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I have a liberal arts undergrad with a decent GPA (3.4) and was able to get into a top Masters of Accounting program. However, my Macc GPA is less than stellar (3.0-3.2ish). I was able to land a job at big 4 starting in the fall, but I'm concerned that I won't be able to break into a fortune 500 company after I leave. What are your thoughts? Is there a minimum GPA that these recruiters look for?

2-3 years after your first job, your GPA does not matter. It truly is all about your work experience from that point on. You should easily be able to get into the accounting group at a Fortune 500 company after 2-3 years. Although I must say, an accountant position at a Fortune 500 company looks good on paper, but isn't really as glamorous as you think.
What I would recommend, is for you to try and get on clients in industries you're interested in. So for example, if you like a fortune 500 company like Exxon, try and get on clients in the energy industry.
Bottomline, you have an offer to start at the big 4, now just focus on performance, industries, and getting additional responsibilities to get into the type of company you like. Take your gpa off your resume.
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Anonymous said…
Original poster here.....Thank you for answering my question! Great blog!
May 27, 2011 at 4:21 PM
itauditsecurity said…
I agree. I never had GPA ever come up in an interview, even early in my career. I found companies were always more interested in what I did inside my area of concentration and the extra-curricular activities I was in (and lead) and the jobs I had during my college years.
June 4, 2011 at 7:44 AM
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