[JPM_Chicago]

I wanted to just lay my plan to gain employment out and see if anyone had any thoughts about it. I would appreciate any thoughts, especially ones from some of you out there working as CPAs already (especially with tax). Thanks in advance!

I found out last month that I passed my last exam. I need to fulfill one year of work experience before I become licensed in IL. I have no experience right now bc it was a career change and I was unable to get an internship/entry level job while going to school, studying for CPA, and providing for my wife and children. Now that I have passed the exams, I feel like i am in a catch-22. I have no experience, but I am not necessarily a recent grad. I feel like some employers that I have interviewed with believe I am overqualified for some entry level position b/c I have passed the exam or they believe I am under qualified b/c I have no experience. I have been frustrated at the response I have had so far. I plan on continuing my job search. However, if I do not receive an offer anytime soon, i will follow my contingency plan. That contingency plan is to work at Jackson Hewitt as a tax preparer for busy season (I know. I did not want to have to do this). This will give me some tax preparation experience on my resume. Also, I will volunteer for a VITA program for this tax season as well. I will do this as much as possible b/c I feel this will look good on my resume, gain experience, and possibly some great networking available. During the tax season as well, I plan to study for and pass the Enrolled Agent exam. At the very least, this will give me a greater foundation in tax. Also, I can use that to get a job at a tax debt relief type of place after the tax season (I would not mention that I passed the CPA exam when applying since I have already been interviewed at a couple of these and they both told me that I would have to get the EA and I feel I was passed on b/c I already passed the CPA exam). This type of job would give me good experience with year round tax preparation for individual as well as small-medium size corporations. Also, I would get some experience with representing clients to IRS which I believe has value for a future CPA firm employer. Again, this is only a contingency plan if I do not find employment with a public accounting firm. I will continuously apply to posted jobs as well as contact partners/managers/any contact I have at firms i would like to work for.

Does anyone have an thoughts/suggestions/questions about my plan? Thanks for your help!

AUD - 78
BEC - 83
REG - 5/16
FAR - 7/16

[Over_It]

You might also consider contacting a few local head hunters. Couldn't hurt.

[Anonymous]

Sort of in the same boat as you. And it seems that if you are not an experienced hire and miss the winter interviews through campus recruiting, then getting an Accounting job is an uphill battle. I realized this yesterday and it kind of ticked me off a little. Might just go work in a different industry all together. I had a first round interview at PWc a few weeks ago, but didn't make the cut. I only applied there, as I wanted to power through my Masters in a year.

I have two B.S. Degrees,an MBA and back in school doing an M.S in Finance. Passed FAR and waiting on score release in December for REG.

I completed both Parts I and II of the Enrolled Agent exam. I took Part II, the day after sitting for REG as it is all about Business Entities such as Partnerships, S Corps, C Corps and the like. The EA exam questions were straightforward and to the point. I'll sit for Part III in December after the semester ends as I put too much time into those and my grades thus far have tanked a little bit.

VITA helps, but you'll only do simple 1040's. After studying for the EA exam, I realized there were so many nuances to even Individual Taxation.

I don't have a LinkedIn as I despise social media with every fiber in my body, but I might have to get one eventually. Good luck in your job search and keep us updated.

[JPM_Chicago]

@Over_It:
Thanks for the tip. You're right it couldn't hurt. I actually have my resume with several recruiters. The problem I have encountered with them is that they rarely have any jobs in public accounting but many in industry. I am not currently interested in industry. Also, they always seem to have the “best” position for you but it is only the position they are trying to push on someone b/c that is the client they have right now and they need to get paid. But I appreciate the thoughts. And you're right, it can't hurt and maybe a recruiter will have a great position for me at some time.

@cessnapilot30:
Thanks for your response. I feel for you. It is a very frustrating position to be in. We have been taking charge of our lives to gain the education/credentials we need only to have to wait for someone else to decide if they are willing to give us a chance. As much as I don't want to see someone else in this position, it is encouraging/comforting to know I am not alone and the only one out there experiencing this. Hopefully, a year from now, this will all seem trivial as we will be working in an environment that we are happy with. And I truly believe that all of this is prologue to great things as long as we do not get discouraged and keep doing the things we need to. Also, did you use any study material other than your CPA study material for the EA exams that you passed? I am looking at Gleim. I would only need the test bank questions and the book. So it wouldn't be completely outrageous of a price. Looking back on it, I think I would have taken the EA first before school and work part time doing taxes year round while getting a CPA. I think that would have been a better route for me but like I said, a year from now this should be a pointless conversation (I am being hopeful at least). Where are you located? Just curious if your job market is similar to mine. I am in the Chicago area. If you are in the same area, maybe we can help each other network. You never know. Anyway, good luck! And keep me updated.

AUD - 78
BEC - 83
REG - 5/16
FAR - 7/16

[aaronmo]

JPM – I totally relate…I'm also older/career shift. I took my accounting courses at 3 different schools – just credits – to meet reqs (already had my BA), and I didn't have access to career fairs with accounting firms.

Here's what I did:

I joined my local aicpa chapter as a junior member, and they had networking events. I also got invited to some school fairs.

Government jobs – civil service. This didn't go well…I passed tests to be a bank examiner, and then was disqualified because I didn't have an accounting degree (despite having 3 years. Expertise and equal credits).

