[Anonymous]

I’m full of frustrations now…

I have been working in a very very small public accounting firm for almost three years now. I passed my CPA exam since Nov 2012. I have been searching for mid-size accounting firms since tax season was over, but so far I don’t even have a job offer!!! I mean, I will become a CPA within 3 months and I m that incompetence??? This is totally out of my expectation!

I have sent out resumes to almost everywhere, I have 7 agents helping me for job searching as well. The agents were helpful in general because they really brought me some interviews with some firms within 5 days. So far I had 4 interviews but I got rejected in all, which I had no clue completely. I honestly thought I nailed those interviews down, because our conversations were pretty good, I was able to answer their questions firmly. I shared my tax, audit experience with them and they seem impressed! I even sent out thank you letter after the interview and they got back to me saying we would be in touch for second interview next week. But then next week, all I received were “Thank you again for your interest in xxx. While we enjoyed meeting with you and learning more about your background, we will not be moving forward with your candidacy at this time.”

This is a disaster for me, I thought passing the exam, having 3 years of experience would help me land a job in one of the firms easily. I’m not asking for high salary anyways. My small accounting firm is closing anytime soon (bosses are 75 years old, retiring, wanna sell the business for extra $$)

I’m lost, I’m panic, I m thinking..was passing the CPA exam was a mistake? because I don’t see the benefits so far…

[mena je twa]

Crossover –

I see your point, but a CPA can never never hurt you. It can only take you in one direction, that is to enhance you in your career and also help you find jobs and get interviews.

Look at my example, i worked in private for 7-8 yrs and jumped to public after passing the CPA, lots of my friends said i have no chance, they hire people in the early 20's, blah , blah. i proved them all wrong.

I work for a national firm globally recognized, i interviwed well with 2 partners and 1 senior manager, i had CPA to show for, they were impressed with that and the rest is all on you and your background and how you impress them in the interview.

Leave me CPA alone:)_ it has taken me places , which i would not have imagined if i had not passed this exam….

Goodluck to you….Any advice you need, just let me know.

Licensed CPA, Texas - 2012

[Anonymous]

@ParanoidAndroid – By all means go be a lawyer! If you are so unhappy with this chosen profession then go find what you are passionate about. But to say accounting is all about kissing a$$ is the craziest thing I've ever heard. Maybe it's a cultural or regional difference or something, but I can assure you I DO NOT kiss a$$. Never have. Never will. I might kick one but NEVER kiss one!

@crossovercpa – If the owners are looking at retiring, then you might be sitting on a gold mine. If they can't find someone to pay their asking price, then what are they going to do? I doubt they will die at their desks. Even if they just say one day “Hey we are shutting the doors. Everyone go home.” Those clients will still need a CPA. Clients have probably already realized that you are the one doing most of the work anyway and will follow you if you decide to open your own firm or just wait it out. I know it's tough, but patience may be the key to your future. Don't get discouraged.

[Lost1]

when it comes to job search the most important factor is how you fit with the team. you gotta get in where you fit in. anything can be the reason they hire you or not hire you. keep your head up you will find a group where you can fit in.

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[Lost1]

@ParanoidAndroid – i've felt the same way at one point I was so disgusted with the whole politic side of it but i realized that you gotta play the game no matter what your profession is. things do get better if you put your head down and just work i'm sure you had passion and dreams at one point hope you can find your passion again. just don't think that being a lawyer is all glorious, you might have to work for the most unethical people or you might feel like you're ripping off people who are in desperate situations. if you're taking some kind of substance that makes you paranoid, you better stop now and be positive because at the end no one likes negative nancy just be thankful that you have a goal and future then thing will happen for you

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[topharry123]

I think you should look at the positives. You have been looking a month and have already had 4 interviews. Even though you didn't get them, it still shows that people are interested in you. You never know who else is going for them interviews and it is likely that someone else was just a better fit for their team. Don't get discouraged, just keep trying and be patient, it can take a long time.

When I moved to America from England, I wrote to 60 places in the area looking for a job. I got 2 call backs. One with a small real estate business that paid $9 an hour, and another with a public accounting firm that paid a lot more than that. I interviewed with the public firm in June, but my offer didn't come through until October. Sometimes it can take places a long time to get back to you. The fact that you have had 4 interviews already shows that you are marketable and it is only a matter of time before you interview with a firm that sees you as a perfect fit for their team.

FAR - 95
REG - 93
AUD - 91
BEC - 85

[phyrus100]

Here are a few of my thoughts:

Temp to perm. Many people just don't interview well. I am one of them. These people have been rejected interview after interview and end up landing a job by starting as a temp or subcontractor. Many companies prefer to hire permenant employees this way for obvious reasons.

If I purchased a business, current associates of that firm would be a great asset. Ask your current employer to put a good word in for you or to set up a meeting/interview with the new owners.

Ask your your current owner(s) to sign a letter of recommendation for you to give to prospective employers. You have been loyal to them and I am sure they want to help you with your job seach.

[samdiegoCPA]

Ugh, I am having difficulty too, with the CPA exam currently being a part of my life! I have 3 yrs of experience from 4 years ago before I got my BA, now have my BA, passed one part and will pass the rest this year, etc.

