[ryan28]

I recently graduated with my B.S. in Accounting and am currently an MBA student (Part of my school’s 5-year B.S./MBA program to get the 150 credits). I can’t even get an job/internship now after having my B.S. since August 2011. Am I completely screwed for the rest of my life?

[jeff]

yes

[Minimorty]

Now am i being punk'd?

[jeff]

Ryan – the job market is terrible right now…a lot of people are in your shoes. Enjoy your MBA program…take the CPA Exam seriously and you become much more marketable than your peers who didn't go that route.

My advice for landing accounting employment is to find a local tax firm who needs warm bodies to crank tax returns.

Do a great job for them and they may keep you after tax season.

Put on a suit – polish your shoes – and walk into every tax firm beginning Jan 10th or so…don't let the receptionist resume-block you. Ask for the person in charge of hiring.

Don't take no for a freaking answer.

[palal9923]

Jeff- What kind of advice do you have, if I am almost a CPA and interested in relocating to a different state?

[mla1169]

The job market is harsh right now and you've only been looking a very short while….people have been looking unsuccessfully for work for over a year. What type of jobs are you looking for? Even with a BS in accounting right now you are lucky to get a $12/hour entry level job. Are you setting your standards too high?

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

No!

4-5 months looking for a job is not so long in the larger scheme of things, especially nowadays. What about your CPA – did you start studying/taking them or waiting till after MBA?

I have friends who graduated before you, studying/studied for CPA and are still looking for jobs…I guess part of it is because of the economy, flexibility and having an “edge”.

I have a friend in 3rd year law school who must have sent out hundreds if not thousands (maybe a thousand) of resumes in her efforts to obtain a job, or even internships. She inspires me because she has been doing this for such a long time and is so persistent. Each time she gets a “no” or no answer, she doesn't let it get her down, but keeps trying.

See what you can do about improving your image to potential employers, being more flexible, having an “edge” etc. and keep at it! Don't let it get you down!

[palal9923]

Jeff- What kind of advice do you have, if I am almost a CPA and interested in relocating to a different state?

[jeff]

Same thing – don't call them…walk in. Don't just hand a resume – speak to a hiring manager.

Timid people who just hand resumes and leave don't get hired – be memorable.

[ryan28]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm definitely gonna start walking into firms and doing that. I freaking out a little because all of my friends from my graduating class who did get accounting jobs got them from either an internship or during recruiting season, and I've somehow missed out on both two years in a row now (I was a finance major junior year).

As for MBA, I got 3 classes this semester and 2 in the fall, I'm probably gonna start studying for the CPA this semester as I just got to 150 credits this fall.

[lillian]

I passed my CPA Exam in June 2011 thanks to a lot of encouragement from the good folks at another71.com. I am an enrolled agent in good standing and have worked for H&R Block for the last six tax seasons doing some simple returns as well as lots of difficult individual tax returns. Around beginning of October 2011 I started actively looking for jobs and went to a job fair conducted by the MSCPA( I live in the suburbs of Boston). Towards the beginning of December, two of the companies that I met at MSCPA called me for interviews. I also applied for jobs posted by local CPA firms in craigslist. I got two jobs offers and accepted the job offer from the CPA firm that had advertised on Craigslist.I started my new job on December 19, 2011. It is a small CPA firm.I hope to work full time during tax season and part -time (abt 20 hours a week for the rest of the year). That suits me just fine. My husband works for the Big 4 (not in taxation or auditing) and I have two young kids. .

[ROACH]

Your husband couldn't get your a job at B4?

BEC: 66 | 69 | 7/23/2013
AUD: 8/28/2013
REG:
FAR:

[GottaGetThruThis]

Don't give up Ryan! After recruiting season I found myself with no job offers and no idea what to do. I found a staff accounting job and kept in touch with a partner I'd met during the recruiting process at one of the mid-tier firms. About a month later and the first day at my new job I received a job offer from the mid-tier firm. I had to wait about a year to start so I kept the staff accounting job.

You never know what's going to happen. Like, Jeff said don't give up and don't take no for an answer. If you have the time, you might want to consider joining Beta Alpha Psi. It's a great way to network with accounting professionals and students.

B- Passed (2nd Try)
A- Passed (2nd Try)
R- Passed (2nd Try)
F- Passed (3rd Try)

Never give up!

[Author]

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