[junpark]

My wife is an accounting major and she has an undergraduate degree in accounting with very high GPA (3.8) and she has been unable to crack into the public accounting. Currently, she’s studying for the CPA exam and she will be taking them soon. I’m sure she will pass them with flying colors but my question is, having CPA exam passed on your resume make you more attractive to public accounting firm? we live in Texas and to be licensed in Texas, you have to have 150 hours and maybe that’s holding her up? I just need an idea regarding how she can go about getting into public accounting. Obviously she can’t work at my firm but there are lots of other public accounting firms. she did apply to some of them but haven’t heard back. Any advice for my wife?

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

I don't know about Texas, but I have been blown away by the sheer volume of entry level accounting positions in Indiana lately.

Now, I do have to admit that I don't know about accounting firms, I tend to pay more attention to financial accounting positions in other industries because that is where my experience lies. If she's wanting to go into tax or audit, she may have a tougher time, however an entry level staff accounting position at another business might be another option.

[Anonymous]

I live south of Boston and have a couple friends who graduated with me that are having a tough time getting jobs at all…let alone into a firm. I graduated in December and emailed a few local firms and offered to do an internship for free during tax season. I just wanted some experience and my husband works so the pay check wasn't a huge deal. I got two offers within a week – both paid. The one I took asked me to stay on after tax season. Trying to get her foot in the door right before tax season – when they are looking for extra help – is worth a try. Not sure if already having a CPA is a deal breaker for most firms are not. My firm definitely does not hire this way.

[ImaCPA168]

There is always need for entry level people in public accounting. Does she go to a school that does not get a lot of public accounting recruiting activitiy? If she is going to a school where public accounting firms actively recruit, what happened? Did she miss the process?

Big 4 and mid-level firms are notorious for snatching people up early, Signing people when they are sophomores for junior and senior year internship and that's how they give offers, too. Typically offers go to people who have interned once or twice already. And people who miss that boat are left to wonder what they should do now and how to get their foot in the door.

Getting in after missing the recruiting boat is hard and I don't have much to say except she needs to reach out and network. She can look up recruiting events at other schools and just show up at those and network and meet the recruiters. She should mention to the recruiters her extra effort. It will impress most of them that she went out of her way to attend recruiting events at schools she doesn't even go to.

I don't think getting a CPA will help much as it is not a requirement to get the entry level job in the first place. The other avenue is working elsewhere…at a small firm or something to get relevant experience. She can get her CPA, then apply to bigger firms as an experienced hire–senior and up.

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[junpark]

Thanks for the advice guys! She graduated from the University of Kansas and we live in Austin now and UT-Austin is ranked No.1 in the country for accounting so I don't know if she has much chance at cracking the public accounting scene in Austin. It also looks like a lot of the B4 is sending their new hires to Houston/Dallas area. Makes sense since there are bigger jobs there I suppose. Neither of us want to be part of B4 but she does want to get in the public accounting.

[Whatdidyou]

“There is always need for entry level people in public accounting. Does she go to a school that does not get a lot of public accounting recruiting activitiy? If she is going to a school where public accounting firms actively recruit, what happened? Did she miss the process?”

hmm the job market sucks. Public accounting only has so many open entry-level positions a year. MOST accounting graduates don't get into public accounting firms in most parts of the country.

“Getting in after missing the recruiting boat is hard and I don't have much to say except she needs to reach out and network.”

I agree. Although I say she should expand her horizons public accounting is not the end all be abll. If you've graduated and don't have a job, apply everywhere. IF you don't like it, it can always be a stepping stone. But better than twiddling your thumbs hoping you get into a specific industry/firm.

“She can look up recruiting events at other schools and just show up at those and network and meet the recruiters. She should mention to the recruiters her extra effort. It will impress most of them that she went out of her way to attend recruiting events at schools she doesn't even go to.”

I think that would be creepy actually not impressive.

“I don't think getting a CPA will help much as it is not a requirement to get the entry level job in the first place. The other avenue is working elsewhere…at a small firm or something to get relevant experience. She can get her CPA, then apply to bigger firms as an experienced hire–senior and up.”

Agree. There are plenty of other companies out there – and lots of other applicants fighting for those positions. As an entry level candidate, you can't be too picky.

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[ImaCPA168]

“There is always need for entry level people in public accounting. Does she go to a school that does not get a lot of public accounting recruiting activitiy? If she is going to a school where public accounting firms actively recruit, what happened? Did she miss the process?”

I did not mean there are enough public accounting jobs to employ all the people graduating with an accounting degrees who want to get into public accounting. No industry is that way and it is very competitive to get into public accounting–Big4 or not. But with the kind of turnover public accounting firms experience yearly, there is always need for entry level people. There are all sorts of reasons why some don't get in — grades…personality…missed the recruiting boat…etc. But public accounting firms always need new bodies, that's why they recruit.

“She can look up recruiting events at other schools and just show up at those and network and meet the recruiters. She should mention to the recruiters her extra effort. It will impress most of them that she went out of her way to attend recruiting events at schools she doesn't even go to.”

Not creepy at all…I have recommended someone for hire at my firm because of all the extra work he put in. I don't mean for anyone to be lurking around and trying to get access to private recruiting events meant for invited guests/candidates. I'm talking about going to non-exclusive events like job fairs or accounting society events on another campus especially if you know the firm you want to apply for will be there. Present yourself in a professional way, bring your resume. Showing motivation, initiative, networking skills, and that you can research and are willing do extra leg-work is impressive.

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