You are on the road to your CPA designation, congratulations! Now you find yourself at that crucial time when you need to make choices about how you will acquire the experience to complete your Professional Experience Reporting Tool (PERT).

It’s important to educate yourself on the options available. Public practice is often seen as the fastest way for aspiring CPAs to obtain their letters, as students are exposed to a variety of industries and accounting work. However, choosing to do your practical experience component in industry or the nonprofit sector can also be viable options.

The question to ask yourself is, “What do I want out of my CPA career and my life?”

It is important to reflect on your personal life goals when making career choices. The choices you make at this stage of your career will have a major impact on your lifestyle and long-term career goals.

Life in public practice

Large public practice firms, by their nature, can often be compartmentalized. Students looking for diversity of work and more opportunities should make sure to ask questions about exactly what kind of work they will be exposed to. For example, students placed in departments specializing in assurance or tax may not have the chance to move between departments.

Small to mid-sized public practice firms, on the other hand, usually provide accounting students with a more generalized experience. Typically, these kinds of firms do not have the volume of specialized work that a large firm does. As a result, students often get the opportunity to work on a variety of things, such as Notice to Readers, bookkeeping, payroll, tax and advisory services.

Bottom line? If you decide to go the public practice route, make sure that the work you are doing is relevant to your overall career and lifestyle plans. Ask yourself the questions that count!

Life in industry and nonprofits

The industry and nonprofit sector are often full of unexplored opportunities for completing the PERT. If you are considering work in those sectors, inquire with potential employers about how they can help you fulfill your PERT requirements.

When exploring your options for practical experience, make sure you perform your due diligence. Seek out the experience that will open doors, provide you with multiple opportunities AND give you the life you want. For more insights on this topic, read our blog post that covers the 8 questions to ask yourself regarding your CPA experience.

Loren Nancke is a tax and accounting firm with deep roots—over 30 years in Western Canada—and an innovative approach to serving individuals and small businesses in BC and Alberta. If you're interested in a career with our CPA firm, we invite you to explore our current career opportunities.