[Poptard]

Hello everyone.

I graduated with a MBA in August (3.9 GPA). Since then, I have been taking the CPA exams. I only have FAR left, and it is scheduled for April 2. While in school and studying, I have been applying for jobs in accounting. I have been trying to get a job in accounting for a year and a half. I have applied to internships, entry level positions, and a few senior level positions. Yet, none of them will hire me because I do not have experience. Even with having the exams nearly complete, I am getting nowhere.

The sad thing is that I have been working for this company for the past two years. Last month I applied for an entry level accounting position with them, and they turned me down because I don’t have any experience. Yesterday, I get a call from my boss offering me a position (not in accounting) that pays over 50K. I would have accepted 30K for the accounting position.

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong here. I have applied for Public, Industry, and Non-Profit positions.

[JM2010FL]

CPAinSC, don't get me wrong, I rather have a nice cozy job with great benefits paying me over $100K…..but back in 2008 I had to close down my commercial mortgage company and lost millions$, I will have to file BK later this year…..but I don't have the luxury to cry about that since I have to feed my family and pay bills….I didn't even bother looking for a job/ didn't want to waste my time on that, instead I decided to get my CPA and start a practice!

It's not easy and is hard work! This past week a visited like 50 retail/office/ within a 5 mile radius and spoke with owners and convinced 5 of them (avg. $305/month) to come with me to save money on accounting fees….I spoke with the priest of my church about making a nice donation….he said god agreed so I have about 50 Income Tax returns to do….the opportunity is out there…I'm just not good at staying home sending out resumes and crying about not having a job…..I already have the taste for money in my blood…and tons of ideas on expanding…

bottom line! it's in the marketing and the attitude!! If you're going to do it, have many marketing strategies at the same time…cold calling is fun for me…..people aren't all that bad when you talk to them…even if they say NO, try to get their emails and send them free info…..like from IRS.gov….then they think you know your shit…and start calling you….

And even if you don't like having a practice, it at least fills the gap in your resume………I report to my father in-law who is the president, I'm just the Director of Accounting Services….lol

[PursuitCPA]

Def its a numbers game

CPA EXAM - Passed

[NY GT girl]

A lot of firms won't look at you unless you are coming through campus recruiting if you don't have any experience. Big 4 exclusively recruits from campus and referrals. I hate to break it to yall, but they screen based on GPA. I am at UT (the #1 accounting program) and my classmates aren't getting jobs and we are considered the best of the best. I had 3 office visits and only got one offer and I have a 3.98 acctg GPA from undergrad and a strong GPA in grad school. Firms screen based on your resume when deciding who to interview, after that, they have to think you will fit in. If they don't like you, or you're a negative nancy, you're out. Firms want to see team players, who are ambitious, and will put it in the long hours.

For smaller firms, GPA did not used to matter as much, but now that the market is saturated, I think it matters a lot more. Smaller firms are a lot more cautious with their hiring these days as a result of the economy. You need a decent GPA to stand out among a sea of resumes.

I would recommend sending your resume to any friends you know working at accounting firms. Referrals are a strong source for all firms because the firms trust their employees to recommend quality people.

NJTP – You can definitely just put only your accounting GPA on your resume. Professors/career counselors advise only putting your accounting GPA if its the only one above a 3.0. I think you could go either way on it… However, that being said, that was the recommendation at Georgia Tech where below a 3.0 wasn't that big of a deal to GT students, but recruiters didn't care to see it… Honestly, a lot of GPA stuff depends on where you graduated from. A 4.0 from a community college is fine and dandy, but its from a community college. A 3.5 from a better school probably looks a lot better…

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the insights NY GT girl… : )

Trying to keep positive, but everything you said and pretty much what others have said is on the money,,, it seems like networking is the key,,, hmm… this is going to be really, really, tough…

[Anonymous]

Ouch… “Inexperienced recent college graduates are in the least demand. Many organizations laid off entry-level staffers when the economy soured, and they often take them back only as temps.”

