Young Professional Mix and Mingle…help!

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    Topic
  • #819627
    theunexperienced
    Participant

    I’m going to a mix and mingle event tomorrow sponsored by my state’s CPA society. I’ve finished my exams and I am currently looking for a job that can give me the experience I need to get my certification. I have zero experience in real-world accounting…I am hoping that this event can extend my network. I don’t know what to expect…it’s at a brewery, so I’m assuming I shouldn’t walk in there with a suit and tie and a bunch of resumes. What are some good tips for events like these? Are recruiters/hiring managers known to attend something like this? What questions should I ask? I’m really nervous…

    FAR - 75 (2/25/16)
    AUD - 80 (4/8/16)
    REG - 80 (6/10/16)
    BEC - 79 (7/19/16)

    You only get one shot with the spirit bomb.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
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  • #819678
    neaux
    Participant

    First relax. If I were you, I would at least wear a blazer or sportcoat. Just wear shirt and slacks if you don't have sportcoat. I personally think that the most important thing is to get the contact info (business card)of people you meet, and you connect with them on LinkedIn or through email where you will have a chance to drop a resume.

    FAR - 81, 7/4/16
    AUD - 77, 7/11/16
    BEC - 83, 7/23/16
    REG - 63, 8/12/16; 87 11/4/16

    NINJA saved my working life!

    #819765
    MoreCoffeePlease
    Participant

    Brush up your LinkedIn and resume. I agree with getting as many business cards as you can – when you follow-up with anyone that interested you, attach your resume and/or LinkedIn profile link. Have a short little intro about yourself (your elevator pitch) that you can use to introduce yourself – having all your exams done should be a highlight. Otherwise, use the opportunity to ask the people you meet about their companies, industries, experiences, paths, etc.
    You might run into a mix of associates, partners, and/or HR reps. Make a good impression – I would veto the suit but still dress nicely.

    AUD - 80
    BEC - NINJA in Training
    FAR - 87
    REG - NINJA in Training
    Halfway there; All passes on the first try so far. Hoping to complete by November 2016

    FAR - 87; May 2016
    AUD - Anxiously waiting, July 2016
    BEC - ?, August 2016
    REG - TBD

    #819819
    monikernc
    Participant

    have a good time. mingle. relax and see how it goes.
    but can i take a moment to point out here that AICPA and my state society think diversity means Young CPAs of different ethnicities, gender and race. Why can't it be New CPAs and include those of us who are older who are new to the profession? Jeez, Hillary and Trump are ancient compared to me and we are going to ask one of them to rule the frikkin' world for the next 4-8 years.
    there. i am done with my awareness raising moment.
    make some good contacts. don't drink too much and tip your barkeep.

    AUD - 93
    BEC - 82
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    How have you been?
    Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
    Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
    State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
    Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
    If you want things to change you have to do something different.

    FAR 7/25/15 76!
    AUD 10/30/15 93
    BEC 2/27/16 82
    REG 5/23/16 88!
    Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
    and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
    if you want things to change, you have to do something different

    #820164
    MaLoTu
    Participant

    This event will not be appropriate to bring resumes to. I agree with the suggestions above about taking cards and connecting on LI.

    Make sure that when you meet someone from a firm/company you pick their brains about the culture and type of work they do. Definitely ask them how they found out about the firm/company and how they were able to land the job. Many of the other members in your age group probably have not completed the exam. This might be an area where you can really give a little to the conversation by providing some advice or tips.

    Just have fun and be you.

    Almost always from my phone... please excuse my typos!

    All 4 passed - 2016

    CA CPA

    #820365
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    This is a young professionals mix-and-mingle, so this is people just like you, only difference is some of them already have a job in accounting. So, fast-forward 12 months, pretend you're going to next year's event as a guy who just got through his first busy season and is gearing up for extensions (if you're in tax) or dealing with quarterlies (if you're in audit). Now imagine that you-from-a-year-ago comes up and is trying to push a resume on you…what're you gonna do with it? You're a young professional, just like him, simply a few months ahead in the job world; you don't know some stranger from the mix-and-mingle enough to stake your reputation on a referral, and you just came to meet more people in your profession, but all he's doing is trying to snag a job off of you.

