Entering in the accounting profession with ZERO experience.

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  • #186585
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hey everyone!

    I post from time to time on here and read a lot of what everyone has to say about particular topics, but I have a situation that I may need a little advice on. I need to start my career in the accounting area! I graduated April of 2013 with my Bachelor’s in accounting and I have yet to land an accounting job in public, manufacturing, healthcare, or anywhere for that matter! I got so fed up with the negative results from going to interviews that I completely stopped looking and have focused on the CPA exam. Also, I have had no success with the exam thus far either. I am 28 years old, married, and have two children ages 2 and 4. I also work at a warehouse loading trucks and stacking boxes that I have had since I graduated high school. I actually started college when I turned 21 because I knew I did not want to work like that for the rest of my life. (i.e., long manual labor hours, low wage, and they try to work you 6 days a week all year). I am stuck there since I need money to pay for my family’s day to day life and I have been unsuccessful at landing any job in the accounting field because I lack “related” experience. I am located in a roughly small town that is growing in Georgia which is around 75 miles from Atlanta. I have applied to places in Atlanta, but they shoot me an email back saying there are too many local candidates for the positions. I mean I can’t relocate without having a job lined up first! I also can’t start my own business seeing that I am not licensed and do not have a lick of accounting experience besides school! I fear that the longer the gap gets between my graduation date and the upcoming months or years will make it even harder to get a job in the field. I’m sure someone out there has been in this situation before or are in the situation currently. I have invested way too much time and money in this thing to just throw my hands up and say screw it, so that is not an option. I have seen people go to the local area technical school in my town and have a job when they get out. I mean it’s nothing I want to do, but they get jobs for what they went to school for! Here I am graduated with a 4 year degree from an AACSB accredited program and came out with nothing but a bunch of debt and a bunch of No’s from employers! I can’ let my wife and kids down either because I have promised them that one day we will be able to have a better quality of life. So that being said….. does anyone have any helpful advice?

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 30 total)
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  • #585444
    roni11
    Member

    You are less likely to get something really well-paid (to support your family) without much experience, but there are options:

    – look up federal/state employment. look for accounting jobs on usajobs.com, on your state's website. Don't discard opportunities even if you are overqualified for them – go for AR/AP positions. Check large corporations and chains, you will have a better opportunity to move up there (from AR clerk to a staff accountant and on)

    – check your school's alumni services – they might assist with job placement or a paid internship.

    – check out part-time jobs with local tax-prep companies, where you might work over weekends or evenings… yes, it'll be hard to manage with another job, but it will give you some exposure, experience and, may be, good contacts.

    – attend you state's CPA society events and seminars. they are usually very cheap for students – again, for contacts. Ask questions, look professional.

    – Apply, apply, apply. You see something even remotely acceptable – go for it! even if you aren't hired, you'll have an interview experience for the next one. Confidence is crucial.

    So again, don't be afraid to take an internship or a slightly lower-level job. It'll still look good on the resume and be good for your future prospects.

    FAR August 2013 - 90
    AUD October 2013 - 86
    BEC March 2014 - 89
    REG - May 2014 - 81
    Ethics - 98

    I am done!

    Licensed in CO since September, 2014

    #585445
    floacct
    Member

    First off, do not ever give up! You have the hardest part accomplished, the 4 year degree. Passing the exam will help you land a job but it certainly is not required to get started. You have a degree in a field that is in extremely high demand. All you need is perseverance. Apply apply apply, and you will get in eventually. Regardless of what anyone else is going to tell you here, you will get a job if you apply yourself fully, you just have to really want it.

    #585446
    mla1169
    Participant

    2 things. I started college (only had a high school education) at 33 years old and a single mother of a 10 and 3 year old. Did my bachelors, masters, and the CPA exams. I was working basically as an accounting clerk the whole time so I had some relevant experience but still didn't make it a cake walk.

