Looking for an accounting job even as volunteer with no pay

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  • #188149
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am looking for an accounting job to gain experience I am willing to work with no pay, I live in San Bernardina county in California. Please let me know if you even know a website, company or any source that might help me I’d really appreciate it. Thanks

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  • #596667
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    If you haven't already done so, sign up for email alerts from all the common job search sites – careerbuilder.com, monster.com, indeed.com, maybe simplyhired.com, any others you come across. This will allow you to be emailed every night if any jobs are posted matching your criteria in your area. Try to pick good search terms – maybe something like “accounting OR accountant OR cpa OR audit Or auditor OR bookkeeper OR bookkeeping” so that you can see all the potentially relevant results. Also go to the website for jobs with the state and set up a search result there. Given that state jobs are named all sorts of random things, I've found that for state jobs if you can do a search based on location without keywords, that can be more useful. For example, I set up a search for all jobs in my county, since it was easier to weed through jobs that weren't applicable than to try to get all the right search terms for a state job (and since my county doesn't have many jobs listings for state jobs, this was still less than 10 jobs a month to look through). Also go to usajobs.gov and set up a search alert there.

    After setting up all these emails, think about the establishments in town that you might want to work at that might not list their jobs online. Hospitals and colleges seem to rarely post their jobs in ways that sites like those referenced above, so when I'm actively job seeking, I make it a habit to check the sites of those facilities on a daily basis to ensure that I see any postings as soon as they are posted.

    Then, after all the above is done, pound the pavement. Make a great resume and cold-calling cover letter and go to every accounting establishment in town, introduce yourself, and drop off the resume and cover letter.

    #596668
    CPA50
    Participant

    Try local non profits too. They love volunteers 🙂

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    The adventure continues...

    #596669
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks Lilla I am doing the exact same thing about career websites but no luck for 8 month now and have been applying. I did cold calling to companies but they said if you want to volunteer you must have at least 1 year experience in a nice words they said we don't have time to start with you from scratch.

    #596670
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Get involved with a VITA program. Or even better, start one.

    The IRS website has the details.

    #596671
    tomq04
    Participant

    How close are you to Riverside or Corona? I've got clients down there in the citrus world that always need folks, and they pay 🙂

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    #596672
    ryuhadoken
    Member

    I am in the same boat as you. It is tough seeing jobs posting that require 2 to 5 years experience and the same amount of years for entry level. Entry level are hard to come by and is very discouraging. I am also in So-Cal.

    #596673
    stoleway
    Participant

    Sometime ago you needed a job to get experience; but now it's the opposite, you actually need to have experience these days to land a job. Chicken and egg issue-recruiters,HR and hiring managers are all confused about which one comes first.

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    Mass-CPA

    #596674
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Honestly, doing this to get a ‘job' is a terrible idea.. 99.99999% of companies will immediately write you off if you say something like this. It comes across as desperate/undesirable and doesn't make sense if they are looking for someone long-term.

    But if you just want to do something 1 day a week or something like that, VITA is a good suggestion. Also, just volunteer for an org/not for profit regularly (one that you enjoy even if not accounting related). Eventually you'll meet some office folks and you can offer to help with some of the bookkeeping items a few hours a week.

    Plus it doesn't really make sense if a company needs someone there long-term, you'll eventually have to be paid, right? You honestly have a much better chance going for normal/paid positions. And when you get interviews for those positions NEVER say you'll work for free.

    But, if you want to do some ‘volunteer' type services on the side/part time.

    #596675
    mystical guy
    Member

    The first place to start, if you haven't, is probably contacting Robert Half in your area (disclaimer: not all their offices are good. It really depends with the job market in that area. One office placed me in a week, another one, two years, they had nothing).

    Second step is finding networking events. I know, for example, that for black people they have National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Latinos and Asians have their Accounting networks, just find one for everyone or for your own ethnicity. I personally would go to any of these “ethnic” networks and just hand the partners my resume. Usually there's a registration fee required for these networking events – hundreds of dollars but most people come out with an interview. You can also contact recruiters on LinkedIn. If you can afford the Premium account you'll be able to send InEmails.

    I also agree with @ Lilla that you have to post your resume in those various websites she mentioned. 9.999/10 times the person to call you will actually be some recruiter from a job agency, who'll be trying to sell you a job that requires 10 years of experience because they never read your resume, but stay positive.

