How to get experience?

[dfdfd]

Hello. I graduated with a BS in Accounting almost a year ago and I am
running into a problem. It seems every accounting job I attempt to apply
for calls for several years of experience. I am self-employed now, but I am
looking for a position with benefits and job security. Academically
speaking I am well versed in acccounting theory, but not much practically.
I did have several externships while in school, but that's the extent of my
experience. I remember everyone telling me that the accounting field was
the hot job field to get into, but all I have run into is firms replacing
employees lost through attrition, with very few "new" positions being
created. I suppose it could be the case that an organization could be
looking for someone able to "hit the ground running.."
I am not too discouraged yet, but any advice would surely be appreciated.

 

[Joe Canuck]

Hello. I graduated with a BS in Accounting almost a year ago and I am
running into a problem. It seems every accounting job I attempt to apply
for calls for several years of experience. I am self-employed now, but I am
looking for a position with benefits and job security. Academically
speaking I am well versed in acccounting theory, but not much practically.
I did have several externships while in school, but that's the extent of my
experience. I remember everyone telling me that the accounting field was
the hot job field to get into, but all I have run into is firms replacing
employees lost through attrition, with very few "new" positions being
created. I suppose it could be the case that an organization could be
looking for someone able to "hit the ground running.."
I am not too discouraged yet, but any advice would surely be appreciated.

You need to start by scrutinizing the approach you have taken and
adjusting it because so far it hasn't worked.

Start with your resume.

 

[Paul Thomas, CPA]

Hello. I graduated with a BS in Accounting almost a year ago and I am
running into a problem. It seems every accounting job I attempt to apply
for calls for several years of experience. I am self-employed now, but I
am
looking for a position with benefits and job security. Academically
speaking I am well versed in acccounting theory, but not much practically.
I did have several externships while in school, but that's the extent of
my
experience. I remember everyone telling me that the accounting field was
the hot job field to get into, but all I have run into is firms replacing
employees lost through attrition, with very few "new" positions being
created. I suppose it could be the case that an organization could be
looking for someone able to "hit the ground running.."
I am not too discouraged yet, but any advice would surely be appreciated.

As Joe said, take a look at your approach to the job hunt.

Also, it may be jst the location you are searching. Not all areas of the
country are thirsting for accouting positions.

And to add to whatever it is you are currently doing, get out there and
network. Tell everyone you know and meet that youa re looking for a job,
and ask everyone you know and meet to let you know if they hear of anything.
Especially all of the local accountants, and don't just be focusing on the
public firms. Many private/industry accounting positions are filled by
word-of-mouth.

In the meantime, get into all of the local accounting groups that you can,
like the local chapter of the state CPA society, etc, go to Chamber of
Commerce events, and otherwise get involved in the community at as many
levels as you can. The more people you know, and the more that know you,
the better your chances of landing a job that will never see the inside of
the newspaper.

 

[RidgemontRat77884]

Hello. I graduated with a BS in Accounting almost a year ago and I am
running into a problem. It seems every accounting job I attempt to apply
for calls for several years of experience. I am self-employed now, but I am
looking for a position with benefits and job security. Academically
speaking I am well versed in acccounting theory, but not much practically.
I did have several externships while in school, but that's the extent of my
experience. I remember everyone telling me that the accounting field was
the hot job field to get into, but all I have run into is firms replacing
employees lost through attrition, with very few "new" positions being
created. I suppose it could be the case that an organization could be
looking for someone able to "hit the ground running.."
I am not too discouraged yet, but any advice would surely be appreciated.

Accounting has not been a "hot" field for many, many years. Although
that's the spin that college programs will give it, or people like Paul
Thomas and Joe Canuck, who have spent large portions of their life in
accounting, and are committed to "selling" it to others as a great job
or great field. They are only speaking from their own positions, and
are well-established, so there is no way at all that either of these
two can relate to your current situation.

One way that you seem quite naive is that you assume that working for
someone else gives you any more "job security" than working for
yourself.

 

[Paul Thomas, CPA]

Accounting has not been a "hot" field for many, many years. Although
that's the spin that college programs will give it, or people like Paul
Thomas and Joe Canuck, who have spent large portions of their life in
accounting, and are committed to "selling" it to others as a great job
or great field. They are only speaking from their own positions, and
are well-established, so there is no way at all that either of these
two can relate to your current situation.

