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public vs private

Do you guys recommend being a public or a private accountant? Why? #college

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Andrew’s Answer

Hi Alyssa,


This is a good question and a decision many individuals with careers in accounting have to face directly out of college or at some point in their career. I have had experience working in both public and private accounting even though I have spent the last 3.5 years in public accounting. There is no right or wrong answer to public vs. private, it really comes down to what you want personally and what fits your career path. Some of the differences in the two that I have experienced are below:


Characteristics of Public Accounting:

  • Professional growth; challenging and complex work
  • Flexibility and autonomy
  • Defined career path in terms of both levels and timing
  • Diversity of industries, clients, assignments and special projects
  • Increased travel and hours

Characteristics of Private Accounting:

  • Structure and a cadence to life and work
  • Regular, repeated cycles (monthly, quarterly and year-end)
  • Opportunity to dig in and learn a company, an industry and a marketplace
  • Specialize in a few areas specific to your skillset
  • Fewer hours and less travel
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Archie’s Answer

I started my career with PwC, one of the big four public accounting firms. Personally, I really enjoy my experience with PwC and learn a lot from those I work with. In public accounting, I got to work for big clients from a wide range of industries and everyone I met in the firm is very professional and passionate about what they do. Also, PwC provides a lot of training to extend your skill set and prepare you to be ready for some tough and specialized accounting tasks.

Archie recommends the following next steps:

I'd recommend you experience both public and private accounting through internships when you are still at school so you can try a bit of everything and find what you like.
Actively attend networking events and talk to professionals in the industry to find out what they do. There are a lot of roles in both public and private accounting. Try to find the areas that interest you most.
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Melissa’s Answer

There are definitely benefits to working in both public and private accounting. I personally have worked in public accounting for 2 years with PwC. I enjoy the opportunities to work with different clients, and within different industries (healthcare, manufacturing, non for profits, etc) as each client presents a different learning opportunity. I enjoy working in public accounting where there are many opportunities for growth and development.

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