Hello all, I am currently a student finishing up a dual bachelor's and master's degree in accounting at a large and well regarded public university. Like most of the kids in my program, I decided to pursue big 4 audit following graduation. I accepted an offer in NYC (non financial services clients) and will have the CPA and CMA passed before I start full time. My long term goal is to become a CFO (or otherwise senior executive like VP or general manager) some day. I chose big 4 auditing because I feel it is a good way to build my resume and gain credibility in the business world while becoming certified and networking. It doesn't seem wise to me to grow in the audit silo for too long and I'm pretty sure pursuing partner, while potentially lucrative, is not what I really want. Ideally I'll leave the firm when an exciting opportunity presents itself after 3 to 6 years. I am aware of the many experiences that are generally lead to a qualified CFO (controller, FP&A, investor relations, etc) but I'm lost on how to best get those varied experiences while also climbing the ladder and leading people. How would you attack it? Should I use accounting and controllership to get reasonably senior and then branch out or should I pursue something like fp&a right after auditing. Also, is it recommend to get the manager title in public? Thoughts on a part time or online MBA along the way? Any advice on how to give myself the best chance at a CFO or similar role at a fairly big company would be much appreciated!
