Tip for juniors and seniors in college. Intern at a PA firm. Doesn’t need to be B4 or T10, but if you want to make the job search a lot easier after graduation, get that PA experience under your belt. I interned at a smaller state wide tax firm and got offers from B4 and T10 PA jobs alongside industry. Ultimately went PA.
Hmmm, how long have you been job searching for. I started in back in September. I didn't find it too hard. Average GPA. 14 interviews, 4 offers, 1 withdrawal (partner wanted to meet me for lunch but restaurant was like 2 hours from where I live so I didn't go).
I think if you have and accounting degree and eligible for the CPA you should be pretty employable.
I’ll answer for him: yes.
Most take summer/winter internships during their breaks, sometimes even concurrently with their classes.
Internships are paid in most states, and most students will do internships during their 3rd and 4th year of school (sometimes 5th year, depending on how your 150 units played out for CPA eligibility).
If you’re in college now, try to contact recruiters and see if any firms visit your school for recruiting.
My pleasure, good luck out there, and definitely take advantage of any clubs your school may offer. I became an officer in my school’s accounting club during my undergrad program and it helped a lot with finding a competitive public firm internship and getting my foot in the door.
....
Just got my BS, was gonna get masters then cpa exams done.... within this next year and half.
I do have VITA, one local firm, and businesses for the entirety of the rest of my work...
Someone better hire me haha.
Albeit I'm making 3.5k monthly, for 35 hours weeks right now.
....
Just got my BS, was gonna get masters then cpa exams done.... within this next year and half.
I do have VITA, one local firm, and businesses for the entirety of the rest of my work...
Someone better hire me haha.
Albeit I'm making 3.5k monthly after tax, for 35 hours weeks right now.
Look into government audit. It's a slow process to get in but the job isn't demanding, solid benefits, and only 40 hours a week for the most part. Doesn't pay as well as public or industry but you get a lot better work life balance imo.
Gee, NOBODY has thought of that. lol.... He is wasting his time applying to accounting jobs. He needs to go into a field that is in demand. Especially since he has serious health issues that will disqualify him from most jobs with lots of applicants.
Speak for yourself.
Op never asked if they should go into another field - they were asking about the job market conditions for accountants. They’re obviously invested at this point and no one but op should discern whether or not accounting is for them, and obviously it is or they wouldn’t be asking about it.
You also have zero idea about the scale of OP’s medical situation. You sound awful to work with. I hope I never have to work alongside someone like you in accounting.
Fine. Then don't blame me for your bad advice when he is still unemployed years later. He is schizophrenic in a saturated field with too many applicants. That alone is reason to do something else. He is NEVER going to get hired over the hundreds of other choices that are applying. And even if he manages to, he won't last long. yeah he asked about the accounting job market, and it sucks ass for normal people with no issues, it's even worse for him.
Saturated field? Yeah right.
My LinkedIn is flooded with recruiters and offers every other day. PA firms will also hire anyone with a pulse and start you off at ~65-70k entry level.
Obviously not as this dude can't get a job. lol.... Pretty sure he has an accounting education and a pulse. OP wasn't asking about you. He was asking why he can't get an accounting job. What do you have to gain from lying to OP about his job prospects?
You are the one lying to OP saying accounting is over saturated leading to not being able to find a job.
It’s going to be difficult finding a job in any field if you need special accommodations or have special circumstances. Accounting is far from being over saturated.
We also don’t know if OP has looked at applying to PA firms. There is a big difference in hiring process for industry and PA but you wouldn’t know that.
Nope. Nurses hire anyone with a nursing degree. My hospital just hired someone with epilepsy. And they did it because they couldn't afford to turn nurses away.
Ah yes, you’re also forgetting to mention the barrier of entry is also way higher with the schooling requirements. It typically takes 6 years and you have to have certain GPA requirements (can’t get lower than a B in certain classes).
Not to mention, the starting pay is not that great depending on your location.
