[HTXAccountant]

Hello, everyone! I’ve made a couple of topics already on my current predicament, and have gotten useful feedback, so I would like to ask another question (hopefully I’m not overdoing it too much).

To briefly summarize my situation again: I just graduated in May with a Masters in Accounting (with a tax concentration). I did not recruit locally while I was in school because at the time, I had planned to move and build my career out of state. I was in the last round of an out-of-state job that I thought I was going to get, until I was notified, about a week before graduation, that I didn’t get the position. So then I up on moving out of state and have moved back to live with my parents and have been searching for employment locally, since then.

I have been working with some agencies (though nothing has come of that, honestly) and applying independently, and have since received an offer from a large investment management firm for a position. I will have to give them a decision next week. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, but it isn’t my goal to work in financial services (and the “training” for the position takes about a year, which means I can’t just quit a few months later–and I’ve been told that once you start in the mutual fund industry, you’re basically stuck because the work is so specific).

My original plan was to take a small part-time accounting assistant/clerk job, and keep job-searching in the meantime. But now I’m unsure as to whether it would make me look bad if, for example, I start a part-time/temp job, and then quit a few weeks later if I was able to land a full-time job. (Even if it doesn’t, *I* would feel awful about essentially lying about my commitment to an employer.)

In summary, my question is how long do you think it would be acceptable to be job-searching full time, as a new graduate, before it starts to look really bad? Is it better to just take a part-time/temp assistant or clerking job, even though you may decide to quit in a few weeks if you are able to get a better opportunity? Another consideration is that I have mostly a background in tax, and there seems to be very few tax jobs being posted this time of the year–I’m hoping that as the fall deadline approaches, maybe more opportunities will open up, but I don’t know.

[Anonymous]

Hi- Get the part time job to add to your experience, the employer should know as someone with a Master's you are overqualified and would certainly be looking for better opportunities in the near future. You will not look bad for going for a better job that fairly matches your qualifications. Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers

[ruggercpa2b]

I think that you may be doing yourself a disservice by listening to what people say and turning down a job based on what others have told you. I would honestly look at the job with the investment company and what exactly you will be doing. Obviously something about that job posting made you apply and interview. Its all on how you view the experience. You can learn so much in that position depending on how you apply yourself and move into something different down the road. Also, who is to say you don't end up loving it.

Don't base your life decisions based on what you hear. If we listened to what people say a handful of people would never go into public accounting because there is a lot of negative feedback and positive feedback. Live your life. And if you start at that company and you hate you can always quit.

Its all about how you will market yourself after you have gained experience. It may be industry specific but you can transition into another industry if you dont want to be in financial services.

AUD - NINJA in Training
BEC - NINJA in Training
FAR - NINJA in Training
REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 1/6/18
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Missy]

I think a gap of about 4-8 months is pretty standard. Yes some grads will land something right away, others will take a few months to kick around and relax before they even attempt to job search.

If you can find a part time or temp job, take it. As was mentioned above there will not be an expectation that someone with a Masters and Tax experience will be in it for the long haul and as long as you do it right (give a notice when you're leaving, offer to help with the transition, etc) it can work in your favor down the road for networking or other opportunities that might come up.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

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

[mw798]

Up to a year if you are filling your time with volunteer work. After that you are running a real risk of being labeled unhireable by recruiters.

[Anonymous]

I think 3 to 4 months of no work at all will not raise any red flags. A lot of college graduates finish school in May and don't start working until September, so that will not look unusual.

After that, whatever you are doing needs to be part of your career-launching story. Volunteer, do part-time work, do contract/consulting work, travel, etc. If you end up not getting a full-time job for a year, at least it will look like you were actively trying to develop your career interests. Just hanging out? You're not going to get more than a few months of that before people stop taking you seriously as an ambitious, forward-thinking/moving employee.