    Second thing, I left my job in January. While I was unemployed I got out 8 resumes per day, every day, including weekends. I had over 40 interviews as the result of 300 resumes sent out. I had 3 offers out of the 40 interviews. My point is you have to throw a lot of mud at the wall before it begins to stick, but it DOES begin to stick eventually. Keep at it aggressively. You're going to get a lot of No's but you only need ONE yes.

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

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #585448
    vanadium3
    Member

    “You're going to get a lot of No's but you only need ONE yes.”

    Pretty much. If you have your mind set on something and you work towards it, you will get it. Don't let yourself or anyone else tell you otherwise.

    It's good to see someone who is bearing the responsibilities. Makes the world a better place. Start with your local phone books, cpa firms, newspaper, internet postings, recruiters, anything that will get you out there. have your resume get looked at, polish your interviewing skills.

    remember, the best interviewee gets the job. not the best qualified (or “unqualified” if you really think about it…but then again in time one can be qualified). keep at it. think positive and don't give up!

    CPA

    #585449
    ridiqls
    Member

    I'm in a very similar position as you but my downsides are a little different.

    I'm 27 and made a change to the accounting profession which means i also have zero experience that's accounting related. All my work experience is at least 5 years ago meaning I have nothing recent or relevant. I have a 4 year degree from a respectable college in Econ but not accounting which means until I get the credit hours of the CPA out of the way, employers do not see me as equivalent to someone with a degree in accounting. (At least in my view)

    I have 6 months of school left assuming I buckle down and take 3 hard classes each semester including summer and winter 6 week sessions. Not to mention that the stars are going to have to align for me to get into the classes. Worst case scenario I'll be done next spring which means I will be 28 when I am done with my CPA educational requirements and can even begin to start studying.

    I don't know if this helps because I'm in the same boat as you and haven't done anything yet to tell you what works and doesn't. But I did/do research whenever I can on my career path while I have downtime from studying.

    My plan is to break in part-time. For someone who has no experience, even entry level jobs are not easy to get. If you pass your CPA exam then it may make you a lot more competitive against other candidates who just have a degree. So in that case you may be able to land a Junior Accountant/Staff Acccountant/entry level job at a small or local CPA firm. But if you don't have a CPA, there are people with 4 year accounting degrees WITH experience, so it'll be hard to land a full-time job.

    So what are the choices?

    1) Get the CPA and then apply for entry level jobs or jobs that are 1 step down from a “real” CPA job (because other CPAs with experience will be going for those.) This will give you your first job and the second job at a good position during full on CPA work even after 1 year is viable.

    or…. 2) get a part-time job. There are part-time jobs out there and because they are part-time there is a whole slew of industries and experiences. Sometimes there are 1 person CPA home-office firms that require someone to do bookkeeping and to act as an assistant to the CPA. You may get hands-on CPA experience this way that matter and no CPA with experience is going to go for this job. There are part-time tax jobs I see sometimes at tax firms. I saw one from a cpa tax firm that required part-time assistance and one of the qualifications that was you should be pursuing your CPA license meaning they have some desire to hire full-time for the right candidate. There are part-time and seasonal industry staff accounting jobs as well, just regular accounting positions for companies. And then there are clerk jobs and bookkeeping jobs.

    While they dont pay well and the clerk jobs don't translate directly to CPA experience, it's better than nothing and puts you on the map.

    I don't know how much you get paid currently working at the warehouse but bookkeeping positions I saw start around $12-$14 for a decent part-time gig. And after a while, you pay see a bump to $18 or so. So if you work part-time, you may give up some hours at your current job (and some income) but gain the experience you need.

    You're attempting to completely lateral and make a long 3-point shot by switching out of your job into a full-time entry level job. If it works, that's probably the best bet but it might be kind of hard.

    The biggest thing I think makes it hard for you is your location. Much easier to find jobs when you're close to the city or a very populated metro area.