LinkedIn

Believe it or not…I ended up getting picked up with a small local firm through craigslist…use ALL options!

[Missy]

If you think there's a possibility that employers see passing the exam as making you overqualified for an entry-level position, take it off your resume. Your resume is basically the same as a commercial and you don't have to include anything other than what qualifies you for the position you're applying for.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Pete]

I'm in your boat as well. I can't seem to land despite having over 20 interviews, none of which have been in accounting firms, unfortunately. Recruiters are good if you have a great one or two; I have three great ones, but most you'll encounter are pretty bad. Also, I think most recruiters focus on higher paying positions, since that's where they make their commissions. In addition, if you can get most of your entry level positions from a college for free, why would you pay a recruiter, who you'll need to pay, to fill the role? I think that's part of the issue with seeing recruiters fill entry level accounting roles at various firms.

I worked at an accounting firm last year for a while. I landed that position through conducting informational interviews, which has been my primary searching strategy this time around again. Everything is a quantity game though. Most people will outright reject your request for a 10 minute phone conversation (unfortunately, implicitly through ignoring your emails), but you'll get lucky maybe 5-10% of the time, when people will speak to you and provide “advice” (DO NOT ASK FOR A JOB-during these conversations). At the end, ask if they know someone else, whom you might speak to (most won't, but a small percentage of people will). `

Take my strategy with a grain of salt as I'm still underemployed.

B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
R=81 I LOVE taxes
F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

[Anonymous]

@JPM, I was looking at Gleim, but their course is $600. I used the Passkey book. The complete 3 part version is $131 on Amazon. It does a good job, but there were some questions that I was only able to get correct as I was studying for REG at the same time. So whatever the EA book didn't cover, I caught it with Becker and vice versa. The EA questions sometimes can get super specific and detailed. But a week of studying and you should be fine. And I am in the Metro Detroit area. I might stick around to finish my Masters and move elsewhere. It's all up in the air at this point for me. Not tied to any particular place.

Keep us updated as your job search progresses. Best of luck!

[lonestar]

@JPM_Chicago

I think that there were always some very low-paying jobs, such as $11 hourly from Accountemp. In my case, I was really really reluctant to take those. I'm also still searching, hopefully for a good start to fulfill the experience requirement.

BTW, I'm in AZ.

[Joyous]

Happy Thanksgiving!

@JPM_Chicago

You are not alone I am in that boat and it can get a little discouraging to keep getting rejected. No experience, not eligible for entry level/internship since am not a spring chicken. As much as I didn't want to I called Jackson Hewitt but they said they had no CPA at my location that could sign off my paperwork. I have been to various recruiters they give hope but once you leave I guess they forget about you. And as you said they try to offer you what is irrelevant. You may want to call the small local CPA firms and see if you can intern. I have had to take an unpaid internship at a small CPA firm just to get experience/hours as I keep searching.

@cessnapilot30
I like you do not like social media but a few people have told me that it's beneficial. I wonder what one is to put on LinkedIn when you have no experience….

@aaronmo
I have seen a few jobs on craigslist but thought they were a scam. I guess I will give them a try.

Well lets stay positive…doors will open. Just don't know when that will be.

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of in the same boat as well. 40 plus in West Kentucky trying to switch careers from food/retail over to accounting. Three interviews so far in about five months: One for a business, one for a credit union, and one for insurance sales.

I have a Bachelors in Accounting and an MBA. Thought that education would open some doors, but so far, not so much.

I have heard of people getting hired from a tax company to an accounting firm after several years of experience. Not a Plan A, but something that might prove useful if you decide to pursue it.

All I can say for sure is that you're not alone and we're all rooting for you to make it.

[jcman240]

Take your time and figure out which aspect of accounting you want to go in to. Big firms suck, do not get fooled…..

[wanttochangejobbypassingcpa]

You do not have to be in public accounting firm in order to get sign off. Many of of the senior cpa switched their career path in private companies. As long as your supervisor is a CPA they can sign off for you. My friends did that.

[RE2PECT]

I'm in the exact same position as the OP. Just finished the exams, but have no work experience in accounting and an older candidate. I'm leaning towards starting at a smaller firm since I have a family and it will probably be a little more flexible with my hours and workload. I also think I would learn more at a smaller firm as opposed to Big 4, but I guess it all depends on the situation. I'm hoping to find a job asap because I need to fulfill the experience requirement before I can get my license.

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[mtaylo24]

Indeed.com is your best friend. Definitely check out networking events, join your states CPA society or even GFOA, as they both often post jobs. Maybe even crash a few job fairs or meet the firm events this spring. And then there is Robert Half/Accountemps if you are really desperate. I found my first accounting job though an e-mail that my business school sent out, and stayed there for 4 years before I went on to the next thing. And like @mla11692 says, you may need to revamp your resume to look as entry-level as possible. I have always worked on the industry side though, with no desire of public, so that is the best that I can do 🙂

AUD - 1st - 60 (12/12), 61 (2/13), 61 (8/13), 78! (11/15)
REG - 55 (2/16) 69 (5/16) Retake(8/16)
BEC - 71(5/16) Retake (9/16)
FAR - (8/16)

[Anonymous]

@wantto It's my understanding that in Illinois your supervision does not have to be under a CPA.

[Author]

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