    If this was a “Meet the Firms”, then it could be all about a job, first-thing. But since it's a young professionals event, see it as your peers. This is like a class reunion of accounting students from the past few years, all getting together to see what accounting life is like for everyone else. Make yourself an enjoyable chatting companion, make connections, make friends…and then down the line, one of them might lead to a job, but the job isn't today.

    I'd even go so far as to say that the follow-up emails shouldn't be like “Hey George! Met you at the thing last night. Oh, here's my LinkedIn and I want a job”, but instead just be a follow-up to the conversation, and simply have your LinkedIn in your signature. Like, my signature on my email account that I use for job-search-related-stuff is something like:

    Lilla, CPA
    https://linkedin.com/public/whatever-my-link-is-i'm-too-lazy-to-pull-it-up-this-morning
    Phone: ###-###-####

    Using a signature like that allows you to provide your LinkedIn, but in a way that looks like it's just part of your standard email signature, not like you're hounding him/her for a job. Then as you get to know the person, if they're in a position to directly impact hiring, or if you've gotten to know them enough for them to really be able to give you a referral, then you can be more direct about it…”Hey, as I've gotten to know you, your office environment sounds great – would you be able to pass on my resume to anyone at the firm and see if I could get a job there? I've attached it for your convenience.” Not awesome wording, just a sample. Haven't had coffee yet today. 😛

    This is an event for young accountants to get to meet other young accountants. If you don't work in a big firm that hires lots of youngsters, it's easy to not know any other youngsters. I've worked at 3 different accounting jobs. I'm 25. At one, we had a traditional college student that worked part-time with us, so I met a young accountant there, but it wasn't really someone I wanted to network with. At another, the youngest person was about 5 years older than me, and was a clerk who was in accounting job because that's what she had, but not someone who specifically wanted to do accounting or who I expect would get an accounting job next time she changed jobs. At my current job, the youngest person in accounting is about 8-9 years older than me, and just moved into an accounting role from another part of the company. She enjoys it, and I may end up mentoring her along an accounting career trajectory, but previously she'd had no accounting experience, and it's like the prior person – more of a clerk type role that she just wound up in at present. So, if my state CPA society events were closer than nearly 2 hours away, I'd be tempted to attend some, just to get to know more young accountants. I expect the “young professionals” would extend to the early-30's level of some of the people I've worked with, and that's OK, but it'd just be nice to get to know some other people in person (aka outside A71) who are driven to more in accounting and are also young like me (22-30-ish range). So, I think people like me are what this event is set up for, and that's why I shared my whole big story. 😛 It's set up for people to meet people and make connections, not specifically for people to land jobs. Landing jobs can happen through it, though. I'm the Controller where I work. If I'd attended one of these events, and if I had an opening, I would be likely to reach out to connections I'd made to see if any of them were interested in it. So, you may very well get a job through this event, but it's not set up as a job-searching thing. You've got to make your connections be non-job-search, and then let a job fall out of them.

    #822265
    theunexperienced
    Participant

    Hey guys,

    Just wanted to update you guys on how this event went. I was the first one there and nearly the last to leave. It was really fun and useful. I learned a lot about audit and tax work along with meeting some investment bankers and financial planners. I did my best to hide my desperation for looking for a job, but people seemed to pull it out of me once they found out I wasn't in accounting. I met two of the firms that were at the top of my list and both seniors from the respective firms asked me to forward them resumes. I felt like I did a great job of working the room and even giving advice to those still seeking to pass these exams! Fast forward to today, I was contacted by the COO of one of the firms and had a phone interview this afternoon! They want to bring me in and talk more about an entry-level assurance position (which is right up my alley). The other firm really liked me as well and invited me to a reception event they have next month. I think everything went well and I got exactly what I wanted out of it. I recommend going to events like these for just about any professional because you will learn a lot!