Forbes: Where The Jobs Are: Accounting, Helen Coster, 03.19.10, 06:50 PM EDT

https://www.forbes.com/2010/03/19/accounting-jobs-employment-leadership-careers-hiring.html?boxes=Homepagechannels

[NY GT girl]

It certainly is tough. That is why got my masters… Getting an entry level position from somewhere other than campus recruiting is REALLY tough!

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[NDIRISH]

NY GT Girl…UT's a great school…if they can't place everyone the market is just bad…my school has placed only 75% of the Masters program.

I had an office visit with Big 4 today and hope to land the position.

And i'm done with the CPA…geez…

BEC 85, REG 79, FAR 77, AUD 81!!! DONE!!! PA

[NY GT girl]

We are more than 80% placed (but 40% of my class came in with jobs). My point is that some people that wanted to go into public did not get any offers in public and are having to take jobs that they aren't thrilled about. Overall, the number of offers per person is down. If people at UT can't get jobs, that is really saying something about the economy, in my opinion.

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[Poptard]

NY GT girl: When you say UT, do you mean the University of Texas or the University of Tennessee. I went to the University of Tennessee for my undergrad (in Mathematics). But, I went the the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for my MBA. They didn't have that great of a placement program.

[NY GT girl]

I'm at the University of Texas at Austin. It has the #1 accounting program in the country. We have a well-developed career services office and recruiting program for students. The firms (usually) are begging students from UT to come work for them. We are usually at 95-97% placement by graduation.

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[NDIRISH]

Same here for my school (ND.) Usually we're 100% placed (85-100 students per class). We're only 75% placed, but we send most to the Big 4 all over the country. Hopefully next week I get an offer and increase the percentage.

BEC 85, REG 79, FAR 77, AUD 81!!! DONE!!! PA

[PursuitCPA]

That's remarkable 75% here 80% there. Well in Philly I would say its 5-10% placed at the big universities (1 of mine) . We have new state of the art business school and they can only manage a handful of jobs. They started telling kids this year that they cant do anything for them. Its really messed up here.

If I had a 3.98 no offense, I would be doing something in aerodynamics not a SIMPLE JOB accounting…

CPA EXAM - Passed

[NY GT girl]

Well I started in biomedical engineering and simply didn't enjoy biology. I loved the business and accounting courses that I took, so I changed my major. I don't know if I would call accounting “simple.” I would challenge anyone to take the tax and accounting classes I am taking at the University of Texas and tell me that “accounting is simple.” There are a lot of people that can't handle public, especially Big 4. Also, getting a job is rather competitive – they aren't just throwing offers around these days.

Also job placement from your university is based on the ranking of your university. The University of Texas and Notre Dame have good job placement because they are ranked #1 and #6 in accounting, respectively, if I recall. Firms come here to beg us to work for them. At UT, PwC flew 3 people in from the NY office to have at our recruiting events to make sure we knew we could work anywhere. Its really kind of crazy. Schools that don't have good job placement either: 1. aren't good schools for accounting and/or 2. don't have a good career services department. UT has both, which is why our placement is soo high. Its even higher for Integrated MPAs (the students who get their BBA and stay an extra year for their MPA) because they are required to do an internship and 90-95% intern at Big 4 and 90% go full time with the firm they interned with.

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[PursuitCPA]

I also was a chemistry major before switching to accounting.

No and No. Philly and the surrounding area is in the hole. My University is one of the top 25 in MBA's. Every firm used to recruit there from big 4 to small 15 man firms. Now there is nothing. It is a Simple Job, following directions and rules. I much rather be working for NASA or somewhere improving life.

CPA EXAM - Passed

[NY GT girl]

Well its sounds like the problem there is the economy .On the whole, Texas is doing great. Houston, Dallas and Austin have much lower unemployment rates than the national average thanks to the oil and gas industry.

NY Candidate using Becker: FAR (2/20) - 81, AUD (4/3) - 92, REG (5/3) - 95, BEC (5/29) - 89 DONE!!!

[Author]

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