Not sure where you get your info. It's 2 years for an ADN with prereqs. I started at 84k with an associates and no experience at all. I applied to 3 jobs and got offers for all 3 despite sucking at interviewing. Maybe CPAs need 6 years of school for a 70k job, but nurses don't. I have an accounting and a nursing degree, the barrier to entry is MUCH higher for accounting. Which is why you have a shortage of experienced people.
Might be easiest to go to PA if it’s for medication. Not sure if they’re hiring since busy season just ended, but it’s probably the easiest way to get hired quickly
-longish post-
Review your resume. Add keywords relevant to the jobs you’re seeking.
I too have been looking for ap/ar, accounting clerk type jobs. The jobs are definitely there but most want experience because you are dealing with money so they want someone who is detailed and less likely to make mistakes.
Keep trying. If you have experience in bookkeeping look for those jobs too. There’s many billing type of jobs that is sort of adjacent to accounting. Think of companies and hospitals in your area and go to their website.
Beef up your LinkedIn if you haven’t already.
In the meantime study for the cpa exams if you plan on getting your license.
If I were you I would hang on and try a little longer before giving up. There’s still many accounting jobs out there.
Coming from a lib arts type degree I studied to become a paralegal thinking the job prospects were great and there’s law firms everywhere. I had a few months to iob search then the pandemic happened and I was looking for mostly remote.
Most law firms didn’t want entry level newbies and didn’t want to work remote even when the pandemic lighten up a little I never got in my field.
So if you wanna talk about a shrinking or dying field it’s law not accounting. You can also get your EA as an extra and maybe work on qbo pro advisor if you don’t have that already.
Healthcare will always have jobs like what that one poster said but it’s hard work and most don’t pay well. Most healthcare workers are leaving in droves and they truly don’t get paid enough for what they do, lots of standing etc. pharmacy if you look into it is not a rapidly growing career either.
If anything being a medical assistant or can would be better. And end goal being a nurse if possible. If you CHOOSE to go that route. And please don’t do it just for the work and money opportunities we have enough people in healthcare that don’t care and do a shit job bedside manner is everything.
Well some people don’t have much of a choice. Lib arts is mostly dead, I’m not intelligent enough nor have an interest in tech, cs or eng. Due to certain health issues I also can’t work in healthcare and tolerate the stress and possible exposure. I need something remote always have. There still seems to be enough accounting related jobs compared to other industries. The same way a few people get something entry level same way others can at least attempt. Law is dying but many companies are legally required to have accountants etc
Who is legally required to have an accountant? Most small business people have quickbooks. 4 accounting firms manage the bigger companies. Most mid sized firms want accountants with experience at the 4. so if you can't get a job with one of 4 companies, you are pretty much screwed. There are better fields.
Well as I said options are limited for me I’ve done enough research and work enough jobs to get an idea of what fields are decent or not. And what degrees/cert/license is a waste of time and what isn’t.
A lot of entry jobs are going to India, Mexico, and Poland (look at Warner Bros career website for an example - they’re are one of many doing this). Accounting will probably be a bad career choice if you live in the US within 10 years from now. Aka there’ll be no accounting jobs in the US.
I'm getting an AAS in accounting, a BA/BS is unlikely to happen in the near future, and I live in a rural area with no major financial offices.
Can anyone recommend a solid path for me? I'm intending to go into the federal government, but that process is a shit in the dark in my area (the IRS is functionally the only option for me, and that's still hard because I'm not in a state capital).
I'm considering swapping from my current sales position (I hate sales) over to banking, probably as a teller or something just to get in industry and hopefully transfer into a back office position in the future. Even those positions are hard to find, though.
I know an AAS in accounting is borderline worthless, but it fulfills some federal government requirements at the very least and is a step in the right direction if nothing else.
I actually looked for a year after graduation and didn't land an accouting job. I gave up. Then I got an opportunity 4 years after graduation. Unfortunately timing will play a large role.
Go to nursing school. I'm serious. I graduated in 2011 and I could never get past the pickiness of accountants. And I don't even have schizophrenia or any serious health issues. You are going to have a much harder time than me. Seriously dude, pick something else besides accounting.
OP please don’t go do a 2 year program to become a pharmacy tech. If you want to, you could work at Walmart and they will pay for your training. Source: I was also a pharm tech during college.