    FAR - 75 (2/25/16)
    AUD - 80 (4/8/16)
    REG - 80 (6/10/16)
    BEC - 79 (7/19/16)

    You only get one shot with the spirit bomb.

    #822337
    Smartcpa
    Participant

    @theunexperienceed: Where are you living now? Can you advise how can you find that event? thanks

    Passed all 4 sections within 6 months

    FAR: 4/2016

    BEC: 5/2016

    AUD: 6/2016

    REG: 7/20/16 (exam day), score day (8/4/16)

    #822397
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @theunexperienced Sounds like it went great! I imagine the fact that you let them ask if you wanted a job, rather than you asking if they could get you a job, is probably a big part of why you're now being sought for a job. Grats on the leads – hope a job opportunity comes out of them!

    #822514
    monikernc
    Participant

    i am glad it went well for you and hope your follow up meetings result in an offer and your career takes off.

    unfortunately, i cannot attend these events. i am excluded solely because of my age.
    reading through some of these posts it seems i am also unwelcome – i honestly do not understand how my presence would ruin it for others – a mix of new professionals would offer opportunities for all. i am not clear how the inclusion of older people who are new to the profession would prevent others who solely want to mingle with people their own age from doing so.
    if segregation by age is so necessary why don't they offer similar events for older, new CPAs? my larger point is that they (AICPA, NASBA, and the state board) pat themselves on the back for promoting diversity while never acknowledging we exist. the example they set is reflected in many ways throughout the industry. i encounter it daily in my job search.

    AUD - 93
    BEC - 82
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    How have you been?
    Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
    Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
    State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
    Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
    If you want things to change you have to do something different.

    FAR 7/25/15 76!
    AUD 10/30/15 93
    BEC 2/27/16 82
    REG 5/23/16 88!
    Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
    and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
    if you want things to change, you have to do something different

    #822523
    theunexperienced
    Participant

    @smartcpa i live in VA. I found the event through my state CPA society website vscpa.com



    @monikernc
    how old are you? I chatted it up with people ranging from undergrad students to people who've been working for 15 years. I never saw an age restriction at any time. Are you sure people of your age are barred from these events?

    FAR - 75 (2/25/16)
    AUD - 80 (4/8/16)
    REG - 80 (6/10/16)
    BEC - 79 (7/19/16)

    You only get one shot with the spirit bomb.

    #822841
    monikernc
    Participant

    unexperienced… i am 57, and finished the ed requirements in Dec 2014 and passed all exams as of this May. i have almost 15 years of service to offer in practice. and no, i do not think i would be kicked out if i found out about and chose to attend an event offered to “Young” CPAs but i would like to be invited and read an invititation that acknowledges that NEW CPAs are of all ages and can answer the calls for diversity in the field.
    i apologize for hijacking your post and really do wish you well.
    i have been standing on this soapbox since i made my decision to be a CPA 3 years ago.
    i have emailed AICPA, NASBA and NC Board many times in response to diversity ads and announcements targeted to Young CPAs and received responses only from one Journal of Accounting writer who said there was nothing he could do.
    i have applied to jobs that omit age in their EEO statements and received no response. i never soapboxed my applications but my experience goes back many, many years, so my age becomes somewhat apparent.
    i am actually writing all of this so the trolls from the above mentioned organizations who actively peruse this site will read my concerns and to raise the awareness of my peers on this site. maybe as many of you enter the profession you will be reminded of those who feel slighted. i feel slighted but won't abide it. it is time for the leaders to step up to their claims and be all-inclusive by recognizing age as an element of diversity.
    that's all.

