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Public Acct vs Industry

Last post 04-23-2008, 11:02 AM by JLundy. 1 replies.
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  •  04-04-2008, 11:39 AM 175

    Public Acct vs Industry

    I am currently working in a regional accounting firm, but I plan to move to the business & industry side of things over the next few years and ultimately want to be the CFO at a company. I was wondering if anyone could give me a little advice as to what types of skills I should look to attain, or projects I should seek out, while I'm working for an accounting firm that will make me more marketable when I choose to pursue a career outside of public accounting.  Thanks!

  •  04-23-2008, 11:02 AM 177 in reply to 175

    Re: Public Acct vs Industry

    I made the move to industry almost a year and a half ago.  The primary skill my new employer was looking for was leadership and management skills.  As an auditor, your clients get to see you supervise and motivate your team and get a strong sense of how you function with their existing staff.  Demonstrating your ability to lead is important when you make the move to industry and have a staff that does not rotate off after a few weeks! 

    I also have to say that it is still very important to be technically competent, but in industry there is high value placed on breadth of experience.  You will need to be able to draw on financial reporting knowledge, tax knowledge, and even sometimes general legal knowledge to contribute to the decision making process.   

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