[G3]

I got Bachelor’s in Accounting and MBA in 2008 and 2010 respectively while working as an accounting/business tutor at the University. Worked as a tutor and math professor during my long journey through the CPA exam; which I finally passed in February 🙂

I had to resign from my tutoring position this year, due to policy changes at the University, so I am currently working solely as a math professor (which I love but sadly doesn’t advance my career) while searching EVERYWHERE for an accounting position without any relevant experience! 🙂

Due to the low number of call backs/interviews with subsequent rejections, I am looking to polish up my resume (especially since I have zero relevant experience). After researching “professional resume builders” I am unsure if their services/results are worth the expense.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of service? Any other suggestions for improving my resume?

Thank you 🙂

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[mla1169]

While I've found agencies like accountemps to be virtually useless on my job search, I did get some greet resume tips from them. I think some professional resume reviewers are worth it, but get references because some of them totally fudge your experience. Reach out to your alma mater, see it the career center offers services to alumni (unless that's where you're working and you're trying to be discreet).

Finally the job market is still fickle. I had to get out 300 resumes to land 40 interviews and 3 offers. Work the job search as hard as you work a full time job-it comes easier and quicker for some but comes to everybody who is persistent.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[G3]

thanks for the tips and advice @mia1169

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[fuzyfro89]

First, no. I have no experience (firsthand or anecdotal) regarding resume services. I am certain there are quality ones out there, but I'm assuming these are services reserved for the mid-level manager through executives (helping to frame their extensive experience the best way for their next move).

At the entry level, anything that a “professional” resume/career coach would advise is available all over the internet. Read 50 different articles, and you'll see that 70% of what they advise is very similar, and the remaining 30% is different opinions (i.e. objective, order of sections, etc).

Since your experience is unrelated to accounting, it's even less important what you DID than it is what you ACCOMPLISHED. A potential employer in accounting has little, if any, knowledge of what it means to be a math professor, so you have to education and impress them… in 20 seconds on your resume. Easy enough, right?

Before I continue, can you give some more background on what you've been doing for the last 4 years (since graduating with your MBA)? I don't want to run down the gauntlet if there are things you have already done. Also, why did you wait until recently to start the CPA if that's what your goal was (or is this something you decided recently)?

Also, regardless of what your resume has, networking is orders of magnitude more important. Given your experience is not accounting-related, it's even tougher to get your foot in the door… then add the fact that you have an MBA and you're looking for entry level position… you're sort of in no-man's land.

[G3]

@fuzyfro89

Since my MBA was not concentrated in accounting, I had to take additional classes to meet my state's education requirement. This took me to 2011 before I was able to apply for the exam. As you can see from my signature, I did not pass each section on the first try (that is a long story that you can read in the “I passed the CPA exam” thread). During this time, I also faced a number of personal tragedies including losing several family members and the dire diagnosis of another for whom I am the sole caretaker.

Throughout my long journey, I have been applying to and interviewing with companies across the nation for all accounting related positions that I qualified for. After passing the exam, I thought it would improve my chances of getting hired. However, so far this has not been the case.

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[G3]

Looking into all my options 🙂

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[G3]

I have applied to the TSCPA and am furthering my job search and networking.

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[thechapman]

@G3

Do you list the math professor job under your experience? It might not be “accounting related”, but there truly are transferable skills that you can pick up in any job. You could try to think of things you have learned or improved upon that would be valuable to an accounting employer.

For example – Developing a lesson plan and then following through with it during the semester could = “Improved ability to develop a specific plan of action as well as successfully execute the plan”. Obviously that's probably simplified/not how you might want to put it, but you see where I'm going with this.

Passed - 2014

[G3]

@thechapman

Yes, I do include it – I am hoping that they see I have learned valuable skills that can be used in a company setting 🙂

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[taxgeek83]

On a semi-related note, does anyone ever use exclamation points at the end of a cover letter? Or anytime you're talking about being excited for an opportunity? I have a pretty bubbly personality, and no experience with cover letters, and I'm finding that what I have written seems…boring! My instinct says don't do it, but I thought I'd see what you all think? I've been fortunate enough to have a solid employment history during which I've never had to crank out a resume or cover letter, and I'm a little lost in the process. 🙂

[samdiegoCPA]

@taxgeek83 I personally wouldn't use exclamation points because it seems very inexperienced or something.

