The demand is good, but the new folks need to be able to efficiently bill their time with minimal write offs (you know the drill).
My path suggestion is first Big 4 or close (BDO, Grant). What I want to see is a broader scope as opposed to specialized. So, I always suggest an audit background, a small business background and a tax background within the first five years of employment. The bigger firms want you to specialize, you'll get more flexibility in the regional firms.
A 28 year old CPA that can speak audit, tax and financial planning is gold. In my opinion.
