance Majors.......Current or Graduated Welcome

[qnumber25]

great thread.. a lot of knowledge in here

 

[klasssickfresh 87]

I left accounting for finance, it has an edge over finance but it's just not for me.  I've heard that "project controller" is in high demand but is hard as hell and requires special classes. If anyone has knowledge on this please share.

 

[shatterkneesinc]

i am an accounting major and i have lost interest for it

and i also have a question for the ones with experience. how important is the gpa in the finance/accounting sector. My gpa is borderline terrible and I have little work experience in the sector. I fear i might never get a job

 

[chiqga]

Originally Posted by shatterkneesinc

i am an accounting major and i have lost interest for it

and i also have a question for the ones with experience. how important is the gpa in the finance/accounting sector. My gpa is borderline terrible and I have little work experience in the sector. I fear i might never get a job

In terms of getting a first job/internship in either finance or accounting at a big company, I'd say GPA is weighed in pretty heavily.

 

[ishmikeyaheard]

I graduated with a double major in Accounting/Finance in May 2010 and still jobless in the Dallas area. Its been pretty rough trying to land interviews. I would say my GPA is decent at 3.2, but I still can't manage to get any interviews. I plan on going back to get my masters in accounting and then sit for the CPA if I don't find a job soon.

 

[nicesteez]

Originally Posted by BdeaZy

Originally Posted by NiceSteez

I have a Bachelor's in Accounting.  It's a safe degree-there always seems to be a demand for Accountants.  Your best bet in regards to salary is to become a CPA.  It doesn't require a Masters in Accounting but you do have to do additional credits after your Bachelor's so a lot of people just go for the Masters.

I also highly recommend a Bachelor's in Accounting vs. one in Finance. The reason being if you have a Bachelor's in Accounting, you can Master in Accounting or Finance.  If you have the Finance degree you are not able to Master in Accounting.  I have a friend with a Bachelor's in Finance who is unable to find a job related to Finance or Accounting.  She is working a job that basically anyone out of high school can get.  She now has gone back to school to take some Accounting courses. Obviously that isn't the case for everyone, but it seems easier to find jobs when your B.S. is in Accounting.

What about UCSB's Economics/Accounting major?

I'm not sure what you are asking?

 

[nicesteez]

Fadeaway88 wrote:

---

Is it out of the ordinary to take a bachelors in finance and go back to school for a masters in accounting?

I'm pretty sure you can not do this. When I was in school they made it clear to us that in order to Master in Accounting your Bachelor's must be in Accounting.  But if you get a B.S. in Accounting you are free to Master in either Accounting, Finance and I think even Business.
  

 

[wcarson89]

Originally Posted by shatterkneesinc

i am an accounting major and i have lost interest for it

and i also have a question for the ones with experience. how important is the gpa in the finance/accounting sector. My gpa is borderline terrible and I have little work experience in the sector. I fear i might never get a job

Big-4 internships usually have a GPA cutoff around 3.5 or 3.6. That cutoff applies to your accounting classes though which may be better or worse than your overall. 

 

[kilojules64]

Originally Posted by North Dade Represent

Originally Posted by kilojules64

My cousin has a BACHELOR'S degree in finance from NYU Stern and is clearing 250 a year. I was in shock when he started bringing in that kind of money at 23 years old without even having an MBA

He must be an I-Banker or something closely related. No other field could bring that much dough in at his age. For every guy like him, there's 50 people working a Fortune 500 companies as analysts making 50K. But congrats to him.

On a tangent, why do you even know how much he makes? The only people who know how much I make are the people who pay my salary.

He was trying to convince me to transfer and major in finance instead of physics

Maybe it's one of those jobs that pays you a huge percentage in your first years and then it goes down? Idk all I know is that he works for some Australian bank.
Maybe I should take a class on the subject so I don't end up being an idiot with my money, I really am clueless

 

[thefuture2236]

I have a BA in Accounting from University of Charleston in Charleston, WV. Just recently moved back to Cleveland, Ohio 2 weeks ago and I have 2 interviews early next week. Im not sure if I want to stay in Accounting to be perfectly honest. Looking back I should have looked for more internships during my undergrad years. Insted I was working on my game and coaching local 16-17 under AAU teams in Cleveland, Oh and Charleston, WV. Playing collegiate basketball for 4 years (2 years at a local JUCO and 2 years at UCWV Division II) made me realize that I want to become a college basketball coach (men's or women's).