Have had 20 interviews in two months and it's either they want more experience or they aren't into me being a CPA soon cus the position or company doesn't have that growth available (and have to pay more, “will leave if anything better comes”). It sucks getting all these interviews to be let down!!! Although I have been getting calls back to nearly EVERYTHING I apply to because I now have “Passed Aud” on my resume, instead of just “CPA exam candidate” or whatever I had.

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[evesocal]

I've been in public accounting about 25 years, working in different firms in New York and California. First of all, I can assure you that passing the exam is not a waste of time. It is to your credit and employers appreciate it. Over the long run your earning power is better than if you don't have the license.

Also – what others have said is true – this time of year is not a good time for hiring. Everyone is exhausted. Work has slowed from the frantic pace of tax season to “let's work 8 hours per day at most and I can't wait for vacation”. Even in your small firm, don't you feel that way?

Experience very often means more to employers than passing the exam. There are lots of people who are licensed CPAs but are terrible accountants – no offense to anyone, really, and I do not mean to belittle the effort it takes to pass the exam by any means. I did it too and know just how hard it is. My point is, maybe the firms with whom you interviewed wanted someone with a different type of experience than you have and other candidates had that different experience.

Try not to get discouraged. You will absolutely find a job, maybe it's taking longer than you hoped but it will come.

B: 75
R: 80
A: 77
F: 81
Ethics: 84, 92 and done!
Licensed in California

[smalltimeauditor]

I haven't read every post, but I'll say it:

It seems to me that English might be your second language. I would have someone proofread your resume and cover letters just to make sure they “flow” better. I don't even know if that's the correct word but hopefully you get the gist.

That being said, I wish I could speak a second language, so bravo to you and your success on the cpa exam and your language skills.

B - Passed
A - Passed
R - Passed
F - Passed

[Anonymous]

thank you for all the information and encouragement

I Just received another email today, another firm has rejected me once again, and that was Just a simple telephone interview that I had last monday

” After careful consideration, we cannot offer you an in-house interview at this time. We will however, maintain your resume in our active files for a period of one year and contact you should the need for further interviews arise.”

my record is now 0/5. depressive huh?

i really dont know what else i can do for now. there arent any more firms hiring now.

why did i pass the cpa exam for, when I cant even compete with those college freshgrads

[mla1169]

I'm guessing you are fairly young and this is your first or second professional job search. Many people interview 5, 10 even 20 times without receiving a job offer. If you're not getting out 5 or more resumes PER DAY you are not actively job searching. You may need to expand the scope of the types of jobs you are looking for, or the employers you want to work for, or the geographic radius of your job search area.

And I'm not sure why you feel like you can't compete with college freshgrads. Do you have some reason to believe they are getting offers from the first handful of interviews they go on?

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[ParanoidAndroid]

@crossovercpa…STOP IT! lol…

Have you tried reaching out to Big4 talent recruiters (Linkedin)? Most of them answer back even if it's just to tell you that you suck..lol (jk)

I'm going to start mailing out physical resumes to Big4 offices, too.

CPA for life...

[jpat1980]

The best thing you can do is network within your community. The best “friends” are the recruiters. Even if you meet recruiters who are outside of public accounting, they are typically well networked and have relationships across the board… Since I am a single male, and most recruiters Ive come across are female, meeting them is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Where exactly are you located?

AUD-68,74,88
REG-81
BEC-75
FAR-71,79
(Primary: Becker | Supplemental: Wiley MCQ's, Ninja Notes)

CFP - passed(3/2013)
(KIER, College for Financial Planning-cffp.edu, Jeff Rattiner Books and Notes)

[EyeFahs]

@crossovercpa

If they are getting you in for the interviews then that means your resume is not the problem… It is the interview – How you highlight your accomplishments (and/or if you do at all), what you say you are looking for in the next role and how you fit in the position you are interviewing for. You said you work for a small company, you have to come across as trainable to fit in the new roles, i.e. your openness to learn should be the one thing they are clear about from interviewing you. Sometimes they find it easier to train new staff with no experience at all and ‘mold' them than try to train someone who has prior training that may affect how they do their new roles. The CPA designation is a big plus, IMO, whether or not you are in small firm… but it does not guarantee that you will get accepted just about anywhere- I know you know there are many factors that play into your getting a new job. I'd focus on the how I'm presenting myself at the interviews – May be try a Mock interview, while remembering to Network via LinkedIn & professional gatherings. The economy is tough, if you are doing all else right, be patient and remember as stated, accounting firms hire throughout the Summer for September start dates. All the best.

________________________________________________________
BEC: Passed, 81
FAR: Passed, 78
AUD: Passed, 83
REG: Failed, 71,71...4/16
=================================
~GIVE.US.FREEEEE~

[Anonymous]

I'm full of frustrations now…

“When you are frustrated you just talk without rationalization”. Be patient, have no regrets about passing the exam, you will definately benefit from it in the long run. Passing the CPA exam does not grant immediate job success /increase salary for all, but eventually it will.

Please continue to send out your resumes and the ideal company will see you as the ideal fit and you will see the company as the ideal fit for you too. It is just a matter of time.

I do not know how your interviews went but you can only improve on each one then WALLA…you will get that call right after walking out of the interview. Have patience and keep on sending out your resume.

Do not think you missed that great job opportunity but rather they missed having you as the ideal employee.

Chin up

[Author]

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