Would you suggest to go into accounting?

amother

Thu, May 18 2023, 5:44 pm

Would you suggest a post sem girl to get a degree in accounting?

If someone gets married young and has kids right away, and very possibly not be able to study for the cpa and or work crazy hours in a firm, is the degree still worth it or not really?

singleagain

Thu, May 18 2023, 5:52 pm

Don't have any real advice but just realize that tax day is usually right around pesach and if she becomes a tax accountant that's just something to keep in mind

amother

Zinnia

Thu, May 18 2023, 5:53 pm

You can do a lot with an accounting degree but if you want to work in public accounting the hours are part of the whole package. I would not recommend what I do to a frum mom. 50 hrs a week min in the off season. Tax season has really impacted my mental health and my ability to be there for my kids. If you want to do nursing homes or be a cfo somewhere thats a great option if u like accounting but the hours are offputting, but you may need experience in public before being able to get a job in one of those places. If you are ok with the early years of your marriage not being able to raise your kids or see your husband when it isnt shabbos (and I had to fight for shabbos to be able to not work saturdays I kid you not), then by all means go for accounting. And I get paid just enough to not qualify for medicaid or any programs but with my medical expenses we are on the brink of poverty. So yeah I wish I had skipped the degree and worked in a store or something.

RM3

Thu, May 18 2023, 6:36 pm

Doing tax for an accounting firm doesn’t pay that amazing and the hours and seasons don’t work great for Frum woman. BUT, the skills can be valuable to private companies(Controller, CFO etc.) across all industries which can pay well and be more accommodating to Frum woman.

amother

Mayflower

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:07 pm

amother OP wrote:

Is it possible to get a decent job by jsut getting an accounting degree and not going for a cpa or is not even worth getting the degree?

Does the young lady want to work as an accountant? If so - she should study accounting.

Will she get a job without a designation? Sure. Can she advance in her career and be a CFO - unlikely.

amother

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:18 pm

amother Mayflower wrote:

Does the young lady want to work as an accountant? If so - she should study accounting.

Will she get a job without a designation? Sure. Can she advance in her career and be a CFO - unlikely.

She will most probably end up in Lakewood. In Lakewood offices it seems that degrees are not always so necessary. Is it worth her time to get the accounting degree and stop after the bachelors or for the same price should she just look for an entry level job in an accounting department of the company.

amother

Mayflower

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

I'm not sure what you are asking. What do you mean "for the same price"?

editing - if she wants to work in A/P or A/R .. no she doesn't need an accounting degree.

amother

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:28 pm

amother Mayflower wrote:

I'm not sure what you are asking. What do you mean "for the same price"?

Take two smart motivated capable girls both who are looking to work in accounting and stay in frum offices. Girl a gets an entry level accounting job right out of seminary. Girl b spends two years getting a bachelors in accounting.

Are any more doors open to girl b because she has a degree or not really?

STovah

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

I think the accountant with a degree will advance further and faster than someone who started out entry level right out of seminary without a degree.

amother

Tuberose

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

Entry level salary is the same but there will be more opportunity later on if she has an accounting degree. Not everyone is looking for opportunity though... bookkeepers make decent money too.

Tova

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:46 pm

I am a CPA and work for a pubic accounting firm 32 hours/week but not in tax (well, not since 2012). It's been an amazing field for me as a frum woman and mother and enabled me to support my husband in kollel over 2 decades by now. No regrets and I highly recommend.

amother

Mayflower

Thu, May 18 2023, 7:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

2 years for a bachelors degree in accounting?

If this person wants no more than to work in a frum office doing "accounting" tasks - she doesn't need an accounting degree. I would hope (for the sake of the business) that she didn't advance to being a controller - for that you should have some formal training.

Looks like you don't expect her to be looking for lots of doors - rather a job in an accounting department in frum office in Lakewood.

amother

Jetblack

Thu, May 18 2023, 11:16 pm

I work in accounting-- I am not a CPA but do have my degree.
As of now, I work 30 hours a week for a frum company (I work remote from Israel).
My (entry-level) salary is enough to cover rent and groceries in Ramat Eshkol (!) while my husband is in Kollel.
If someone is interested in accounting, it is a field that I highly recommend.
I have flexibility to be there for my family, wonderful frum coworkers, and a nice salary with lots of room for growth down the line.
Eventually I would like to get my CPA because it will open up more opportunities, but right now it is not practical.
The decision whether or not to get a CPA does not have to be made immediately-- if someone gets their degree and starts working, a few years down the line they can decide to get their CPA, or they can decide that what they are doing is great already and the CPA is unnecessary.
Hope this was helpful!

amother

Lilac

Fri, May 19 2023, 12:26 am

Some of these responses are super negative. I work for a large nursing home management company and we employ many frum women. Hours are accommodating to frum ladies, pay is based on skill and experience and not based on whether you have a CPA license but you need that accounting degree to get them job. I highly recommend if she’s cut out for this type of work.