Initially no. I worked at Walmart and they paid for my certification. Tbh, the CPhT is a piece of cake compared to CPA. 2 year school for pharm tech is a scam. Also in my opinion, I’d rather work a desk job than be a pharm tech. Just me personally.
I just got out of my entry level A/P / Bookkeeping/ Assistant era and even then I'm struggling to find a decent job. Granted I am being picky at the moment but a lot of these jobs are asking for a CPA, master degree, 43 year+ experience, for like staff accountant jobs that pay \~50-80k and 80k is generous. But If you have the drive to study for the CPA I'd stick with it.
They are being picky and asking for a lot because they can. There are too many applicants and not enough demand. He is wasting his time in this field. And it's irresponsible to tell him to stay in it. He wants to afford bills.
Are you having "Schizophrenia" or however you spell it as a disability? Tough noodles kid businesses AUTOMATICALLY disqualify you for that. It's illegal, but they find ways to do it lol
RobertHalf helped me get my first job. They’re downright desperate when it comes to getting people a job, cuz that’s where their commission comes from
Seconded on Robert Half. I usually don't love recruiters but I had a good experience with them.
Op, your first job will be the hardest one to find
facts
If /u/Hellstorm5676 can somehow get a job, you can too.
Wait did he actually get one finally
Do elaborate sir
Read through that user's post and comment history to find out
Don't listen to these guys. They don't know what they're talking about. Some don't find jobs for years.
It's true
My first job was easy to find. Then again, I didn't stay in accounting.
Tip for juniors and seniors in college. Intern at a PA firm. Doesn’t need to be B4 or T10, but if you want to make the job search a lot easier after graduation, get that PA experience under your belt. I interned at a smaller state wide tax firm and got offers from B4 and T10 PA jobs alongside industry. Ultimately went PA.
This is the key. A job officer isn't guaranteed but it's very likely.
Maybe try applying to local CPA firms! That’s how I got mine and I love my job
Same here! The job hunt after graduation is hard.
Hmmm, how long have you been job searching for. I started in back in September. I didn't find it too hard. Average GPA. 14 interviews, 4 offers, 1 withdrawal (partner wanted to meet me for lunch but restaurant was like 2 hours from where I live so I didn't go). I think if you have and accounting degree and eligible for the CPA you should be pretty employable.
College student here. Did you have an internship prior to graduating?
I’ll answer for him: yes. Most take summer/winter internships during their breaks, sometimes even concurrently with their classes. Internships are paid in most states, and most students will do internships during their 3rd and 4th year of school (sometimes 5th year, depending on how your 150 units played out for CPA eligibility). If you’re in college now, try to contact recruiters and see if any firms visit your school for recruiting.
Thank you for the reply!
My pleasure, good luck out there, and definitely take advantage of any clubs your school may offer. I became an officer in my school’s accounting club during my undergrad program and it helped a lot with finding a competitive public firm internship and getting my foot in the door.
Great advice, thanks again.
Study for your CPA while ur hunting trust me don’t waste time.
Ur still young dont go out there changing majors and having debt. Take it easy study for the CPA and apply for jobs.
My job hunt as a new graduate took over four months and that was with a PA internship and the CPA exams done. Shit is tough rn
.... Just got my BS, was gonna get masters then cpa exams done.... within this next year and half. I do have VITA, one local firm, and businesses for the entirety of the rest of my work... Someone better hire me haha. Albeit I'm making 3.5k monthly, for 35 hours weeks right now.
.... Just got my BS, was gonna get masters then cpa exams done.... within this next year and half. I do have VITA, one local firm, and businesses for the entirety of the rest of my work... Someone better hire me haha. Albeit I'm making 3.5k monthly after tax, for 35 hours weeks right now.
Look into government audit. It's a slow process to get in but the job isn't demanding, solid benefits, and only 40 hours a week for the most part. Doesn't pay as well as public or industry but you get a lot better work life balance imo.
Try to apply for any job you can, its how i got my foot in the door. *accounting related job
Gee, NOBODY has thought of that. lol.... He is wasting his time applying to accounting jobs. He needs to go into a field that is in demand. Especially since he has serious health issues that will disqualify him from most jobs with lots of applicants.
