[Anonymous]

Title says it all. I’m frustrated and ready to take any under-paying bookkeeping position offered but still no luck. What should I do?

[Anonymous]

I dont mind starting at the bottom…I just want to start lol 🙂

[lateralus ag]

Move to Texas. Lots of jobs. It's hot, but there are LOTS of opportunities in entry level down here. I restarted my career and had to give up a pretty nice gig to get into the field. Once I swallowed my pride and applied for jobs that I was qualified for (not saying anyone here is proud, that was just me) I landed a solid job with a lot of upward potential. Pay is about 25% less than I was used to making, but the upside with a CPA in my firm is pretty decent.

Just keep at it and build your skills. I love the Toastmaster idea and the Chamber of Commerce idea. Both allow you to meet a lot of people that may know a lot of people. As the saying goes, it's not what you know but who you know….

FAR 88
REG 89
AUD 89
BEC 86
DONE!!!
Using Becker Review and Becker Final Review, and Ninja Audio for BEC

[sbundy13]

I dont think it matters to a potential employer if you passed the first time or the fourteenth time, so probably look past that fact.

FAR - 75 (Expires April 30, 2012)
BEC - 74,74,69,83
AUD - 72,65,70, 78 !!!!!! Holy Crappola this guy is finished after 5 years.
REG - 69,84

[titine]

lateralus ag: Did you move to Texas and then found a job there or the other way around?

[Mom2two]

Cheer222, that is funny! It is tough in the job market so I wish you good luck. I also think location will help. TX is booming so if you can, maybe consider moving. We just moved for our careers. It is tough but I am willing to take any risks to continue to build my career because I don't want to look back at 50 and wish I would have pushed harder. Nothing is standing in the way of building a better life for myself and my kids. A little off subject…more preaching to myself here than anything. 🙂

B: 81 (3X) May 2012
A: 76 (1X) Nov 2011
R: 86 (2X) Feb 2012
F: 64, April 2011, retake 10.01.12 - 75!!!!!!!!!!

[Herbieherb]

I think you guys might be ‘overqualified' for entry level positions since you passed the CPA, but have no work experience. For those book keeping /entry level maybe leave off of your resume and cover letter that you passed? It's a double edged sword because the employer knows you will bounce. But keep it on for public accounting positions you apply for since they can offer you a career not just a job

NEW YORK- DONE

[lateralus ag]

I am originally from Texas. Spent some time in the Army and moved back. I went back to school and graduated with an Acct degree. There are a lot of opportunities in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Ft Worth, and even Austin is worth a look.

I got three offers out of Houston, two out of Ft Worth, and had an interview scheduled in Bryan before I took my current position. All the offers that I received were more money than I took here, but we like this area so I took this one.

FAR 88
REG 89
AUD 89
BEC 86
DONE!!!
Using Becker Review and Becker Final Review, and Ninja Audio for BEC

[lateralus ag]

“I think you guys might be ‘overqualified' for entry level positions since you passed the CPA, but have no work experience”

Herbie is correct on this I think. Maybe leave that off of your resume and cover letter. You never know who is going to be doing the hiring, especially in an entry level type position. A lot of controllers and managers in smaller firms and companies aren't CPA's and they would probably be unwilling to even interview someone that is more qualified than they are.

Also, I don't know if you have looked at any local universities, but in my area there is a HUGE public university. They have a lot of entry level type positions and they hire a lot of accountants. My wife is in accounting (not a CPA) and she does internal audit work for the university. Lot's of Financial Accountant jobs and Staff Accountant jobs. Might be worth a try.

Also, don't rule out other government jobs. I know the FBI puts Accounting Majors right at the top of their hiring hierarchy. IRS isn't hiring entry level positions right now, but when they do, that's worth a shot. Bank regulators LOVE accountants too. Try the OCC, and FDIC.

If you're willing to move and travel some, I know that OCC regulators make some decent scratch once they move out of entry level positions.

FAR 88
REG 89
AUD 89
BEC 86
DONE!!!
Using Becker Review and Becker Final Review, and Ninja Audio for BEC

[NYCpat]

I would echo the idea of being willing to move for a job (not to start a whole other topic of Americans being less willing to move for work than they were a generation ago, but I digress…)

I've moved to Chicago, Seattle and now New York and always have found accounting/finance/consulting jobs to be plentiful.

If you have your CPA (Which I don't yet), you shouldn't have that much difficulty if you spread your search net a bit.

BEC - 82
AUD - 65; retake Feb 2013
FAR - April 2013
REG - July 2013?