    I plan on working part-time hopefully at a tax CPA firm so I get necessary experience while I get to put the name of a CPA firm down as experience on my resume. I hope to do this after I pass 2 or 3 parts of the exam so I only have to work and juggle the exam for 1-2 last part. Might give me a few months of work and then once i pass, I can work a few more months and see if they'll bring me in full-time or start applying full-time.

    #585450
    LongShot
    Participant

    Actually sounds a lot like me-I started college at 18, then dropped out a year later and finished later. Eventually I got thru MBA and didn't start CPA for almost two years. In total, I had maybe 3 years of almost-worthless “accounting” experience in state government and a year as a “business analyst” (just made pretty excel reports for mgmt, never analyzed a thing) before I landed an accountant job in accounting for the largest bank in my state that happens to be headquartered in my hometown. I'm also 28, married, and have 3 kids under 5 years old. The government experience means less than jack to employers because government accounting isn't actual accounting, so I basically had zero legit accounting experience before this job.

    My advice? Keep doing what you're doing, applying for EVERYTHING. I had been actively searching for 6 months with no response whatsoever from anyone. Ended up getting 3 job offers within 3 days. And I had no relevant experience, was not in the area, and was “old” compared to others. It really is just a matter of dumb luck as to whether they will even look at your resume or not. All you need is that one chance to talk to them and-if it's at like my experience-they'll LOVE that you're older with a family. I think they look at people like us like we've got more to lose and are in it for the long haul (no offense toward younger/single people!). And definitely bring up the kids in the interview-it works!

    Just make the resume the best you can, send it to EVERY employer, and highlight your reasons for having a desire for long term employment before they have a chance to hit on your lack of experience. I wish I had a secret formula to tell you, but that's all I've got. Wishing you the best of luck!

    FAR - 75
    AUD - 72; 87
    REG - 64; 74; 84
    BEC - 88

    Done!!

    #585451
    Kls238
    Member

    I am in a similar position with different circumstances. In high school, I was in an accident that left me paralyzed and in wheelchair. Since I can't do manual labor, I was encouraged to go to college. I'm now in my mid 20s and graduated (last May), but I also can't find a job.

    Due to my accident, I've spent more time over the past few years in a hospital/rehab or in school than I have working, so I have little to show on my resume. I had an internship at a large corporation doing AP, but that's as close as it gets to a real job. I thought it was decent experience considering I was just finishing my undergrad, but I've only had one interview to the countless places I've applied.

    I live in a small city with plenty of manual labor and manufacturing opportunities, but few entry level accounting/finance positions, few gov't agencies, etc. To get more accounting experience, I started volunteering. I work with a local NFP doing basic accounting work, and I also volunteered preparing taxes for VITA during tax season. I'd much rather be working, but hoping the experience along with passing the CPA exam will make my resume more appealing. I'd recommend the same to you since you're struggling to find anything.

    I wish you luck!

    Passed all sections.

    #585452
    Hank Scorpio
    Participant

    Network. Go to CPA events for state and other groups like IMA or AICPA. Let people know you are looking. I met with a partner with no job on the line. I was open and honest and was able to get some good advice. He hired me a year later when he had a position open. When you meet some people in the industry ask if you can take them to lunch and ask away. People are willing to help in the south.

    AUD - 71, 79
    BEC - 69, 74, 75
    FAR - 71, 74, 80
    REG - 74, 78

    FAR - 10/3/16
    BEC - 69 - 10/31/16
    AUD - November 2016
    REG - December 2016

    #585453
    Herbieherb
    Participant

    I graduated college with a bachelor's in accounting from a large State school with a low gpa… and didn't have a job lined up out of college. I worked at a video store making minimum wage and as a bank teller for 2 years after graduation. My friends and family thought I was a loser and so did I. I have a four year degree and I'm sweeping floors after the video store closed… I got my first accounting job from working as a temp at a placement agency as an accounts payable clerk, making $3.00 over minimum wage lol… went temp to perm after two months. I was very energetic and did any task…I got promoted to junior accountant in six months and my career kept going up since then. Failed the CPA a few times in my younger years, took a long break then finally passed. Before I passed I hit a plateau as an unlicensed accountant.