Im looking at getting a master's in Sport Administration and obtaining a GA position probably next fall. Anyone has ever obtained a Graduate Assistant Coaching Position here??

 

[crimsoncloudattire]

Thanks in advance to anyone who reads all of this and can offer a helpful word.  I know its pretty long-winded.
I've been really enjoying this thread so far...I have some very, very rudimentary questions though in regards to what career path I should take that some of you may be able to advise on (can't believe I'm asking NT...Lol)
Anyway, here goes.  Money intrigues me.  No, not earning it, although that is also welcome, but the management of it.  Wealth acquisition and management, security analysis (Stocks for the unintiated), economics.  As a working adult, I've come to realize that at the base of almost every decision is a weighing of monetary and temporal implications.  Time and money are inherently bonded to one another for better or worse.  As such, I have been really kicking around the idea of going back to school to get a business degree and a law degree.  Why law? Well, the law seems to be almost as pervasive as money is and equally deserving of study.  My ideal job: General Counsel for a company, work in wealth management, business lawyer for a company.

Where I stand now...I am currently a pharmacist.  From that alone, you can discern that the career change is not just about money for me, as I already command a low 6-figure salary.  In fact, I stand to lose a considerable amount of valuable wages simply by returning to school full-time.  But I know its not my calling, and time is of the essence.  I am 28, and I figure if I want to get on the track for another career that may require 4 to 5 more years of school, I had better start now (I don't want to be trying to break into a new role when I'm approaching 40). My question is...with the goals that I have, what would be the best career path for me to achieve any of them.

 

[neil likes poker]

I graduated in June from UCSD with degree in Economics and a n accounting minor. The big 4 did not recruit at UCSD due to the program being brand new, but I am having trouble finding an accounting job. Currently I am studying for the CPA test, but if anyone has connections in Socal let me know.

 

[e3lal]

Originally Posted by Bruce Waynee

Has anyone here been/known a financial advisor?  I got an offer to do this and was wondering how they enjoyed it because it seems very stressful, yet at the same time rewarding due to their being no ceiling on income eventually.  Of course I would have to get my license for the Series 7/66 and undergo training.  I am not an accounting or finance major by the way.

I interned for one.  I however would like to manage a single fund rather than having to deal with multiple clients who may all have different needs.

I'm in my second year at UT and majoring in Quantitative Finance.  We have a ton of finance major but there are less than 10 focusing on quantitative so I hope that helps me get a job.

 

[lazyj10]

Quants are interesting, I just can't fathom they continually making money over the long run...it's basically price arbitrage, over millions of transactions. All about getting data/news first and trading on it...Not my cup of tea (not saying what you're studying or the fund you'd want would be like that...).

 

[1nyceballa]

Accounting major finance minor checking in. I graduate in May and hope to have over a 3.0 gpa. (Its a 2.8 right now but I know I can pull it up). Tell you the truth I dont even know why I choose this field. Im good at numbers and math but I really think im gonna be kind of disappointed working as an accounting. I had one internship with NASA last summer but haven't had any since. Theres an accounting career fair at my school (ODU) next week though so hopefully I can find something there. Wish me luck.

 

[sundoobie]

^ Why be disappointed?  Every business in America requires an accountant.  The demand is there even in this job market.  
I am a CPA and work for a small public firm and I love it.  I am exposed to all different elements of Public Accounting from preparing Review/Audit/Compilation Financial Statements to preparing individual/estate/fiduciary/not for profit/corporate income tax returns to tax planning/forecasting, budgeting, payroll processing, and to being a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor.  The work environment here is chill, partners are easy going, no crazy hours required during tax season, and the clients I have are real cool.  I enjoy having that personal relationships with Owners and CFOs of small businesses.  Plus I have several friends that own their own businesses that hire me outside of my regular job to work on their books, prepare payroll and file their Corporate returns.  

Also another perk is during tax season, I am everyone's best friend!  All my family/friends take me out for dinner/drinks, give me gift cards, tickets to sporting events/concerts all because I prepare their tax returns.  It feels great putting a smile on their faces when I tell them how big their refunds are! 

So bottom line... Accounting is a great field and the career opportunities to be a recognized Professional are there for you to take. Just keep grinding ya all.