[12tang]

Hopefully someone can address this or can opine on the topic.

I’m finding that many public accounting firms are only looking for interns. I feel that I’m getting looked over because I didn’t intern while in college and I now have my degree. I know that many firms won’t look until towards the end of the year but I can’t even apply to many because they ONLY hire full-time from interns. And they are looking for interns that are still in college…

Frustrating as all heck. My GPA isn’t the best but it’s definitely not the worst. My major GPA is 3.41 and cumulative is 3.36. Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice? I’m trying to attend as many events as possible and network the best I can. I have been out there and spoke with employers. I still get the overwhelming sense that they have their eyes set on interns… It may be beneficial to the firm but I don’t think interns should ever have hiring preference over someone who already has their degree…

I’m in the Minneapolis, Mn area.

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[tcheney3]

You must be looking at Big 4. Big 4 generally want you right out of college and preferably to have you intern the summer before you graduate. Look at the tier below that and you should be able to find something (i.e. CLA, Grant Thorton, Eide Bailly Etc.).

BEC - 82
REG - 86
FAR - 85
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Ethics - 95
In Skynet's Honor:
Act I: Shutdown Skynet and prevent Judgment Day.
Act II: Add a comma and three letters to my title.
Act III: Time Travel and marry a young Denise Richards (and prevent subsequent plastic surgery),return to present.
Act IV: Serve as Successor to Elon Musk as CEO of Tesla.
Act V: Ensure Judgment Day has been stopped. Utopia achieved.

[12tang]

Eide Bailly is one that only hires interns. Thus far they only recruit out of the colleges. I've been getting brushed under the rug with them… I'll keep trying but I don't want to become that annoying gnat either.

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[Tuffy11111]

I know the feeling. I've been considering MAcc just so I can have another shot at interning.

BEC - 83 7/25
REG - 76 5/2/15
AUD - Hopefully before MY Audit...7/5?
FAR - 83 5/2/16

[Track55]

You are right. It seems like everyone wants experience while in college. I worked while I went to school at night, so of course I had no internships in school.

It will be difficult but don't give up. And it's not just firms that want experience. Cast a wider net and don't just focus on firms.

AUD - 74, 99 !!
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Studying for Ethics exam

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Business and Industry

[Yaz88]

Ok here's my experience nowadays.. I am doing the MAcc program now. I graduated may 2013 and went back home (Dubai). I worked for PwC for 1.5 years then decided to go back to school and do the CPA. All of the graduate students (around 30) have a job lined up when they graduate (I would say 95% are going to public accounting).

When I started in Jan, I started looking around to secure a job after graduating. Guess what? All didn't offer me anything, except for PwC Denver. They said to call them in the Fall when the major recruiting happens.

I am not a US citizen, maybe that's why I am having bad luck. But really?? all graduate students at my school have secured a job from Last Fall job fair, and they only have internships. I had a bloody 1.5 years working as an associate, I should land a job without much frustration.

Hope you feel better hearing me Lol. From what I heard, don't except anything till after August, this is when the recruiting start.

Last Fall they hired a Lot of people here in Colorado because of the Oil boom, but I am afraid this year they will hire very few since the oil business have slowed down.

[Thrawn]

Big 4 only hire interns until weird mid-year vacancies, so look at regional or industry.

BEC 87 Feb 14
REG 84 Apr 14
FAR 82 Nov 14
AUD 86 Feb 15

[juuustin]

Big 4 does not hire only interns. You do probably need to know somebody though to get in if your college isn't recruited.

MD Candidate: 10/1/14

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Ethics - 100

Experience - In Progress!

[Anonymous]

Look beyond B4. There's a lot of accounting career options and many fulfilling career paths that don't include B4, and that will be less concerned with an internship. I'd hire someone like @Track55 who worked (even unrelated) while in college before I'd hire someone with a 3-month internship, but I'm not in B4 and have never understood the B4 mindset. If you have no work experience of any type on your resume, than an internship will of course be more valuable to an employer than nothing, but outside of B4 “real work” counts for something too.

[Anonymous]

12tang – I also had that experience with recent interviews, also in Minneapolis.

[EuroAddict]

There are other companies besides the big 4. While schools (mine sure did) seem to only push the big 4 don't be afraid to look elsewhere.

And yes, the big 4 usually only hires interns b/c that internship is really the persons job interview.

-----------------------------
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AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[TNCPA16]

“It may be beneficial to the firm but I don't think interns should ever have hiring preference over someone who already has their degree.”

