Hi every Terbite, I read the whole thread on MBA (very informative) and decide to start another one. Basically I am a (sort of) IT guy but I feel I am not going anywhere in my IT career. I don't feel I can do IT when I am 50+, and of all those employment problems in IT right now. I did have some Accounting training, am taking some courses now, wonder if it's worth to take the CGA. I asked a few people and I believe the hard part is to find a boss that will prove your accounting experience. Any ideas?
ISO - Opinions on CGA
- Thread starter 365724
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I have worked for, with and supervised personnel from all three designations as well as non-designated personnel. To be honest I have had individuals from any group (including non-designated employees) that are exceptional accountants. As a matter of fact I have had several non-designated accounting personnel excel in being directors and vice-presidents due to their ability to think outside of the box and excel in strategic planning and decision making.
The key to any position is attitude. It is easy to teach someone how to do something or learn a new system, but it is difficult to train someone on attitude, teamwork and the ability to look at the big picture.
And yes I realize that when applying for a position that having a designation is important in regards to "Getting Your Foot In The Door", however a smart HR or Financial Manager will be able to read a resume and determine if that person is the right "Fit" for their organization (and if people screen applicants based on whether they have a designation or not, then they are missing out on a select pool of candidates and are ultimately, performing a disservice for the organization they work for).
The key to any position is attitude. It is easy to teach someone how to do something or learn a new system, but it is difficult to train someone on attitude, teamwork and the ability to look at the big picture.
And yes I realize that when applying for a position that having a designation is important in regards to "Getting Your Foot In The Door", however a smart HR or Financial Manager will be able to read a resume and determine if that person is the right "Fit" for their organization (and if people screen applicants based on whether they have a designation or not, then they are missing out on a select pool of candidates and are ultimately, performing a disservice for the organization they work for).
Yes, the CA and CMA are merging.C Dick said:
You C Dick obvious know very little. In Ontario, it is a CA world and CGA's have to take a secondary role. Over the past couple of decades they have been able to take away certain powers that the CA possessed, especially auditing, which as any accountant knows is the bread and better of any firm.
The ASB is mainly chaired by CAs who dictate what goes on, funny thing is that most of the rules in the handbook are copies of the AICPA rules and proposals.
In my experience it is the person not the designation that makes the difference. I have known many CAs that are downright stupid, but also many that are sharp witted, same goes for CGAs and CMAs.
VBB
I was under the impression that the merger wasnt going to happen. I believe here in quebec it already fell through.
The reason for the merger is that the CMA is dying due to lack of respect and "popularity". CA is also dying because its having difficulty in attracting new students and most CAs are getting up there in age.
CAs are against the merger because they feel it will water down their designation and that essentially CMAs are beneath them.
The reason for the merger is that the CMA is dying due to lack of respect and "popularity". CA is also dying because its having difficulty in attracting new students and most CAs are getting up there in age.
CAs are against the merger because they feel it will water down their designation and that essentially CMAs are beneath them.
Seasoned managers rely on their people reading skills when interviewing applicants in determining attitude or if they will fit into the working environment. As for how much tax they can save their prospective employer is a pretty fucking stupid statement to make because that is what you expect them to do (unless you hire people who are incompetent so it either makes you look good or hides your lack of leadership and/or skills).365724 said:
Senior HR people take care of senior hiring issues, where the time spent on recruitment is a more important investment in the needs of the business. HR assistants or recruitment officers take care of entry level to middle management positions where the pool of candidates is much larger. However even a junior HR person should be able to scan resumes and determine the qualities of applicants. If they cannot develop that skill then they won't last long in the HR field.
It isn't the designation, it's the person. I have worked with all flavours of accountants, and can assure you that mediocrity exists in all three groups.
You should probably check the education requirements for the CGA program. You don't have to have a degree, but you are going to have to take college level courses to get through the program.
Seems to me your biggest issue is getting the experience requirement completed - probably tough to do in an IT environment.
You should probably check the education requirements for the CGA program. You don't have to have a degree, but you are going to have to take college level courses to get through the program.
Seems to me your biggest issue is getting the experience requirement completed - probably tough to do in an IT environment.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Afterall free speech is what makes this board and country great.C Dick said:
Well actually given everyone elses comments on the board you do seem to have the largest difference of opinion. You have excluded someone based on designation alone. These are your words ...
I would like to show this to a HR representative and a lawyer for their comments, they would have a field day.C Dick said:
Funny thing is, that is exactly what the CICA did for decades and up until recently, maybe a decade, that discrimination has been a detriment to its growth.
