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Originally Posted by squiggs96

If memory serves me right, I don't think you're a CA.I think you even said you'd pick a newly designated CMA over a newly designated CA.

My personal opinion doesn't really matter to the OP. What matters is what industry as a broader group thinks and they think that the CA is a premium, so if the guy wants the most opportunities, he should do the CA route. Whether that's justified or not.

And no, I'm not a CA (or an accountant) but I am a finance person that works with them for much of my day. So I'm pretty familiar.

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Yes, most CA students work a lot of hours in their first few years, but so do many other professions. It's because you are learning and training as well as working. You also don't work for nothing. It's not a huge salary, but at some firms you can bank your overtime to be used in the summer when you are studying and they pay for all of your CASB courses and exams on the first go round.

For the first while it was actually way less work than I was used to. In undergrad I spent about 30 hours per week at campus, 40 hours studying and another 40 bartending. When I started articling I had to work about 50 hours a week and maybe up to 60 in busy season. This was so much more relaxing than the 110 hours I put into work and school.

Don't disagree with any of this.

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Like most fields of work, they don't hire you to be the president and give you a six figure salary right out of university. You definitely don't give up these years for free. You get paid a salary, get training and get to take with you a CV and knowledge to your next job or your next position within the firm. Just because they are intangible, doesn't mean they are not valuable.

Salaries in CA firms are less than industry for entry level grunts. See here: http://haskayne.ucalgary.ca/files/ha...y%20Report.pdf

Articling students make about 20% less than other accounting types. And they work more.

I'm not saying this guy shouldn't become a CA because of this though... he just needs to be aware of what he's doing.

Originally Posted by squiggs96

The CA profession is hard, but if it was easy everyone would do it and/or it wouldn't be as highly regarded. You get compensated for your output.

And that's exactly what I was trying to say. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your defensive tone or whatever here, but I was being supportive of the CA program. Note what I said at the end... no credential is more respected than the CA. It's going to be a ton of work but you'll get a good credential out of it.

People just need to be aware of the inputs and outputs. There are a ton of ways to have success (and success isn't all about the dollars either) in accounting/finance other than the CA route. But it's a very good route if you're ok with the time, effort and sacrifices (financially and otherwise) that you'll have to make.

That was my point. I know when I was in B-school and attending recruiting events for the Big4, they make it sound so much better than it really is in terms of work environment, at least from my perspective. I had Big4 offers upon grad and I decided to go the corporate route. That was a REALLY good choice for me. But it's not a good choice for others. Of my class that I knew, about half of the CA route guys are doing "well" and about half the non-CA route guys are doing "well." No real difference.

With the CA-route guys, what I find is those that really wanted to be accountants and like the profession do exceptionally well. Those that became CAs to earn top dollar or to have "prestige" have generally been stuck in lower level positions. I wouldn't suggest anyone do anything because the job pays well or it comes with opportunities, if you don't want to be a professional accountant forever, you probably shouldn't be looking at the CA program. It's an elite profession and you need to be all in, fully invested.

Just know the strengths of the program, what you're getting into and the sacrifices you'll need to make before you undertake ANY program. That's my point. If you love accounting and it's the career for you, you probably won't regret the CA program.