ETA: While I don't think it's wise to let other people tell you not to take a job because you'll get stuck in that field forever (not true about mutual funds, by the way), if you are truly not interested in a career of that nature and will be actively looking for another job while you are there, then don't waste their time and resources. If the training lasts a year, they will be spending a lot of money preparing you for a role in their company, only to have you leave when you find something you're truly interested in. That's not a good way to build your professional reputation.

[HTXAccountant]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

As for the mutual funds firm role, I didn't exactly really want the job specifically, more than that I've just been doing the panicked resume-flooding (ie: sending resumes out to any company in the area, where I thought I met the qualifications). I think I'm probably going to be more careful in sending resumes out from now on, since I just end up regretting having to fake my way through interviews, when I'm not actually very interested in the position.

I know that spring is the biggest hiring season for accounting, so I guess that summer might be when most of the “leftover” jobs are posted. I'm hoping that things will pick up in the fall, but I know that I will be competing with a lot more applicants, as well.

[fuzyfro89]

Public accounting is very structured, so most large and mid sized firms will already be full. Some may have openings, but that will be the exception, not the norm.

” (Even if it doesn't, *I* would feel awful about essentially lying about my commitment to an employer.)”

Suck it up, and do it. We all have to turn down an offer some day, send in a 2 week notice to quit a job, or otherwise. If a company wants you to stay, and would be broken if you left, then they should give you a contract. Mutual commitment is the name of the game. Don't be a sucker and commit when the counterparty (employer) is not willing to do the same.

As far as how long… It depends. If you want a number, I'll say 3 months after graduation to have an offer lined up. Most accounting grads where I went to school had offers signed by graduation, so you would be the minority without anything. Other places are different. I think the real question you are looking for is “At what point of being unemployed will employers view me as unemployABLE”?? Regardless of what you end up doing for a career, I'd encourage you to start getting involved in some community activities (Big Brother/Sister, local Young professionals group, other community/professional affilliated things) so you can show that you've done more than just sit on your bum.

[HTXAccountant]

Hi, everyone.

Just an update–I've had about three interviews since then, and have turned down two offers. I know it sounds very entitled of me to turn down any offer I've been given, but at the time, I was in a panic mode, and had just flooded my resume to every position in my relative area that I had thought I might be qualified for, only to interview and recognize that I wouldn't actually want to work those jobs, if not for me having been panicked about not being able to find a job at that point. I have two more upcoming interviews.

Also, my family (thinking that I would probably not be able to find a job until the fall) had planned a final family vacation for the middle of August. But now that I seem to be getting more opportunities, I am hesitant to take any of them because I've honestly been looking forward to this last trip very much, and I doubt these positions will let me delay my start date for a little over a month (I've heard most will allow 2-3 weeks, at max). Please note that these are all industry positions (my goal), so it's not like in public accounting, where people get to choose to start based on the fall/winter seasons.

I kind of just wish I had actually taken a summer break after graduation, instead of diving into full-time job search right after. Again, I know this is incredibly entitled of me because there are plenty of people who would love the opportunities I've had to interview, but I've also often heard how post-graduation would be the last time before retirement that one would get to take any extended break to do anything, and that many people regret not having taken the time off.

I don't know….so if I really wouldn't be committed to starting any job until the end of August, should I just quit job-hunting for now, and start applying again in August? I've heard stories about how if you send a resume, it might sit on HR's desk for 2 months before any response, but that you may also be called within the next 2 hours, so I've just always thought to play it safe.

[Missy]

yes, it sounds entitled but so what? This is the only time in your life you can be.

Heres the bottom line IMHO, look for your dream job, don't take a job for the sake of havnig a job. If you interview for the job of your dreams and they make an offer and ask you to start right away, let them know you have a vacation booked and will need a week or 2 off in August. You don't need to delay your start date until after your vacation, if its the job you WANT.

Its industry, its very common for a new hire to come in saying they've already booked a vacation. Its no big deal if they want you. Besides even if you started today its highly unlikely that within the next 7 weeks you will become so critical to any employer that they can't spare you for a week mid-august.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

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

[Author]

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