[joe143]

Hey everyone, I'm a senior majoring in accounting at CCSU and I'm wondering if anyone has insight on the market for entry level accountants in the Hartford area. I've heard good things about the Hartford market for established accountants and there are quite a few firms around here. I do have an internship lined up but its a small firm and no chance of being hired after. Any thoughts from those in the field would be appreciated. Thanks.

[mbee]

Not sure if you are interested in tax, but the tax field is hot right now. Check the big four firms, Grant Thornton, BDO, McGladrey, etc...

Not sure which of these have Hartford offices, but thats easy to find out.

[nep321]

I have a Master's degree in Accounting and have been in the tax profession for nearly 5 years now. I started my career with Deloitte in NYC, but when I moved back to CT I had no problem finding a good tax job in the Hartford area. I got laid off from that job, and had little problem finding my current tax job, even in this difficult economy. I'm constantly getting calls and e-mails from recruiters for tax jobs. There are plenty in the Hartford area, although there are much more in Stamford.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is nationally headquartered in Stamford, CT. All of the Big 4 firms (i.e. Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and E&Y) all have major office locations in Hartford and Stamford. So, CT is a top tier state for accountants to live and work in. MA only has offices in Boston and RI has none!

Tax is a great field to be in, because the learning goes on forever and it pays higher than most other accounting fields. There are always accounting and tax job openings in the Hartford area. Quite a few in the Springfield, MA area, too.

Also, your internship with a small firm absolutely will be valued in the future. Trust me, it's better than nothing. I've seen many people start off with an internship at a small firm and immediately move on to bigger and better things. Just be warned that public accounting is VERY demanding, and you will have to work up to 70 hours per week sometimes, and it can be very stressful. If work/life balance is important to you, you will eventually want to settle down for a corporate job (i.e. the tax/accounting dept of a corporation or something).

I know that BDO has an office in Glastonbury. McGladrey has one in New Haven.

[joe143]

Thank you for the replies. Connecticut indeed does seem to be a great place for accountants. It is a bit nerve racking with the way the economy is trying to find a job right out of college. I'm thinking the tax internship will help, along with a solid GPA. I suppose it is like anything else, you get what you put into it.

Tax is what interests me the most as of now, but I'm open to anything at this point. Auditing seems like it could be an exciting career as well.

[CTbrooktrout]

There's a lot of demand down my way in the Stamford area, that's if you can put up with the Stamford area (see the I-95 traffic threads).

[nep321]

Originally Posted by CTbrooktrout

There's a lot of demand down my way in the Stamford area, that's if you can put up with the Stamford area (see the I-95 traffic threads).

This is true. By far, the most accounting and tax jobs are in Stamford area. But Hartford area has a decent amount as well.

[islandtimect]

While you might be able to find an entry level position when you graduate, unfortunately many CT companies are downsizing or moving jobs out of state to save costs. The Hartford is eliminating a large percentage of finance jobs because they are having Accenture perform the work in India. UTC, ING and other large compaines frequently consolidate positions to save money. If you have the grades, I'd try to get into a big public accounting firm. I worked for KPMG for 4 1/2 years after graduation, and got exposed to several industries before picking one I wanted to settle into. Plus many large corporations hire folks with CPA experience over those without.

Good Luck!