Excuse me if I do accounting for a living. The fact remains that if "dfdfd"
sat on the couch at home in a funk over not having a decent job, they'll
never-ever get one.

Life is a sales job. Whether it be for a job or clients or a date or a bank
loan.

The more people that know that you are looking for a job in a certain field,
the better off you'll be. This holds true if you are looking for a job as a
ceptic tank cleaner, a burger flipper, a nurse, cab driver, lawyer,
secretary, accountant, etc.

In any business, in any career. These tactics hold true.

 

[Joe Canuck]

Accounting has not been a "hot" field for many, many years. Although
that's the spin that college programs will give it, or people like Paul
Thomas and Joe Canuck, who have spent large portions of their life in
accounting, and are committed to "selling" it to others as a great job
or great field. They are only speaking from their own positions, and
are well-established, so there is no way at all that either of these
two can relate to your current situation.

One way that you seem quite naive is that you assume that working for
someone else gives you any more "job security" than working for
yourself.

Er, not quite.

I spent the lions share of my career, 25 years, in the IT industry. I
found myself in the circumstances of being let go from Hewlett-Packard
and a bit of of touch with the current technical IT scene.

I decided on a complete change. The goal was to become an owner/operator
long-haul trucker. After training and working for a couple of companies
I decided my career was back in the office rather than out on the road.

Right now, I'm at the end of the current phase of retraining into the
accounting field where being comfortable with computers and having
experience working in a few different industries has been helpful.

The accounting jobs are out there, I see plenty them everyday. I'm
positive on accounting as a new career choice and am certain my time has
been well spent.

Job security, whether you are self-employed or an employee, comes from
having experience, a great attitude, marketable skills, and keeping
those skills updated rather than just sitting back going with the flow.
It is all too easy to do that when employed by a company, hoping they
will take care of you... more often than not they do not.

 

[Joe Canuck]

Accounting has not been a "hot" field for many, many years. Although
that's the spin that college programs will give it, or people like Paul
Thomas and Joe Canuck, who have spent large portions of their life in
accounting, and are committed to "selling" it to others as a great job
or great field. They are only speaking from their own positions, and
are well-established, so there is no way at all that either of these
two can relate to your current situation.

One way that you seem quite naive is that you assume that working for
someone else gives you any more "job security" than working for
yourself.

BTW, my comments on seeking a position apply to any field... not just
accounting.

 

[mrs. eliza humperdink]

My advice is to get your advice from somebody who has clawed his way
into a position where he is independently wealthy after 25 years and is
basking on the beach in Baja. Don't take advice from somebody who is
looking to "retrain" into accounting. Good grief -- do you want to
wind up like that??

 

[Joe Canuck]

My advice is to get your advice from somebody who has clawed his way
into a position where he is independently wealthy after 25 years and is
basking on the beach in Baja. Don't take advice from somebody who is
looking to "retrain" into accounting. Good grief -- do you want to
wind up like that??

Oh, it isn't so bad.

I don't HAVE to work, I WANT to.

Tsk tsk... such a negative attitude.

 

[Ron Todd]

Hello. I graduated with a BS in Accounting almost a year ago and I am
running into a problem. It seems every accounting job I attempt to apply
for calls for several years of experience. I am self-employed now, but I am
looking for a position with benefits and job security. Academically
speaking I am well versed in acccounting theory, but not much practically.
I did have several externships while in school, but that's the extent of my
experience. I remember everyone telling me that the accounting field was
the hot job field to get into, but all I have run into is firms replacing
employees lost through attrition, with very few "new" positions being
created. I suppose it could be the case that an organization could be
looking for someone able to "hit the ground running.."
I am not too discouraged yet, but any advice would surely be appreciated.

Open your own bookkeeping and tax preparation business.

 

[mrs. eliza humperdink]

So you say. Didn't you blow all your money in the failed trucking
business?

 

[Joe Canuck]

So you say. Didn't you blow all your money in the failed trucking
business?

There was no failure to begin with. You need to stop making assumptions.

Lets talk about you. Why are you so down on accounting? It is amazing
you even participate in this group with your attitude.

 

[Holly Sommer]

It's a troll, Joe.

 

[Joe Canuck]

It's a troll, Joe.

Hey, every group has 'em.

 

[brecker]

Get a life! Can you actually contribute somthing decent, or just write
trash.

