What Steps Need to Be Taken to Become a Successful Accountant in Pennsylvania?
With New York just 200 miles east of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia in the south-eastern part of the state, studying and obtaining an accountant degree wouldn’t be a bad idea with the many job opportunities available.
Many big accountancy firms reside within and around the state of Pennsylvania, and they’re always looking for top talent to take their business to the next level. But, what steps need to be taken to secure a life-changing career?
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Get the Right Education
You can’t go on to be a successful accountant without the right education sitting in your back pocket, so you’ll need to be determined to obtain your online masters of accounting. There are many programs and universities that can be taken advantage of to earn an online accounting masters degree, but make sure it’s fully licensed by the state to ensure you get the professional learning experience that’s needed.
Take the Uniform CPA Test
Once you’ve obtained your degree, it’s time to sit the Uniform CPA test to put your accounting knowledge to effective use. There are many test centers around each state and they all follow the same rules and regulations. You’ll need to pass the bar to go on and land some mandatory work experience.
One Year’s Working Experience
It’s time to get one year’s (1,600 hours) working experience, which is required by the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy. You can opt for any employment if the employment can be verified and it’s related to the accountancy industry in some way. Work experience needs to be completed within five years after you’ve completed the CPA test.
Submit Your CPA Application
Once you’ve completed the above steps and you’re ready to become a certified accountant, you’ll need to download the Certified Public Accountant Application. Once the application is filled out and you’re certain you have achieved the above steps, the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy will do the rest of the work and confirm you as a fully certified CPA.
Stay Certified
Becoming a certified accountant doesn’t just end there, though, because you’ll need to continue to show good accountancy service for the rest of your career. It’s a requirement for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours to be conducted every two years. This involves 80 hours of CPE that covers several topics in accountancy.