    I've had 5 different jobs since the bank teller and now I'm licensed, work for a great company and make a nice “CPA” salary…don't give up.

    Not everyone has a 3.7 gpa and a job with the big4 and fortune 500 upon graduation and $55k+salary like you see in many of these posts. Where I work now there are two other former big4 CPAs and we are in the same salary grade and title…it gives me satisfaction that we ended up in the same place even tho they had a more promising start than I did.

    NEW YORK- DONE

    #585454
    John Tucker
    Member

    Dream,

    What types of jobs are you applying for? A common misconception in the Accounting profession is that racking up your degrees first without having a lick of experience, will somehow still allow you to move up the ranks. Sometimes it might, but a lot of times it won't.

    > You should ONLY be applying to jobs that are below entry level right now to gain a solid 1-2 years of experience. This is the “paying your dues” stage.

    > From there, then you can apply to the entry level jobs which most all require 1-2 years of experience along with either the Bachelor's or Associates Degree.

    > From there, you apply to the next ranking of positions which require the Bachelor's degree and most likely the CPA license. You should have at least 5 years of experience by this point.

    > From there, you apply to management level positions which you should come to the table with the Bachelor's, CPA License and a Master's Degree. You should also have close to 10 years of experience by this point.

    It's the whole the package as you can see, you started out in the Accounting field late which means you have to start at the paying your dues stage. This is hard considering you have a family, but the hard reality (just ask Fast Food workers that are striking), is that you having a family is of no importance to the employer, only your skills and value.

    You said you been working at a warehouse loading and unloading boxes? Okay, STAY in that industry. Find a way to get promoted UP to the next level of positions within that industry or within that area in some way using your newly minted Accounting Degree. Are there management or IT type of positions available around that area/industry? Something of that nature?

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

    #585455
    G3
    Member

    I am in a similar boat: 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! 🙁

    Unfortunately, Texas doesn't allow candidates to complete the ethics exam or course without first completing the necessary work experience and associated paperwork! 🙁

    So if anyone has any ideas or leads please let me know. 🙂

    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

    #585456
    mlindse5
    Member

    Dream, I am a Controller for a biotech company that is 70 miles east of Atlanta. We are located down the road from Rock Eagle. I will be looking to hire a staff accountant in September. If you'd like to submit a resume, please email it to me. If you live in a different part of the state I could see who I know in your area that could be helpful contacts. This offer goes to anyone in Georgia that needs help and would like to work for small/medium sized industry or small public practice. My network does not reach to the Big 4.

    CPA-GA

    NEVER, NEVER, GIVE UP!

    #585457
    stoleway
    Participant

    @G3

    If you have an MBA, I think it will serve you better to transfer your scores to MA for a non-reporting license

    REG -63│ 84!!
    BEC- 59│70│ 71 │78!
    AUD- 75!
    FAR- 87!

    Mass-CPA

    #585458
    G3
    Member

    @stoleway

    My MBA is not concentrated in accounting so I would not have very many scores to transfer over. 🙁

    What are the steps to getting a non-reporting license and how does it compare to the CPA license in the job market?

    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

    #585459
    mla1169
    Participant

    your mba doesn't have to be in accounting as long as you meet the accounting credits requirement for MA licensing.

    There is virtually no difference between the two licenses (reporting and non reporting) if you're not going into audit, in fact you need not disclose the type of license you have unless you are asked to provide attest services which you would have to decline.

    If you were going into tax or industry or govt its the same. Sometimes an active CPA will ask how you became licensed without public experience and you simply say you have a graduate degree and waived the experience requirement.

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

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

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