-Never use “I”.

-Do not have any spelling errors.

-Make sure your formatting is consistent.

-Make a category at the bottom for “Interests”. My friend works at a Big 4 and highly suggests this. It is something they can read or not read but you might get a call back just because you and the hiring manager share the same football team or both can speak Arabic.

-Only one page.

-Don't include jobs from 20 years ago unless it is extremely significant, like the President of Google or something 😉

Those are the first things I look for when my manager hands me resumes to look at. The last batch were just terrible and I couldn't believe someone could submit something with spellings errors or bad formatting. One had 3 pages or jobs just going on and on and on.

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

[taxgeek83]

@samdiego – Thanks for the tips! I kind of figured I should avoid it, but I'm just not a huge fan of a bland/boring/stiff writing style. Good thing I went into accounting…. 🙂

[fuzyfro89]

Taxgeek:

Let your resume speak for itself. Your excitement and charming personality should be reserved for the interview process, where it is most effective in demonstrating how great you would be to work with.

On a resume/CL/other written language, tone can get lost very easily, so just try and take the conservative route and stick to facts, goals, accomplishments, etc.

I wish I had more experience writing CLs, but I really don't. In fact, most employers don't even request one, but I recall that a lot did in undergrad during the campus interview selection process. I doubt they paid much attention though. Considering most readers spend <30 seconds on a resume (for the initial screening), I have serious doubt anyone is reading a cover letter. If I can't read a resume and quickly know that you're worth meeting in person, then a cover letter probably won't change that. Anyway, I may not represent the opinion of others, so feel free to solicit other advice.

[taxgeek83]

@fuzyfro – Thanks! The particular posting I'm interested in requests both a cover letter and a resume, otherwise I would have had it in a long time ago. Unfortunately my resume is a little sparse. I've worked for two organizations since 1999, starting at the bottom of the totem pole in each and moving my way up. I'm maxed out opportunity-wise where I'm at now, hence the job search. On the plus side, keeping the resume to one page has not been a problem at all! I think I've been able to make my experience at my current job (highly relevant to the position I'm applying for) come across, and I put my CPA exam progress right up at the top, which I'm hoping will catch an eye. I also expanded on that in my cover letter.

Quick question – do you (or does anyone else) include in the education section schools from which you did not graduate? I only ask because my first three years out of high school were spent at a 4-year state university. I got all of my general-ed credits there, but nothing that particularly pertains to the accounting field. Quite the opposite actually – most of my credits are in math and science. I took a year off, moved, switched to a two-year school (long story!!), graduated, transferred to a separate 4-year school, and graduated from there. I took the first school off of my resume since it doesn't really pertain to anything, but now I'm wondering if that was a good idea or not. I could totally see it coming up in an interview, especially if the conversation turns to favorite football teams!! 🙂 Thoughts?

[G3]

Thanks for the tips @samdiegoCPA

3XBEC:75 * 4XREG:82 * 4XFAR:76 * 7XAUD:77

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Theodore Roosevelt

[John Tucker]

G3,

Read some of my posts on here, if you don't have any relevant experience no resume (professional, polished, unprofessional, non-polished, etc) is going to replace that. You don't need a professional resume service, use something such as Resume-Now (www.resume-now.com) in combination with Career Resources at your career on professional resume examples.

No “professional” resume writer gets you an interview, it's what's ON the resume that gets you an interview. And what needs to be ON it is relevant experience and relevant education. If you have neither, only apply for the positions that you have the relevant experience for.

* State of MA CPA Exam Candidate
- BEC: Sunday, August 24th
- FAR: Saturday, November 29th
- AUD: TBA for February 2015
- REG: TBA for May 2015

[Author]

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