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Old 02-25-2015, 07:29 AM
 
59 posts, read 58,783 times
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Hi all, I'm still abroad USA, I have a question for who is working in the accounting and auditing.
departments,I have worked for 9 years in the middle east in accounying and auditing departments, I have a good knowledge in Microsoft Office, ERP system and Quick books, i have also finished 3 Parts successfully of CMA(Certified Management Accountant), have not finished the last part to get the Complete Designation, I have good knowledge of GAAP,
I'm asking about if i come to the USA, which state should i go for? can i have a work with these qualification? or i must study CMA again or CPA?
I'm confused and looking for help.
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Old 02-25-2015, 10:00 AM
 
3,403 posts, read 3,543,672 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sheri1983 View Post
Hi all, I'm still abroad USA, I have a question for who is working in the accounting and auditing.
departments,I have worked for 9 years in the middle east in accounying and auditing departments, I have a good knowledge in Microsoft Office, ERP system and Quick books, i have also finished 3 Parts successfully of CMA(Certified Management Accountant), have not finished the last part to get the Complete Designation, I have good knowledge of GAAP,
I'm asking about if i come to the USA, which state should i go for? can i have a work with these qualification? or i must study CMA again or CPA?
I'm confused and looking for help.
You should aim for the CPA, this certificate will make you much more preferred when it comes to interview, and it will be on your advantage. However, you might need to change your certificate base on which state you initially have your certificate. For example, if you have your certificate from New York, you might need to change it to California standard when you move to California. However, you can still seek for jobs in accounting field base on your experience, and they might ask you to do accounting problem solving on the spot, so just be prepare for this.
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Old 02-25-2015, 11:26 AM
 
1,054 posts, read 1,415,372 times
Reputation: 2442
Accounting is a really broad field in the USA. Accounting seems to cover everything from bookkeepers and corporate accounting clerks all the way up to CPAs. If you want to move up to higher paying accounting jobs in the USA, a CPA is the only designation that matters.

If you want to work in public accounting and want to advance beyond staff level, you will very likely need to get your CPA. Once you pass the exam and get licensed in one state, it's pretty easy to get licensed in another state as well; you will never need to take the CPA exam again once you pass it.

If you want to work in corporate accounting, you can probably advance further without the CPA, but you likely would have trouble moving up to department head and controller type positions without it.

If you're wanting to do similar work to what you've been doing, the CPA is the way to go. A CMA is not on the same level as a CPA; for most it's an additional professional designation in addition to the CPA that would allow an already licensed CPA to beef up the resume when trying to climb the corporate ladder in large companies. A CMA by itself would be pretty useless and most people have never even heard of it.
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Old 02-25-2015, 12:50 PM
 
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CPA is the way to go if you're trying to make a career out of accounting. Since you're 3/4 of the way through the CMA you may as well just finish that one first though.

You may have to take more classes to sit for the CPA. You didn't mention if you had a degree or not, but most states raised the required completed college hours to 150 to sit. An undergraduate degree usually only accumulates about 120, so a lot of people now immediately start working on their masters of accounting after graduating to get to 150.
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Old 02-25-2015, 12:56 PM
 
1,624 posts, read 4,852,607 times
Reputation: 1308
Quote:
Originally Posted by patches403 View Post
Accounting is a really broad field in the USA. Accounting seems to cover everything from bookkeepers and corporate accounting clerks all the way up to CPAs. If you want to move up to higher paying accounting jobs in the USA, a CPA is the only designation that matters.

If you want to work in public accounting and want to advance beyond staff level, you will very likely need to get your CPA. Once you pass the exam and get licensed in one state, it's pretty easy to get licensed in another state as well; you will never need to take the CPA exam again once you pass it.

If you want to work in corporate accounting, you can probably advance further without the CPA, but you likely would have trouble moving up to department head and controller type positions without it.

If you're wanting to do similar work to what you've been doing, the CPA is the way to go. A CMA is not on the same level as a CPA; for most it's an additional professional designation in addition to the CPA that would allow an already licensed CPA to beef up the resume when trying to climb the corporate ladder in large companies. A CMA by itself would be pretty useless and most people have never even heard of it.
To add further information, a CMA a designation created by and administered by a trade association of managerial accountants. This trade association is very small and very few people have the CMA designation. It doesn't qualify you to do anything, it just means that you were able to pass this test created by the trade association and a signal to potential employers that you have advanced skills in managerial accounting. Most employers don't really care and are more concerned about your experience as to your competence in managerial accounting.

