[ajurew1]

I was told by a recruiter that passing the CPA exam won’t help me find a job, and employers will not take it into consideration since I don’t have the kind of experience they are looking for.

I have been working as a lease/recovery accountant since I graduated college. I read tenant leases and bill the tenants based on the terms of their leases. I have been unable to get interviews for Staff Accounting type jobs. Do I have any way out of this position and into something that offers more career growth?

BEC - 84 (4/13/2013)
REG - 82 (10/17/2013)
AUD - 85 (12/5/2013)
FAR - 75 (10/11/2014)

[fsugirl2005]

@ Jasper

Funny you mention SAP. The company that interviewed me today uses SAP but they are willing to train me on it. I have zero experience with it. You're probably better off just finding a job on your own although it may take a while. Also, make sure you list on your resume or cover sheet that you pick up new software quickly.

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[ken2013]

@ jasper

HILARIOUS!! “overqualified walmart cashier”

[ken2013]

@ jasper

HILARIOUS!! “overqualified walmart cashier”

[Kimboroni]

BTW, when I mentioned being overqualified for staff accounting positions, I was thinking of ones at a CPA firm, not private, since staff accountants in public are often hired right out of college with no experience except maybe an internship. I don't know anything about private.

I don't know if you are considering public, but maybe there is a firm that needs a lease specialist for an audit of a client with a large amount of leases, just as an example. Once you have a good amount of experience in audit, that is a good time to go see about controller positions and the like, if you're interested in that kind of role. My audit professor feels that auditing gives you a really good knowledge base about business to then take that to the private sector. He really sold that as a good route.

There are a variety of opinions here on what kind of people public firms are looking for– I thought that was really interesting. I think it depends a lot on the firm and its size, though. I work at a mid-size regional CPA firm, and we have plenty of movers and shakers, but we also have plenty of worker bees. There is room for both. Other firms could easily be different.

Back to the original question, I asked my dad (who is a CPA and also has like 40+ years of business executive experience) if passing the CPA exam matters as far as being hired, and he said “of course it matters. It's just a matter of how much.”

Since you're near Chicago, I would think that you have plenty of options and it's just a matter of finding the right company who is looking for someone like you. It just may take some time. In the meantime, you have a job and only one more exam to pass!

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Kimboroni]

BTW, when I mentioned being overqualified for staff accounting positions, I was thinking of ones at a CPA firm, not private, since staff accountants in public are often hired right out of college with no experience except maybe an internship. I don't know anything about private.

I don't know if you are considering public, but maybe there is a firm that needs a lease specialist for an audit of a client with a large amount of leases, just as an example. Once you have a good amount of experience in audit, that is a good time to go see about controller positions and the like, if you're interested in that kind of role. My audit professor feels that auditing gives you a really good knowledge base about business to then take that to the private sector. He really sold that as a good route.

There are a variety of opinions here on what kind of people public firms are looking for– I thought that was really interesting. I think it depends a lot on the firm and its size, though. I work at a mid-size regional CPA firm, and we have plenty of movers and shakers, but we also have plenty of worker bees. There is room for both. Other firms could easily be different.

Back to the original question, I asked my dad (who is a CPA and also has like 40+ years of business executive experience) if passing the CPA exam matters as far as being hired, and he said “of course it matters. It's just a matter of how much.”

Since you're near Chicago, I would think that you have plenty of options and it's just a matter of finding the right company who is looking for someone like you. It just may take some time. In the meantime, you have a job and only one more exam to pass!

AUD 84 (1/9/14-Wiley books/TB + free materials)
FAR 83 (5/21/14-the above + NINJA 10 Pt Combo Lite)
REG 84 (7/9/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC/Notes)
BEC 76 (10/5/14-Wiley books/TB + NINJA Audio/FC)

Disclaimer: My ninja avatar is not meant to imply that I have any affiliation with this site other than being a forum member. That's a pic of a T-shirt that my daughter gave me for my birthday. 🙂

[Jasper]

@ fsugirl2005, yeah, I probably need to steer clear of some of the large Recruiters, like Half.

Good luck with that job. I am amazed that there is a co willing to train you on SAP. The Recruiter at Half acted like learning SAP was like learning quantum physics, and if you didn't know it, no company was willing to train you on it.