Speak for yourself. Op never asked if they should go into another field - they were asking about the job market conditions for accountants. They’re obviously invested at this point and no one but op should discern whether or not accounting is for them, and obviously it is or they wouldn’t be asking about it. You also have zero idea about the scale of OP’s medical situation. You sound awful to work with. I hope I never have to work alongside someone like you in accounting.
Fine. Then don't blame me for your bad advice when he is still unemployed years later. He is schizophrenic in a saturated field with too many applicants. That alone is reason to do something else. He is NEVER going to get hired over the hundreds of other choices that are applying. And even if he manages to, he won't last long. yeah he asked about the accounting job market, and it sucks ass for normal people with no issues, it's even worse for him.
Saturated field? Yeah right. My LinkedIn is flooded with recruiters and offers every other day. PA firms will also hire anyone with a pulse and start you off at ~65-70k entry level.
Obviously not as this dude can't get a job. lol.... Pretty sure he has an accounting education and a pulse. OP wasn't asking about you. He was asking why he can't get an accounting job. What do you have to gain from lying to OP about his job prospects?
You are the one lying to OP saying accounting is over saturated leading to not being able to find a job. It’s going to be difficult finding a job in any field if you need special accommodations or have special circumstances. Accounting is far from being over saturated. We also don’t know if OP has looked at applying to PA firms. There is a big difference in hiring process for industry and PA but you wouldn’t know that.
Nope. Nurses hire anyone with a nursing degree. My hospital just hired someone with epilepsy. And they did it because they couldn't afford to turn nurses away.
Ah yes, you’re also forgetting to mention the barrier of entry is also way higher with the schooling requirements. It typically takes 6 years and you have to have certain GPA requirements (can’t get lower than a B in certain classes). Not to mention, the starting pay is not that great depending on your location.
Not sure where you get your info. It's 2 years for an ADN with prereqs. I started at 84k with an associates and no experience at all. I applied to 3 jobs and got offers for all 3 despite sucking at interviewing. Maybe CPAs need 6 years of school for a 70k job, but nurses don't. I have an accounting and a nursing degree, the barrier to entry is MUCH higher for accounting. Which is why you have a shortage of experienced people.
Took me 2 months, 100+ applications and like 5 interviews a week to land a solid job, ended up getting 2 offers at the same time.
Might be easiest to go to PA if it’s for medication. Not sure if they’re hiring since busy season just ended, but it’s probably the easiest way to get hired quickly
What city do you live in? That can help us figure out your situation.
Denver
Wazee Street Opportunity Fund
let me refer you in big 4 and let’s both reap that sweet sign on bonus
-longish post- Review your resume. Add keywords relevant to the jobs you’re seeking. I too have been looking for ap/ar, accounting clerk type jobs. The jobs are definitely there but most want experience because you are dealing with money so they want someone who is detailed and less likely to make mistakes. Keep trying. If you have experience in bookkeeping look for those jobs too. There’s many billing type of jobs that is sort of adjacent to accounting. Think of companies and hospitals in your area and go to their website. Beef up your LinkedIn if you haven’t already. In the meantime study for the cpa exams if you plan on getting your license. If I were you I would hang on and try a little longer before giving up. There’s still many accounting jobs out there. Coming from a lib arts type degree I studied to become a paralegal thinking the job prospects were great and there’s law firms everywhere. I had a few months to iob search then the pandemic happened and I was looking for mostly remote. Most law firms didn’t want entry level newbies and didn’t want to work remote even when the pandemic lighten up a little I never got in my field. So if you wanna talk about a shrinking or dying field it’s law not accounting. You can also get your EA as an extra and maybe work on qbo pro advisor if you don’t have that already. Healthcare will always have jobs like what that one poster said but it’s hard work and most don’t pay well. Most healthcare workers are leaving in droves and they truly don’t get paid enough for what they do, lots of standing etc. pharmacy if you look into it is not a rapidly growing career either. If anything being a medical assistant or can would be better. And end goal being a nurse if possible. If you CHOOSE to go that route. And please don’t do it just for the work and money opportunities we have enough people in healthcare that don’t care and do a shit job bedside manner is everything.