[Anonymous]

thank you all for tweeting in on this. I live in florida but am willing to move anywhere. I was hired as an intern at a local CPA firm in March 2011, before graduation. After graduating in May I was offered a fulltime position at the same firm. Worked until Dec, then left to study for CPA. Passed all four exams by May 2012. I have about 9 months of public accounting experience working with all sorts of clients. Can prepare tax returns for individuals with complex income structure, partnerships and corporations. At one point I handled almost quarter of the firm's client base. I was always a good student during college with not too bad of GPA (3.4), member of Beta Alpha Psi, and ASA. Some of my friends are currently working at Big 4. I am counting on the next recruiting session with Big 4s beginning in Aug. But, in the mean time I need employment and its disheartening to get rejected by mid sized companies hiring for staff accounting positions based on the fact that “you are over qualified” and “we are looking for someone who will stay for 3 to 4 yrs, but you will get bored in 3 months and look for better prospects”. I am sick of getting tag lined “too ambicious” and “you are public accounting material”

I want to work in public accounting more than anything, but firms are just not hiring!!

I just got an offer from another small local firm. They only did taxes for foreigners FBars, 1116s and 5471s that I had no prior experience working with. I went for only two days and was told that we need someone with more experience than you because we don't have time for training.

I understand I don't have that much of experience, but I know for a fact that I am willing and able to learn. For God sake, I passed CPA, I am 24 yrs old, and I have a masters in Accounting. I CAN learn if given a chance. And, how am I supposed to get that experience everyone seems to demand if I can't find a job??

[Anonymous]

Join your state CPA Society and start attending the “Emerging CPAs” events (happy hours, baseball games, etc.).

Also, be careful with recruiters and their “bait and switch” technique…you inquire about one job and then they try to place you elsewhere, or get you to fill THEIR need, not yours.

I worked with probably 10-12 recruiters in my last job search (since every firm/company used a different recruiting agency), and none of them really added any value to my job search.

I ended up finding an awesome job on my own through Indeed.com, and by calling the HR person directly.

[ReneeNC]

Things have been a little slow here, but have picked up the last few days. I think people were just waiting for Memorial Day to be over.

I do understand the “over-qualified” and the “not-enough-experience.” I am willing to work for less money for the right opportunity. I am not desperate yet, so not freaking out about it.

REG - 89
BEC - 82
FAR - 87
AUD - 81
Used CPAexcel, Wiley Online Practice, and NINJA!

[Anonymous]

I realize this forum is supposed to be encouraging for those still in the process, and I don't mean to bring anyone down. This forum was an awesome support for me when I was studying not too long ago, you guys helped me through some really difficult times. But, this is also a fact, I have finished the journey but destination is still not in sight. I apologise if hearing this had any unintended effect on any of the members of this community. Believe me, when I passed my final exam it was a great feeling. Not only because it was over, but because just getting done gave me a sense of accomplishment. It is an achievement that will stay with me forever. But, it is also true that I had imagined that at end of that tunnel, there will be a new beginning. I don't mind the struggle, but I just thought it will get little easier after I have that title. Not exactly the kind of beginning I had imagined. I am not losing hope, I am not giving up, but I am tired for sure.

[Anonymous]

@CPAlikeaBoss, you don't want to work for those firm that is not willing to train you.. screw them!

What did you tell the interviewer for them to say “you will get bored in 3 months and look for better prospects”??

Are you telling them the truth about leaving the other firm because you wanted to study for the cpa exam? If I heard a applicant say that, it doesn't put them in a good light. It makes you look like you don't care about your prior employer and left so you can benefit yourself by passing the exams. On top of that you left in December, right before the busy season… A lot of people work and take the exam. Leaving the firm to study is a terrible excuse. If you are telling them the truth, maybe you should bend it a little? Does your prior employer know the reason for leaving? You may not be able to bend the truth if your prior employer is going to tell the interviewer why you left. If I were in your shoes, I would still tell another story for leaving and take the chance of your prior employer telling the interviewer why you left.

You look good on paper so keep trying. It's not supposed to be easy.

[Anonymous]

@cpham: I had no choice but to leave. I am still on good terms with my previous employer. I asked him if I could stay part time and study for the exam but since it was right before tax season, he needed someone fulltime. He said if I can't stay he will have to hire someone fulltime and he could'nt afford two staff accountants one fulltime and one part time. I understood and so did he.

When told I would probably get bored and leave in 3 months, ofcourse I didn't agree and told them that I am looking for long term employment not a temporary gig.

When asked during an interview my reason for leaving I don;t say that I left to study for CPA, I tell them that since it was a very small firm it had a limited growth potential, so I left to look for better opportunities.

[Author]

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