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Depends what you want/expect. A top tier MBA (Kellogg, Booth, Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, etc) will open a far wider range of doors; and frankly a CFA without relevant experience won't likely do you that much good. An MBA is a bit unique in that it gives (rightly or not) credibility to do just about anything; there's no other degree or certification I know of that can enable a pastry chef to become an investment banker (for instance).
Sorry if this isn't the most optimal venue for this type of question, but I figured most people here are knowledgable enough to help me out. Is a graduate degree pretty much a prerequisite for most federal jobs? Are there entry-level positions where a bachelors degree is sufficient? If so, is it possible to start a job and move up to the same level that a masters degree would earn in the same time it would take to get the degree?
No, a MBA is not a requirement... but this was my experience:
Two guys, one with an MBA, one without.
MBA: Paid ~ $11,000 more 1st year because of MBA. School loans $3600.
2nd year, MBA paid $11,000 more plus a bonus due to "special projects" after management learns member has an MBA.
Halfway through 2nd year, MBA gets a promotion, now making ~$21,522 more than the other person for half the year... until non-MBA gets the step increase, so now ~$19,000 more.
I could be wrong or out of place, but I think the higher you start up, the easier it is to move up. You match that with experience, and you can't be stopped. But you may have to switch Fed jobs. In the Fed sector, no one cares about that... if you ever want to move to private, they might look at all the jumping as bad.
But it all depends... you could go to school and join fed later or join fed now and go to school now. And no, fed does not always play for your classes. I've worked at two and they don't pay full, but will pay for some portion (currently location, they pay $2000 per year for school -- other place: time off, no/limited money).
Also depends on your job... IT may want to grab their certs first. Not mandatory, but it helps.
Does an MBA help you get a job? In my second fed job, my hiring boss did not know I had an MBA... or other educational degrees/certs I've collected over the years.
It was enough for her that I came in prepared for the interview (I brought in three copies of my resume, read the agency website, knew the people in my future job, knew who she was, and understood the position, even if I did not have experience in all areas... I was willing to learn and knew I could do it).
Some of my cousins are GS-14s and up and don't have a degree the first... it really all depends!!!!
Depends on the person, their field, who they meet, situations, etc. For me it worked out.
People who had Master's degrees use to intimidate me.
Than I went and got one...and it didn't even take a year. It was so easy, I went and got a second master's degree. The second one took me two years part-time.
Master's degrees are so much easier than getting a B.A./B.S. They basically give almost everyone A's with the occasional 'B+'. People are more motivated though, and most people bring tons of prior knowledge into the classroom.
But, in short, if someone doesn't have a MA, try to get into a program right away. It doesn't take much to complete a program.
Bachelors degrees have so little meaning anymore, they just assume everyone has one. When I only had a BA/BS, I was basically only getting jobs that plenty of people without any degree could also get. It was only when I got my first MA, that I felt actually qualified for jobs that not just anyone else with a pulse could do.
i'll most likely never get a masters because I won't need one. Passing the CPA is all I need
A day in the life:
"Well, its a liability."
"No its a contra asset account"
"Why?"
"Those are the rules"
"But that doesnt make sense, do you depreciate it like you did the other items?"
"No, we treat is same as cash"
"But its not cash"
"No"
"So why not depreciate it?"
"Oh, FASB #c.19182.xd88asd8123.9asd98 paragraph 29 says that contra-asset entries originally booked in Canada during a full moon should be treated as balance sheet offsetting goodwill pseudo-senior mezzanine debt tranche B entries unless fully depreciated by 2010."
"That makes no sense"
"ITS ACCOUNTING!"
"Well, its a liability."
"No its a contra asset account"
"Why?"
"Those are the rules"
"But that doesnt make sense, do you depreciate it like you did the other items?"
"No, we treat is same as cash"
"But its not cash"
"No"
"So why not depreciate it?"
"Oh, FASB #c.19182.xd88asd8123.9asd98 paragraph 29 says that contra-asset entries originally booked in Canada during a full moon should be treated as balance sheet offsetting goodwill pseudo-senior mezzanine debt tranche B entries unless fully depreciated by 2010."
"That makes no sense"
"ITS ACCOUNTING!"
Lol I'm gonna hate taking accounting classes next semester.
Lol I'm gonna hate taking accounting classes next semester.
Run. Run far away. It's the most baffling thing on earth. I vaguely remember once being taught how to calculate cash flows from a series of transactions, and I couldn't understand a damn thing. Then I came up with some rule, and I explained it to a friend who said "what, how does that even work??" and my reply was "I have no idea why it works; but it does. Just add everything labelled X and subtract everything labelled Y, it always turns out right somehow"
And that sums up accounting pretty well. The answer to why is always "I dont know, it just is." I dont work in accounting but I see enough of it to make me want to kill myself periodically.
hey accounting pays well and there is always a demand for CPAs. it may be boring, but it provides well
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