USA Graduated with a low gpa in accounting, what are my options?

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My first thought was just to find a job after I graduate and that's all I would do, but, am I missing something? I only have a 2.8 gpa and I only have 124 credit hours so I can't sit for the CPA exam. Financially, I don't have a job, but, I currently have $5,000 in the bank and I'm living with my parents... What would you do in my situation? I'm open to basically anything...
 
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My first thought was just to find a job after I graduate and that's all I would do, but, am I missing something? I only have a 2.8 gpa and I only have 124 credit hours so I can't sit for the CPA exam. Financially, I don't have a job, but, I currently have $5,000 in the bank and I'm living with my parents... What would you do in my situation? I'm open to basically anything...
Roger...
2.8 is not terrible... its not ideal, but not terrible
My recommendation would be to put out your resume to as many CPA firms as you can find to get an entry level public accounting position. If you are well spoken and dress professionally, I'm sure someone would give you a position. Many smaller firms may not even ask about your GPA, and if they do you can perhaps explain that you struggled with balancing the 'college life' with actually doing the academic work early on, but you have your head on straight now and you're ready to work. In our firm we have a few very successful guys that were total clowns when they were younger.

Don't apply to 'big 4' or even the top regional firms in your area if you have a moderate GPA from a smaller school, but there are literally thousands of smaller firms everywhere that are a lot less competitive... get that first full time job and a few years experience, then no one will ever look at your GPA again after that. Then you can find an affordable masters program to get to 150 credits and do the CPA exam in a few years.

I hope this helps... for perspective... I have 15 years experience, senior manager in a smaller closely held firm in a suburban area... i'm not a partner, but I have great 'quality of life' and eat dinner with my family 90% of the time... there are MANY different paths you can take... having a 4.0 and being a big-4 slave working 60+ hours is not the only path in life.
 
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I don't think it is a lost cause; you just played your cards wrong & woke up a little late. I think you have 2 options: Either you can find a job at a small firm with a little bit of a pay cut in comparison to other firms & then try to work your way up to a different firm. Likewise, you can try to enter the NFP industry which isn't as competitive, from an accounting perspective.

The other option is to find an under-rated school that offers an accounting master program with the direct objective of raising your GPA. (If you don't plan to work hard, please don't use this option because, otherwise, the masters is propbably useless.

But you need to be consistent/persistent. You can't give up if you want a job in accounting. It isn't easy to get any job, but it isn't too hard to get an accounting job. Goodluck
 

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