[pbnj]

Thinking about hitting up a few cpa firms near where I work; dropping off my resume, asking about open positions, etc. Has anyone sucessfully done this and ended up with an offer? Please share your stories!

[G_money83]

In my opinion this is a bad idea. I would check on the potential employers website first and see what the application process requires. Most places would rather you follow the application process on its website. I would think a manager or partner would be annoyed to be interrupted in their work day to talk to some random person inquiring about employment. If you would like to talk to someone at the firm, I would recommend a job fair or sending an e-mail to their recruiters.

Also, I interned at a fortune 500 company…if someone stopped by in person to drop off their resume the recruiters would enter the name in the HR system as a DO NOT HIRE. Their theory was if someone could not follow the application process online then they didn't want them as an employee.

BEC - 88 (MAY 2011)
REG - 91 (MAY 2011)
AUD - 90 (July 2011)
FAR -(TBD)

[Anonymous]

I dont think going in person to a CPA firm and asking to speak to someone, or dropping off a resume is the way to go either. I think sending a letter to the recruiter (usually a partner in charge of recruiting efforts) is ok, you can get the contact email address from the website. Or approaching them at a job fair is ok. And think about this…when you walk into the office, who do you talk to? There is no hiring manager, or specified HR person. Its usually a partner in charge of recruiting. And considering that the partners are billing clients hundreds of dollars an hour, they arent going to want to take time out of their day to meet with someone who just walked off the street. I dont think it shows them intiative, I think it shows a disrespect for their time. Sorry, it sounds like you are eager to get yourself out there, but walking in off the street is not the way to go.

[Minimorty]

I think it depends on the size of the firm. For a larger firm with an established policy, HR department, and formal hiring procedure, this is not the way to go. However, for a small public accounting firm (think taxes) or even a smaller private company, it might not be a bad idea to show up with a resume in hand and drop it off. However, I agree with the above posters that you can not expect to speak to anyone of importance. Just show up, ask the front desk if they are hiring, and drop off your resume (hiring or not) saying that you are interested in a position.

[TexasTechalum]

This technique actually worked for me about 5 years ago in Dallas. We just moved there due to my wife's job and I didn't know anyone. Fresh out of school. I looked up some firms on the internet, and picked the ones i wanted to visit based on their website. The place i got hired at, I just went in and asked the receptionist if they were hiring. She said yes, so I dropped off my resume. She called back within 30 minutes to schedule an interview. The boss told me later that she said someone dropped off a resume in person, he asked her if the guy that dropped it off acted normal, and if the guy could walk and talk ok, because it was so unusual for people to show up in person. It made an impression on him, that's for sure. This was a small accounting firm, maybe 15 people. I no longer work there, but I miss that place.

AUD 07/13/10 75!
REG 08/24/10 90!
BEC 10/04/10 82!
FAR 11/22/10 79! I'm Done!

[nievjohn]

This actually worked for me. I just passed the CPA exam and was looking for a job in NYC, and no one would hire me. My last resort was to actually go from office to office and apply in person. I dropped of maybe about 40 resumes. Got only one phone call back, from the place that I visited first. About three weeks later they hired me. I've been working there for almost 3 months and love it.

In my experience, I believe everything is worth a try. It never hurts.

Good luck

BEC 80
REG 82
FAR 83
Audit 75

[IwannaBaCPA]

I agree with those who think this is not the best of ideas. I realize a few have said it has worked, but only 1 call out of 40 visits does not really confirm that it was a good idea to go in person. Having said that, nievjohn did get a job in the end, which was the intent, but I wonder how many of the other firms blocked him from future applications? I think dropping off your resume in person should be considered a last resort.

Good luck to you!

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[rknight21]

nievjohn… at what level were you hired and how has your time been so far? at this time of year do your firm have audits going on?

[Anonymous]

It's not a great idea…for those who got a job that way, I'm a little surprised. I wouldn't recommend it; you're trying to get a job at a CPA firm, not a Sports Authority. I would recommend trying to contact the HR person or looking for a career fair somewhere. Good luck.

[Minimorty]

Not all firms have HR departments. Whats wrong with walking into a smaller CPA firm and letting them know you are available? Everyone is so focused on Big 4 that they miss many solid opportunities at smaller firms. Just think about the possibility of getting into a smaller practice and trying to grow it with the owner(s). You make yourself a core part of the firm and all of a sudden you become partner. There is no reason to limit the ways you can get hired, especially in a down economy.

[Anonymous]

Right…well I wasn't exactly talking about Schmitt, Rosenblatt, and Murphy, CPA Group on the corner of Main St. and Small CPA Firm Ave. I was talking more about Big 4 PLUS any of the other mid size firms (e.g. Grant Thornton, BDO, Moss Adams, Henry and Horne, etc.). But sure, if you are looking to get a job at a street corner tax practice, dropping off your resume is probably the way to go.

[Minimorty]

I guess that is kind of my point. It seems that there are a ton of people who claim not to be able to find a job, yet only sent resumes to the Big 4. I know this is a huge generalization and there are always exceptions. I'm just saying you should keep all options open. You never know where you might find the opportunity of a lifetime.

[ROACH]

This was posted a month ago… any updates OP?

Anyway, I've never done this before but I would assume smaller CPA firms would probably welcome the idea.

Larger firms… probably not. Mid-size could be a 50/50 type deal. You might want to walk in and ask for the HR manager first and if they don't have one then ask to speak to the person who hires people.

I know where I work… if someone came in and dropped off their resume it would probably land in the right persons hand.. since it's a small corporate office with no HR.

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

[rknight21]

baseballcpa you posted twice without any reason to your answer….. i can never understand posters that do that….. dont comment when you wont provide a reason for your answer

[Anonymous]

Well thank God, Rknight, that now I know what keeps you up at night scratching that head of yours. I'll comment on whatever the heck I choose to comment on and decide whether or I not my post warrants an explanation. If you don't like the way I post on this forum, you can go pound sand. Now, that being said, the reason it's an asinine idea to walk up to a senior manager or partner's office at a CPA firm and drop off your run-of-the-mill, dull list of entry-level accomplishments is because it's not their job to care about you. Until a recruiter or someone else tells the partner or senior manager that you are worthy of working at their firm, they care less about who you are than whether or not the copy machine has enough toner to last the week. Additionally, it is LIKELY going to prove to be a monumental waste of your time considering that even IF you get face time with the partner or senior manager (which is highly unlikely if you're a walk-in), your resume is probably going to go straight in the trash. Now, I thought that was pretty well said by posters earlier in the thread and that my post didn't need to be another redundant iteration, but I sincerely hope my “explanation” meets your inconsequential needs.

[rknight21]

lmao!!!! you begin to say you dont have to explain anything to anyone and then you went ahead and gave the reason.. Why didnt you just stood your grounds and still provided no explanation, ubt instead you went ahead and contradicted your self and did exactly what i implored you to do. Anyways I pitty and laugh at your silly attitude.

Now for your reason as to why it isnt beneficial its bull….I dont care what the majority of partners or seniors manager would do. If the applicant received one call back it wouldnt have been a waste of time….smh and more than likely the it would hae been the bigger firms that already has an established recruting system that would throw his resume in the trash.

Nievjohn you did a good thing. Your have a new job and you will be getting your foot in the door. After 2 years of exp. you chances of moving to a diff. firm or bigger firm will be greatly increased.

most things in life is subjective…. the one firm that offered nievjohn a job obviously viewed his efforts differently from the other firms.

[Author]

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