As for a CPA, it qualifies you to sign an audit opinion and represent clients before the IRS. So to be able to do mid level public accounting work, a CPA is very valuable. You don't need it if you don't do high level audit and tax work for clients, but the test is very comprehensive and difficult to pass, so it is usually taken as a sign of competence (experience is more important though). Most accountants are not CPAs however, because they don't need it and it takes a ton of time and effort to pass it, and some never are able to pass it.

So in short, if you don't have any immigration issues or work permit issues, you can do probably 90% of the accounting jobs. You just have to convince them your skills and experience is transferrable to what they need you to do.

Another tip, all accountants know how to use MS Office (or can learn it quickly) and QuickBooks is a do it yourself general ledger program for small business owners and their non-professional accountant bookkeepers. No need to mention your skills in those, especially QuickBooks. You'll look like you do just low level work if you mention those programs. Also, experience in specific ERPs aren't as important as you'd think, as you never know what systems your prospective employers use, and all professional level accountants are expected to learn how to use any financial system with little training or supervision.
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Old 02-25-2015, 02:04 PM
 
59 posts, read 58,783 times
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Thanks for the further information, it really was useful, I prefer to work on corporate accounting rather than auditing or taxing, for the asking about my degree I have a university degree but didn't yet reassess it to the american standards so don't know how much credit i will get, to be exactly accurate in asking until i work on CPA as all advises I should have a work can i get this work on accounting based on my experience or i will work as general labor until i get the certificate, is there a way to work as intern until i prove my experience and knowledge of accounting and auditing standards, the states and cities i was thinking of: PA as i have family friends there, Miami Florida, Portland Oregon, Seattle WA, San Diego CA, Denver, which one is the best for accounting field?
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Old 02-25-2015, 02:07 PM
 
59 posts, read 58,783 times
Reputation: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by slim04 View Post
To add further information, a CMA a designation created by and administered by a trade association of managerial accountants. This trade association is very small and very few people have the CMA designation. It doesn't qualify you to do anything, it just means that you were able to pass this test created by the trade association and a signal to potential employers that you have advanced skills in managerial accounting. Most employers don't really care and are more concerned about your experience as to your competence in managerial accounting.

As for a CPA, it qualifies you to sign an audit opinion and represent clients before the IRS. So to be able to do mid level public accounting work, a CPA is very valuable. You don't need it if you don't do high level audit and tax work for clients, but the test is very comprehensive and difficult to pass, so it is usually taken as a sign of competence (experience is more important though). Most accountants are not CPAs however, because they don't need it and it takes a ton of time and effort to pass it, and some never are able to pass it.

So in short, if you don't have any immigration issues or work permit issues, you can do probably 90% of the accounting jobs. You just have to convince them your skills and experience is transferrable to what they need you to do.

Another tip, all accountants know how to use MS Office (or can learn it quickly) and QuickBooks is a do it yourself general ledger program for small business owners and their non-professional accountant bookkeepers. No need to mention your skills in those, especially QuickBooks. You'll look like you do just low level work if you mention those programs. Also, experience in specific ERPs aren't as important as you'd think, as you never know what systems your prospective employers use, and all professional level accountants are expected to learn how to use any financial system with little training or supervision.
Really appreciate your advice and tips, thanks
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Old 02-25-2015, 04:12 PM
 
1,054 posts, read 1,415,372 times
Reputation: 2442
Quote:
Originally Posted by sheri1983 View Post
Thanks for the further information, it really was useful, I prefer to work on corporate accounting rather than auditing or taxing, for the asking about my degree I have a university degree but didn't yet reassess it to the american standards so don't know how much credit i will get, to be exactly accurate in asking until i work on CPA as all advises I should have a work can i get this work on accounting based on my experience or i will work as general labor until i get the certificate, is there a way to work as intern until i prove my experience and knowledge of accounting and auditing standards, the states and cities i was thinking of: PA as i have family friends there, Miami Florida, Portland Oregon, Seattle WA, San Diego CA, Denver, which one is the best for accounting field?
Probably not Portland, Oregon for corporate or public accounting. Too small of a market; not very many medium to big corporations have offices here and public accounting firms have fewer employees than are located in other large cities.

Depends on if you have to go to a city where you have family friends or if you want the best cities to have an accounting career. Of the cities you listed, look at Seattle or maybe Miami. I don't know much about Miami but Seattle's economy is doing well right now. The other cities you listed are smaller and won't have as many opportunities. The best cities to have an accounting career that I know of would be San Francisco/San Jose, LA, NY, Dallas, maybe Seattle and I'm sure a few more that I don't know of. Basically, the more corporations that have their company headquarters in a city, the better the job opportunities for accountants, both public and corporate, and the better the pay.
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