    AUD - 93
    BEC - 82
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    How have you been?
    Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
    Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
    State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
    Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
    If you want things to change you have to do something different.

    FAR 7/25/15 76!
    AUD 10/30/15 93
    BEC 2/27/16 82
    REG 5/23/16 88!
    Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
    and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
    if you want things to change, you have to do something different

    #823144
    MaLoTu
    Participant

    @moniker, does the NC CPA society put on a lot of events? I am in CA and most of our events are ‘mixer' type events. The only thing that they do that is geared directly towards younger people is the emerging professionals group, which I gather they do a lot of teaching/mentoring type stuff.

    If they have something for people just to get together I would definitely urge you to try to attend. I went to a scholarship dinner event where the CPA society was awarding scholarships and some of the recipients were older than me and I am 33. Definitely a mixed crowd at every event I have been to, age-wise. Not sure how much geography plays a role.

    Almost always from my phone... please excuse my typos!

    All 4 passed - 2016

    CA CPA

    #823234
    monikernc
    Participant

    MaLoTu, i have engaged with my state society but they have been hosting most events this summer a couple of hours away. i asked for a mentor to help with job search and resume ideas. she was nice when we met but never emailed back after taking my resume and making promises to come back with ideas. just crickets.
    i had a phone interview last week that result from the job board and that may or may not go anywhere. it was a good conversation anyway.
    this started in school – the professors didn't know what to do with me. i did meet the firms twice and was either ignored or flat out told they wanted “traditional candidates” – one guy from a top 5 firm was drunk at a mixer and just so rude to me that i thanked him and left. my take is that for many it is incomprehensible that someone not in their 20s and straight out of college would want to go into accounting. it starts with the message that comes from leaders in the profession. encore careers are not that surprising as we work longer. i like to work and plan to do so until 70 at least.
    like i said this is a soapbox moment for me. i will get my license and practice. eventually.
    thanks for asking.

    AUD - 93
    BEC - 82
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    How have you been?
    Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
    Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
    State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
    Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
    If you want things to change you have to do something different.

    FAR 7/25/15 76!
    AUD 10/30/15 93
    BEC 2/27/16 82
    REG 5/23/16 88!
    Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
    and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
    if you want things to change, you have to do something different

    #833284
    theunexperienced
    Participant

    Just following up with you guys! I met an audit manager for a medium sized local firm at this event and he ended up forwarding my resume to the COO of the firm. From there, he gave me a call with an informational interview. A week later, he asked me to come in for another interview. Very long interview, almost 4 hours. They were very impressed that I passed the CPA exam on the first try, even though I always thought that meant nothing to an employer. Fast forward a week and I got an offer for almost 20% more than what I make in my current job! I'll be an assurance associate,dealing with audits, reviews and comps. This is the opportunity I was looking for! I strongly suggest for those looking for employment after the exams to ditch throwing resumes on the Internet and find ways to meet people instead. So long, retail! I'll be a certified CPA next fall!

    FAR - 75 (2/25/16)
    AUD - 80 (4/8/16)
    REG - 80 (6/10/16)
    BEC - 79 (7/19/16)

    You only get one shot with the spirit bomb.

    #833353
    monikernc
    Participant

    I am very happy to hear how this worked out for you!!!
    Good luck and enjoy!

    AUD - 93
    BEC - 82
    FAR - 76
    REG - 88
    How have you been?
    Ninja book and MCQs and the forum, all first try! 2016
    Licensed State of Montana April Fool’s Day 2020
    State of Colorado June 2020 - AICPA Ethics 93
    Experience was the worst part of the journey for me. You?
    If you want things to change you have to do something different.

    FAR 7/25/15 76!
    AUD 10/30/15 93
    BEC 2/27/16 82
    REG 5/23/16 88!
    Ninja Book and MCQ and the forum - all the way!!!
    and a little thing i like to call, time and effort!
    if you want things to change, you have to do something different

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