    The other thing you can do is consider a temporary career change. I remember working as a Reporting Analyst and because of my Accounting education I was given Audit assignments. From there, I was able to apply to Accounting/Audit jobs, and I eventually got an offer. Get your foot through the door, then move into the area you like.

    Last but not least, I know you've heard it before, I'll say it again. Your resume must be spectacular and you must use key words. It doesn't hurt to have a friend take a look at it. On top of that, work on your interviewing skills, daily. That includes practicing behavioral and technical questions.

    CPA - Since 2015
    CISA - Smashed 2012
    CIA - Passed 2015

    #596676
    kahtwoloo
    Participant

    @mystical guy You raise an interesting point. Asian, black, and latino people have associations to help them network and get jobs. However this doesn't exist for white people because we are ‘in power' and ‘privileged'. So far after a year and a half of job search I have yet to experience this ‘privilege'. Something tells me these disadvantaged people have had better luck. Would you like to point me in the direction of companies that favors whites over minorities since you seem to know so muh about this topic?

    BEC-51,71,70,77
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    #596677
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @kahtwoloo,

    You're comment is messed up. Don't judge just because you're down on your luck. I know plenty of people who have gotten a job: black, white, Asian, Latino, every color under the sun.

    Change your attitude and the right job might fall into your lap.

    #596678
    kahtwoloo
    Participant

    Hey I just keep hearing that I'm somehow privileged. If I am, I'd like to know where I can cash in, because I haven't seen any of them yet.

    BEC-51,71,70,77
    AUD-50,62,68 (retake july)
    REG-55
    FAR-15(didnt study)

    #596679
    stoleway
    Participant

    @kahtwoloo

    You've been served with some rich advice above, so try not to shift the goal post with the “privileged” card that was raised in a different thread.

    You're in a better position to land a job if you put much effort into it. I'm an immigrant and I do struggle to get jobs because of accent and being a minority. It takes me longer to transition into a new job , but I always get one at the end of the day.

    REG -63│ 84!!
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    AUD- 75!
    FAR- 87!

    Mass-CPA

    #596680
    mystical guy
    Member

    @stoleway “served with rich advice.” You're a very smart person and thanks lol. And what you said is also right on the money. I'm a minority too and there are times I went 9 months without work.

    And @cindywindy is right on the money as well. The attitude is very very critical. I can't stress that enough.

    @kahtwoloo

    You don't need white privilege, white disadvantage, or any other theory. All I know is that the Big 4 are struggling to hire and keep minorities (especially blacks), and that's why they were instrumental in creating the networking groups for them. I think last time I checked EY had the highest number of minorities (30%). What am I to say? That the 70% of whites that have jobs do not deserve them? When there's turnover many of those 30% minorities end up leaving, which again affects the Big 4. Remember they have laws to comply with, hiring laws. There are white people that go around schools begging minorities to switch their majors to business-related degrees because they just don't have enough minorities to recruit and handle the turnover rate (and by “enough” I mean the Big 4 type of minorities, fitting their preferences. Not anyone).

    Conclusion is, like I tell my obese sister, you gotta work with what you've got. I'll reiterate that you must change your attitude if you want to succeed. There are white and minority recruiters that want to get to know you. Sell yourself appropriately. If a black recruiter calls you don't indicate any negativity in your tone. Get rid of those negative thoughts and start perfecting your craft, becoming the best you can be. And all else will be added unto you.

    CPA - Since 2015
    CISA - Smashed 2012
    CIA - Passed 2015

    #596681
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thank you guys so much for all your replies I'll address all the helpful points that has been mentioned in this post.

    1- to billbrasskey …… I didn't know before about Vita it's nice to know about it but I was looking more to get involved as Accounting Clerk A/P and A/R.

    2- to tomq04 I am 9 miles away from corona I would really appreciate to hear back from you if you know anybody who is hiring in Accounting.

    3- To Anonny you would be surprised to tell you that I called not less than 30 non profit organizations within 30 miles radius in my area and they don't offer any volunteering in accounting, I have a lot of experience in the financial industry but not accounting and I decided to go Accounting because I see the future in that field.

    4- to mystical guy Robert Half is the worst I talked to 5 different recruiters in my area and they told me straight forward if you have less than 18 month of experience forget about us. I have resumes in all websites but still they require at least 2 years experience and quick books strong knowledge even when they advertise entry level position.

    Thanks again to all of you, I'll keep looking and please share any new ideas you might have.

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