USA Can't get foot in the door

[CPAinLimbo]

I don't know where to turn so I came to this forum to spill out my very short story. Here goes:

As I entered my Junior year in college, I was approached by a family member regarding a job post-graduation. They basically guaranteed that they could land me a job at a particular CPA firm once I finished school. I was told not to bother with internships so that's exactly what I did. As I approached graduation in January 2008, the job was no longer a reality so I went to a career fair in my school with only educational qualifications on my resume. I didn't hear from anyone but I managed to work for someone in my neighborhood during tax season doing very basic work.

Since April 2008, I haven't been able to find ANY CPA firm willing to hire me. I did have an interview at one CPA firm that I thought went very well but, apparently, I thought wrong. I graduated with an excellent GPA and have passed the CPA exam but at this point, I feel like I'm irrelevant as standards change (i.e. International reporting) and numerous other people get hired year after year after year. I started applying to firms out of New York but I have no luck with that either.

I've been going through a very tough time for a long time and I just don't know what to do anymore. I need some help as I'm pushing 30 and have absolutely ZERO work experience. I want to start my auditing/ forensic accounting career so badly but it just seems like it's never going to happen...

 

[lmjimenez08]

Try going private - Many private companies will hire you with no experience and will train you - The salary will be substantially less, but will be a 9-5, virtually stressless environment....

Check craiglist and monster and sites like that...thats what I did meanwhile, acquiring some experience to then maybe go public....better than nothing

 

[CPAinLimbo]

I've searched and continue to search every sector but I have no luck whatsoever.

 

[tonto79]

Try going private - Many private companies will hire you with no experience and will train you - The salary will be substantially less, but will be a 9-5, virtually stressless environment....

Check craiglist and monster and sites like that...thats what I did meanwhile, acquiring some experience to then maybe go public....better than nothing

i can understand your anxiety. the market is bad, but if you have a great GPA plus CPA license you should be able to get a job. i am not sure if you r looking at solely accounting roles, but there r opportunities out there for you. Try temp agencies, and try looking at out of state jobs. with a good GPA n a license, some companies will even fly you in for interviews. again, if you work on your masters, you could intern and pick up management roles after graduation

 

[CPAinLimbo]

I don't have my CPA license as I haven't fulfilled the experience requirement. All I want is a place to start my auditing career and it gets harder year after year. I have no idea what to do...

 

[zianne]

If it would be helpful, try Odesk and Elance for some bookkeeping and/or auditing work. Maybe your luck lies in virtual bookkeeping. Its a great stepping stone

 

[dannygenio]

sorry.. could be your interview skill? If you have at least passed 1 part of the CPA, you would be hired 70% of the time

 

[CPAinLimbo]

I haven't had many interviews for that to be an issue. I believe they focus on my lack of internships and extracurricular stuff. I just want to work, y'know?

 

[rickmac]

I haven't had many interviews for that to be an issue. I believe they focus on my lack of internships and extracurricular stuff. I just want to work, y'know?

Internships is a form of experense, and I also look carefully at experense level before hiring. Have you tryed to contract yourself out on one of the online service sites to get some experense?

 

[CPAinLimbo]

Rick, companies usually take interns straight out of college. I'm "too old" to be an accounting intern. I'm really close to just giving up as it doesn't seem likely that I'll ever begin my auditing career. Also, at this point, I'm about 5 years behind where I should be so I'm never going to be satisfied. Maybe farming's a good idea. Or moving to Canada.

 

[acorn54]

hi limbo
some ideas
first here on long island competition is very high for attractive positions, it seems alot of variables come into play for one to be employable. it is an employer's market right now.
even volunteer work is competitive as people want to keep their resume's current and without gaps.
i am telling you this from first hand experience and from what employers and volunteer agencies have told me.
what i have done is volunteered at tax time for the aarp program to do taxes. that looks good on the resume and there was not that much competition.
what else can i say that hasn't been said. people not currently looking for work seem to have a normalcy bias, that current job seekers don't have. just stay current with the financial world and take work that no one else wants to do. that is what i have done anyway.

 

[FrankDrake]

I agree some private companies do it specially if they notice that you have an potential.

 

[The Finance Writer]

Hey, CPAinLimbo, I hope you found a good landing spot for your career. I know many people in this situation and they succeeded by working with small accounting firms. I realize that you want a career in audit and forensic accounting, but you may need to work at a firm specializing in tax because those are the operations needing to expand their staffs. Some of these firms perform both tax and audit services. This will at least get you the experience requirement needed for obtaining your CPA license. If you need more tax knowledge -- or a more compelling credential to get noticed -- study for the Enrolled Agent exam and get EA certification. You should have no problem with the material in this course and passing the exam on your first try Enrolled Agent Exam Prep and EA Study Guide

 

[CPAinLimbo]

Thanks for all the responses. I landed an internship in July and I'm still at the firm. Bigger things may come!