 

[brecker]

Accounting not a hot field? I don't know any unemployed accountants. With
Sarbanes-Oxley, the Big 4 are sucking up all the accounting people, both
private and public accounting firms are in great demand for people. At least
in every middle to larger city. Once you get your CPA or CA, you can pretty
much go anywhere. If you can't, you have bigger problems.

And, self employed only works if you have the network, sales and marketing
skills. While working for someone else does not mean a guaranteed lifetime
job, it is more consistent. That is not naive, just conservative. If you can
land a job for 60-80K a year, how many hours do you have to go sell your
services for at say $50 an hour to make the same after you pay your own
benefits. And then, you have to be almost 2000 hours billable to make more
than working for a decent company.

 

[vjp2.at]

Ask your adjunct profesors.. they know what you can do..

Prepare yourself.. act as if you have a job and find accounting projects
(your household, your relatives, financial reports) to stay sharp on..

Consider tax-prep services.. but don't really advertise that on
your resume.. because it will commoditise you..

Go to meetings where accountants are known to circulate (eg
continuing ed).. and be the bright-eyed bushy-tailed student who asks
all the clever questions no one ever thought about (don't start asking
questions until the fifth meeting).. someone may tap you on the
shoulder and ask you to look into the problem on their behalf..

Understand the difference between niche and commodity.. eg, the
tax-prep is commodity.. eventually that stuff will first be offshored
then (when the offshore countries are no longer poor) be automated..

Accounting is concepts not calculations.. learn to understand the
concepts.. (Pacioli as a monk: Accounting is a striving for
objectivity that will never be attained, anyone who claims to have
attained it is too lazy and dishonest to keep striving)

Subscribe to magazines in the field and start reading
them.. initially you will really struggle.. in a few years, you'll
breeze through.. when you breeze through, switch to a higher-level
journal or magazine.. get on mailing lists of the big CPA firms for
their free newsletters.. not only will you learn the important issues,
sometimes the names of the people who will hire you are listed along
with their emails..

Never deal with headhunters, human relations or placement offices..
they will grind you down to an unemployable commodity.. most
headhunters are unemployable individuals trying to racketeer their way
in by making you a quantum meruit "prior"..

- = -
Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bio$trategist
BachMozart ReaganQuayle EvrytanoKastorian
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for Bimbos]
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]

 

[vjp2.at]

It's also a good idea to specialise in an industry. Don't pick one
everyone is going into, because by the time you get good at it, it
will dry up. Pick one that seems reasoanbly promising. Understand
risk will be rewarded (accountants hate that) so that a field which
requires some dry time in the beginning will pay off more later.


- = -
Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bio$trategist
BachMozart ReaganQuayle EvrytanoKastorian
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for Bimbos]
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]

 

[vjp2.at]

Manhattan is full of affectatious tycoon pretenders living in
ancestrally rent-controlled apartments and wearing smelly unwashed
ascots they scavenged while looking for recyclables they could cash
in. Nothing tickles their shallow egos more than the idea that they
are advising promising youngsters in their careers, all the while
misleading them into promoting some fringe ideology their vaccuous
minds have concocted to occupy all that free time. Whatever they
advise, do the exact opposite.



- = -
Vasos-Peter John Panagiotopoulos II, Columbia'81+, Bio$trategist
BachMozart ReaganQuayle EvrytanoKastorian
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vjp2/vasos.htm
---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---
[Urb sprawl confounds terror] [Remorse begets zeal] [Windows is for Bimbos]
[Homeland Security means private firearms not lazy obstructive guards]

 

[Ron Todd]

Accounting not a hot field? I don't know any unemployed accountants. With
Sarbanes-Oxley, the Big 4 are sucking up all the accounting people, both
private and public accounting firms are in great demand for people. At least

Not, that is not true. They are, as they have been for the past
thirty years, incredibly selective. The reason the business press
keeps printing that shortage garbage has entirely different
motivations and you will have to figure them out for yourself.

in every middle to larger city. Once you get your CPA or CA, you can pretty
much go anywhere. If you can't, you have bigger problems.

No, that is not true either. Again they are being very selective as
they have been for years.

The CPA certification, without the specific attributes they are
looking for, is by itself worthless.

The job market is so screwed up, for various reasons that are to
complex to discuss, that I have walked in with my current CPA license
and my practical state college MBA and been passed over for people who
were in practice, very bad bookkeepers.

If your starting out, and you didn't network well enough in a ivy
league type school to get a star job out of college your going to be
better off setting up your own bookkeeping and tax prep business.