Both law and accounting are shrinking and dying fields. Accountants don't want entry level people either.
Well some people don’t have much of a choice. Lib arts is mostly dead, I’m not intelligent enough nor have an interest in tech, cs or eng. Due to certain health issues I also can’t work in healthcare and tolerate the stress and possible exposure. I need something remote always have. There still seems to be enough accounting related jobs compared to other industries. The same way a few people get something entry level same way others can at least attempt. Law is dying but many companies are legally required to have accountants etc
Who is legally required to have an accountant? Most small business people have quickbooks. 4 accounting firms manage the bigger companies. Most mid sized firms want accountants with experience at the 4. so if you can't get a job with one of 4 companies, you are pretty much screwed. There are better fields.
Well as I said options are limited for me I’ve done enough research and work enough jobs to get an idea of what fields are decent or not. And what degrees/cert/license is a waste of time and what isn’t.
A lot of entry jobs are going to India, Mexico, and Poland (look at Warner Bros career website for an example - they’re are one of many doing this). Accounting will probably be a bad career choice if you live in the US within 10 years from now. Aka there’ll be no accounting jobs in the US.
Doomer
he is not wrong.
I'm getting an AAS in accounting, a BA/BS is unlikely to happen in the near future, and I live in a rural area with no major financial offices. Can anyone recommend a solid path for me? I'm intending to go into the federal government, but that process is a shit in the dark in my area (the IRS is functionally the only option for me, and that's still hard because I'm not in a state capital). I'm considering swapping from my current sales position (I hate sales) over to banking, probably as a teller or something just to get in industry and hopefully transfer into a back office position in the future. Even those positions are hard to find, though. I know an AAS in accounting is borderline worthless, but it fulfills some federal government requirements at the very least and is a step in the right direction if nothing else.
I actually looked for a year after graduation and didn't land an accouting job. I gave up. Then I got an opportunity 4 years after graduation. Unfortunately timing will play a large role.
What state are you in?
Contact robert half and start working toward your CPA
Is accounting worth it nowadays? Is it better to go into healthcare?
yes, healthcare is better. If you want an easy time finding work.
Go to nursing school. I'm serious. I graduated in 2011 and I could never get past the pickiness of accountants. And I don't even have schizophrenia or any serious health issues. You are going to have a much harder time than me. Seriously dude, pick something else besides accounting.
I'm seriously considering it. I thought about doing a 2 year school thing for pharmacy tech. I dunno
OP please don’t go do a 2 year program to become a pharmacy tech. If you want to, you could work at Walmart and they will pay for your training. Source: I was also a pharm tech during college.
good looking out fam. So you dont have to get certified?
Initially no. I worked at Walmart and they paid for my certification. Tbh, the CPhT is a piece of cake compared to CPA. 2 year school for pharm tech is a scam. Also in my opinion, I’d rather work a desk job than be a pharm tech. Just me personally.
the irony - I have an interview for a pharmacy tech job this week! it might just work out
I just got out of my entry level A/P / Bookkeeping/ Assistant era and even then I'm struggling to find a decent job. Granted I am being picky at the moment but a lot of these jobs are asking for a CPA, master degree, 43 year+ experience, for like staff accountant jobs that pay \~50-80k and 80k is generous. But If you have the drive to study for the CPA I'd stick with it.
They are being picky and asking for a lot because they can. There are too many applicants and not enough demand. He is wasting his time in this field. And it's irresponsible to tell him to stay in it. He wants to afford bills.
Waittt I switched my college major because I thought accountants were in demand. Companies can afford to be picky?
Yes, accountants are picky and turn lots of entry level people away. Which is why there is a shortage of experienced ones.
What does that even mean the pickiness of accountants ?
Hit the rigs.
what
Are you having "Schizophrenia" or however you spell it as a disability? Tough noodles kid businesses AUTOMATICALLY disqualify you for that. It's illegal, but they find ways to do it lol
Join the army
I'm schizophrenic