All I want after passing all four parts of CPA exam is employment as a Staff Accountant. I do not need a job as Senior Accountant or a Controller position right out of the gate. Heck, I even would settle as a Junior Accountant if there was a good amount of upper mobility within the company.

FAR 82
BEC 82
AUD 93
REG 87

[Jasper]

@ fsugirl2005, yeah, I probably need to steer clear of some of the large Recruiters, like Half.

Good luck with that job. I am amazed that there is a co willing to train you on SAP. The Recruiter at Half acted like learning SAP was like learning quantum physics, and if you didn't know it, no company was willing to train you on it.

All I want after passing all four parts of CPA exam is employment as a Staff Accountant. I do not need a job as Senior Accountant or a Controller position right out of the gate. Heck, I even would settle as a Junior Accountant if there was a good amount of upper mobility within the company.

FAR 82
BEC 82
AUD 93
REG 87

[fsugirl2005]

@ Jasper

You probably wouldn't be hired for Senior Accountant or Controller straight out the gate because you need to know full cycle accounting. In my interview today, they asked me 10,000 times about journal entries/accruals and month-end close.

You would probably spend a short time as a Staff Accountant long enough to learn the ropes and then it's smooth sailing up the ladder from there. =)

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[fsugirl2005]

@ Jasper

You probably wouldn't be hired for Senior Accountant or Controller straight out the gate because you need to know full cycle accounting. In my interview today, they asked me 10,000 times about journal entries/accruals and month-end close.

You would probably spend a short time as a Staff Accountant long enough to learn the ropes and then it's smooth sailing up the ladder from there. =)

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

[jw_83]

@ajurew1

I think you are like the 3rd or 4th person I've talked to in the last 2 months that is in the Chicago area and can't find a job. I am located 4 hours south of Chicago and my firm is not the only one in the area looking for CPA/CPA candidates. Good luck with the job hunt.

REG - 64, 72, 81!
FAR - 77
AUD - 79
BEC - 72, 79! And Done!

[jw_83]

@ajurew1

I think you are like the 3rd or 4th person I've talked to in the last 2 months that is in the Chicago area and can't find a job. I am located 4 hours south of Chicago and my firm is not the only one in the area looking for CPA/CPA candidates. Good luck with the job hunt.

REG - 64, 72, 81!
FAR - 77
AUD - 79
BEC - 72, 79! And Done!

[Ajaz0810]

@JW_83

You said you're 4 hours south of Chicago and there are firms where your at looking for cpa candidates. You wouldn't happen to be in the indianapolis area would you. It would be nice if there were a lot of firms around her looking for people. There might be but I haven't been looking hard.

FAR 62, 66, 78
AUD 66, 55, 74, 72
BEC 79
REG

[Ajaz0810]

@JW_83

You said you're 4 hours south of Chicago and there are firms where your at looking for cpa candidates. You wouldn't happen to be in the indianapolis area would you. It would be nice if there were a lot of firms around her looking for people. There might be but I haven't been looking hard.

FAR 62, 66, 78
AUD 66, 55, 74, 72
BEC 79
REG

[Shamir215]

I am in Philly and that recruiter is an idiot. I passed my last exam in August and got a new job in October. With the CPA exam under your belt, most people know that you have an understanding of the basics of everything and can get more in depth once you get the job AND your capable of learning. After tackling that exam, there is nothing that an employer can throw at me that I can't either find the answer too or learn. I attack everything now like I am studying for the CPA Exam.

AUD 57,{75}
REG 65,{78}
FAR 64,68,72,{75}
BEC 68,{78}
Becker 1st Time Around in 2010. NOW, Becker MCQ's & Wiley TestBank W/Ninja Notes 2012-2013

[Shamir215]

I am in Philly and that recruiter is an idiot. I passed my last exam in August and got a new job in October. With the CPA exam under your belt, most people know that you have an understanding of the basics of everything and can get more in depth once you get the job AND your capable of learning. After tackling that exam, there is nothing that an employer can throw at me that I can't either find the answer too or learn. I attack everything now like I am studying for the CPA Exam.

AUD 57,{75}
REG 65,{78}
FAR 64,68,72,{75}
BEC 68,{78}
Becker 1st Time Around in 2010. NOW, Becker MCQ's & Wiley TestBank W/Ninja Notes 2012-2013

[Author]

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