Why not? If I had the option of hiring someone who has a degree (with an ok, not stellar, GPA), with no previous accounting experience, and I have no previous relationship with them OR hiring an intern who is going to graduate in a few months, who has accounting experience (and experience working for my company), and who I have a relationship with…it's really a no-brainer. If I am planning on hiring someone to start 6 months from now, you having a degree now is no more valuable than someone else having their degree in 4 months.

I graduated in 2007 and had several internships (public & industry),a great GPA, and was a member of a bunch of honor societies and guess what…I still wasn't able to land a public accounting job. I took an industry job and, honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. My roommate graduated a semester later and even with B4 internship under her belt, she was only able to land a job at a local firm because she knew one of the partners. Job hunting is hard. You can do everything right and still not land a job. If you are having a hard time getting interviews at public accounting firms, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere. You can have a very successful career without public accounting experience. Even if you go work somewhere for a year or two, you can always apply again for public accounting positions as an experienced associate. There isn't nearly as much competition for those positions as there are for entry level. I couldn't get a B4 job when I was in school, but I can't tell you how many times the B4 team auditing my company has asked me if I would come work for them now (to which I laugh and tell them hellllllll no!)

Don't get discouraged – public accounting may not happen for you now, but that doesn't mean it will never happen. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

It seems pretty logical to me that large firms would rather hire interns who have already had some training and worked inside their company (or a very similar one) than someone who is brand new. Interns have been through the academic weed-out process, and their work ethic and ability to play well with others has already been established. They're much less risky than total newcomers.

[fuzyfro89]

12tang: Are you only applying for big 4 jobs? That's your first, and biggest, problem. We don't all get our first choice in life all the time. Good to have a goal, but very naive to think you can get it. In 2008, there were tons of qualified people getting rejected all around. Today, it's far easier, but still competitive.

Expand your search. APply to large, mid, and small firms, and industry. Be open to new things. Remember that markets change and are different in each geography and even among firms. EY Minneapolis may be thin on needs for the next year, but EY Chicago could be hiring like gangbusters. Same goes with other firms. Losing a big client will hurt even a large office.

Also, time of year also matters. Right now, the firms are just taking in summer interns and in 3-5 months will be taking in the fall new hires. Best time for experienced hires is probably March through December… but for entry level it just depends on how many spots they have left.

It wasn't clear above, but are you just graduating this May? Are you working elsewhere and trying to get in as experienced, or zero full time experience and looking for entry level?

[hellosunshine]

Hi,

My experience: I just graduated college (undergrad) in March. I've had an internship but it was not with a public accounting firm, and I've had one job on campus that was related to accounting. I got hired full time with a regional size public accounting firm starting october 2015 (from doing a lot of networking, beta alpha psi, etc etc).

My friend's experience: He graduated couple years ago and did not have a full time public accounting job lined up. He had a finance internship during college (not public accounting). He spent the entire summer studying and passing the CPA exams, and in the next fall he networked and applied to a bunch of public accounting firms. He got hired by a small CPA firm and worked there for a little bit. He continued to network a lot and was able to land an interview with a big 4 — now he works there.

If you want to work at a CPA firm, DON'T GIVE UP 🙂

BEC - 84 (5/29/15)
FAR - 77 (8/14/15)
AUD -
REG -

[12tang]

Jilly beans: I agree with you that interns are the better choice rather than an unknown. The reason I find it frustrating is because most of the employers I have dealt with require the interns to be in college still, which to me is odd. I have NO problem interning as a graduate but apparently some employers do. Thank you for sharing your story. I am beginning to consider working in private industry. I will see what opportunities arise once I get my CPA before year end and do what feels right.

Everyone else: I am not only looking at the big 4. I have applied to many mid-sized as well as a few small ones. One interview with PwC. A few with some private employers which I actually got offers from but I turned down once I was persuaded to go into public. My school pushes us to go public like crazy but I gave in to that once I spoke with a professor that I respect a lot.

I also have 12 years of work experience, although none to do with accounting… I list the three jobs on my resume because it shows that I last at companies and I know if anyone called any of those employers, they'd have nothing but great things to say about me. A part of me wishes the the Marine Corps would be impressive to employers (I have team leader experience) but no one seems to care. Cruel world, right? Haha! Honestly, I don't expect to get a job because I served but a little part of me wishes it helped my chances.

I will keep my head up and continue to try. Whenever I'm faced with situations like this, I become more tenacious. I will get hired somewhere and the hiring personnel at that company will definitely be happy with their decision. 🙂

Using Becker self-study
FAR: (82) 175 hours - 1st attempt
BEC: (XX)
AUD: (69) 45hrs of study - 1st attempt
REG: (XX)

[Author]

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