@mystical guy: Are you saying the OP's looks are subpar? lol.
To the OP:
“Just wondering if I will be a lock to get a job at a cpa firm if I pass all 4 sections of exam before applying?”
No, definitely not a lock – although it will surely help with getting interviews. I'd also argue, that all students/new grads who did not have success during public accounting internship recruiting season NEED to expand their job search and catch a wide net. CPA firms are not the end all be all and by ignoring other opportunities you are both missing out on some fantastic opportunities but you are also ironically making it less likely that you'll end up at a CPA firm eventually (if that's really what you want).
“I went through the recruiting process during college and didn't receive any 2nd interviews with any cpa firms (wanna say I interviewed with 5-6 mid-size firms).”
This could mean several things. It could mean you need to brush-up on your interview skills. It could also mean that it was just really competitive in your area and you didn't quite make the cut. It's probably a mix of the above two items. Whatever you do don't take it personally but also practice on becoming better – I've seen a lot of awesome people get passed over who then go on to have amazing careers. Honestly, sometimes the interview process is just about luck/clicking with the interviewer or having innate charisma, which can be harder for some people than others – even when they are performing at their absolute best and would make wonderful employees.
“I wouldn't say I was the most competitive applicant though on campus as my gpa was around a 3.0 and I didn't have a great internship prior.”
I know that some people tend to think that once you get a 1st round interview – they no longer look at your GPA, but I know that to be false. So that could have hurt you if it came down to you and others that they were on the fence about moving forward to 2nd rounds. The trick is to start thinking about how to curb any negatives during the interview, and how to make you a more attractive applicant going forward (e.g. getting more experience, passing the CPA exams…)
“Also my interviewing skills are sub-par. thanks for any advice”
well… work on that! lol. I'll also echo what others have said, if you have already graduated, it can be harder to get into entry level positions. Also, the longer you've graduated the harder it will be – especially if you've stayed unemployed this whole time. GET employed if you are not. Don't hold out for public accounting – if you've been unemployed for 6 months after graduating, it will be very difficult to get a job anywhere – and a public accounting firm will be more likely to hire someone in corporate/industry for 1-2 years than someone who hasn't been employed that whole time. Saying, “oh, i was holding out for public accounting and wanted to take a year off to study the CPA exams…etc.” is NOT a good nor a impressive reason to have that gap.
.