How is the job market for Accountants in San Diego? (Fortuna: real estate, credit) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

YoungSanDiegoDude · 08-18-2009, 11:00 PM

If I decide to stay in the San Diego area (which is a possibility) next year to finish out my degree, which would be a bachelors in Business Administration (with emphasis in accounting), and if I decide to settle down and search for a job as an accountant in San Diego, would I have much luck or would I have to look further North (i.e. OC/LA)? Is there usually a high demand for accountants in SD? Any info. is greatly appreciated!

cruitr · 08-19-2009, 11:13 AM

There's always a need for accountants. But a fresh accounting grad with no experience in San Diego? LA is probably a better place to get started.

loveautumn · 08-19-2009, 12:46 PM

You should go thru your on campus recruiting process, office tours, on campus interviews, etc....major firms hire a year in advance.

YoungSanDiegoDude · 08-19-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruitr

There's always a need for accountants. But a fresh accounting grad with no experience in San Diego? LA is probably a better place to get started.

That's what I was thinking, but if I decided to try LA after a year of Junior College in SD, would the credits that I earned be any good up there (I would basically finishing up my community college time in LA)? If not, then I would rather stay here, because the last thing that I want to do is to have to take all of those courses over again because the community college that I' am attending in LA doesn't accept credits earned at San Diego City College, per se.

cruitr · 08-19-2009, 01:08 PM

College credit transfers can be a problem. Just finish your degree here (San Diego) and look for jobs all over Socal. LA has lots more big employers and probably a bigger need for new accounting grads.

sdurbanite · 08-19-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

If I decide to stay in the San Diego area (which is a possibility) next year to finish out my degree, which would be a bachelors in Business Administration (with emphasis in accounting), and if I decide to settle down and search for a job as an accountant in San Diego, would I have much luck or would I have to look further North (i.e. OC/LA)? Is there usually a high demand for accountants in SD? Any info. is greatly appreciated!

What the......?!? First, you love it here, then you don't, and then you talk smack about SD, but now you want us to help you if decide to stay? How many more bridges can you burn?

Nah...as a 20-something, I knew you'd realize only a few places can beat SD as a place to live.

Since you're here now, you should know by now that any job is hard to come by these days. Good luck on that

YoungSanDiegoDude · 08-19-2009, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdurbanite

What the......?!? First, you love it here, then you don't, and then you talk smack about SD, but now you want us to help you if decide to stay? How many more bridges can you burn?

Nah...as a 20-something, I knew you'd realize only a few places can beat SD as a place to live.

Since you're here now, you should know by now that any job is hard to come by these days. Good luck on that

Yeah, I know; I sounded a little fruity.

Honest to God though, I do like SD and always have. The only reason that I ever talked smack about this place is because I was letting the a** holes that live out here get to me. I realize that they exist in EVERY city. Lately, I have been working alot on dealing with those type of people (with the help of family and friends) and learning to ignore them, and so far, it's going well.

I apologize for the hating and conflicting posts. I can see why it was annoying. From now on, I' am not going to judge an entire city or area just because of a small group of people that like to make life miserable for others. I like it out here and even if I do move to LA, I eventually want to come back to SD.

sdurbanite · 08-19-2009, 04:02 PM

^^No apologies necessary! I was kidding myself.

We're all here to help each other out, right? It's not like your complaints were untrue or anything, just a little exaggerated is all.

That said, for your sake (and others who move here), I hope the economy gets better sooner than later. Fortunately, I haven't been affected, but know others who have.

sav858 · 08-19-2009, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungSanDiegoDude

The only reason that I ever talked smack about this place is because I was letting the a** holes that live out here get to me. I realize that they exist in EVERY city.

Yeah, I agree with SDurbanite. I didn't think you were saying completely untrue things, just exaggerating and focusing too much on the small % of people like that. If I let those types get to me then there is no way I could ever live in PB! You gotta just find the right group/scene to socialize with then life is much better imo.

NYSD1995 · 08-19-2009, 04:38 PM

There is always a demand for experienced accountants. However entry-level in any market can be tough since many corps won't hire new grads into staff accounting jobs which is generally where you want to end up.

Many accountants get their start at the public accounting firms (they used to be called the "Big Four") like Delloitte, KPMG, etc. Those firms recruit heavily at all local colleges. They do not have a local presence but place you all over the country. You might get lucky and find a corp in San Diego, although most likely you will have to travel, usually 4 days a week to places like Houston. The hours are insane (60+ hrs) and the stress is very high (many burn out). Pay is decent (~70k) and you usually get all your travel expenses paid which means you literally can live for free 4 days a week. After 1-2 years you will be much more attractive to a local corporation, and most leave the consultancies to work for their clients for higher pay and better treatment.

San Diego is even tougher than other markets because we have so few HQ's of publicly traded corps here. Those are the companies that have the high demand for accountants and have the staff and ability to train new grads. If you do decide not to go the public route you will be mostly looking at small business accounting which pays very poorly.

For better or worse, if you want a career as a business professional, your career in San Diego will be limited in a significant way, and you will have to be creative and tenacious to work around those limitations. LA, OC, draw a huge amount of talent out of this area as a result. We have a joke in my circle that we are the only people we know who aren't real estate developers or yoga instructors... and that we must be the stupid ones!