VBB
BADBOY, yes, when I see a CGA on a resume I count that as a negative, compared to a CA or a CMA, which I would count as a positive. What is a lawyer going to have to say about that? That it is illegal to discriminate against someone on the basic of their designation? If you post a job on monster.com or something like that, you get literally thousands of resumes from around the world, most of them are wholly unqualified for the job. Part of the challenge is to efficiently weed through the volume and find the best ones to speak to. I, like everyone else, does that by applying my experiences with hiring, by looking for things on the resumes that corelate with good or bad hires I have made in the past. In my case, I have not been impressed with the CGAs that I have dealt with in the past, so I hold that against resumes with CGAs. Someone else might have had good experiences with CGAs, and therefore rate those applicants higher. There is nothing wrong with that, let alone illegal. You and I place different values on the CGA designation, but that does not make me wrong, I just have a different opinion than you. Maybe you and everyone else in the thread loves CGAs and wants to hire them, that does not mean I have to.
Mr. C. Dick,C Dick said:
I find this comment funny, in that i have a "non-cga" designation and I have worked with all three designations. From my experience and probably the experience of every other financial professional, there are equally the same number of good, bad and ugly accountants out there that have a CA, CMA or a CGA designation. Personally, I find it hard to believe (if you have been in the financial field for any extended period of time) that the only "bad accountants" that you have encountered are CGA's. Furthermore, you are not only stating a opinion, which you are entitled to, however, you are attacking people. You are obviously implying that CGA's are "not smart enough", which i can see why some people are taking offense to your statements.
Regards,
N
The degree requirement for the CGA progam is an exit, not entry requirement. Eventually, you will have to obtain a university degree, which can be in any discipline (i.e. sociology)365724 said:
As far as which designation is best, they can all be regarded highly by employers, but generally, the CA designation is considered the higher caliber. The CMA is not that big a deal. In fact, go have a browse through the CA website; they have a poll where they have the CGA listed higher than the CMA in terms of employer recognition.
Seems to me that it not important at all what designation applies. The rules that they are all forced to follow are set by Rev Can. I know it is the old name but it is 2:30 am and I don't remember the new name. It seems to me that as long as the CGA, CA or CMA keeps up to date with the current rules and regs. and applies them to my concerns then he/she is doing thier job.
Dave
Dave
My 2 cents as a CGA Student
Regardless of which accounting designation you going to pursue, you will have three skills when you're done: assembling the finanical statements from scratch and understand the big picture; idea of taxation (who gets maximum financial raping by civil servants in Ottawa,T4, and who gets least raped by them,T2); finally, methods in determining the value of a business (a commerical real estate broker will be familar with them). These are important skills for a business owner aside from sales and managing cash flow. Then again, if you decide to spend the rest of you life as an employee, you can always teach accounting and taxation while you metally drool over the young hot babes in your class.
Only customers can provide job security. Lose one customer and you still have other customers to financial support you. Job security from a boss is risky. Once you get fire or quit your income drops significantly unless you are balance sheet affluent, but that's another subject matter.
All in all, you will be financially literate at the end of the program and it will be up to you as to what action you want to take.
Just out of curiousity. How many of you gentlemen would rank financial literacy in a woman as must in a marriage?
Mike.
I took statistics and taxation one in university. I failed statistics and passed taxation in university. Comparing these courses to the ones offered by the CGA association, I find that the these courses taught by the CGA assocation were better. The assocation provides audio and movies of lessons over the internet. You receive lesson notes and view pass exam questions for certain courses. My university tax professor had a CA designation. She did math calculations in her head and memorized lines from the Tax Act. However, her communication skills was terrible: no people skills. At the end of the day, communication with people is what important.365724 said:
Regardless of which accounting designation you going to pursue, you will have three skills when you're done: assembling the finanical statements from scratch and understand the big picture; idea of taxation (who gets maximum financial raping by civil servants in Ottawa,T4, and who gets least raped by them,T2); finally, methods in determining the value of a business (a commerical real estate broker will be familar with them). These are important skills for a business owner aside from sales and managing cash flow. Then again, if you decide to spend the rest of you life as an employee, you can always teach accounting and taxation while you metally drool over the young hot babes in your class.
Only customers can provide job security. Lose one customer and you still have other customers to financial support you. Job security from a boss is risky. Once you get fire or quit your income drops significantly unless you are balance sheet affluent, but that's another subject matter.
All in all, you will be financially literate at the end of the program and it will be up to you as to what action you want to take.
Just out of curiousity. How many of you gentlemen would rank financial literacy in a woman as must in a marriage?
Mike.
Getting these accounting designation is one thing and keeping update and current in taxation and accounting issues is another thing. There are constant changes in tax laws regulations. I believe IT is more demanding, Novell is networking about 10 years ago.
So 365724 with your background in IT why not move to project management, or IT auditor. You can build your new career on your past experience.
So 365724 with your background in IT why not move to project management, or IT auditor. You can build your new career on your past experience.
I am sorry if I offended anyone, CGA or otherwise, with my comments. My experience has been that the CGAs I have dealt with were not as capable as the CMAs and CAs that I have dealt with. That is not a universal truth, just my experience. If was going to hire someone, and then found out that they were a CGA, I certainly would not throw them out for that.
