The Graduate Baruchian

by Emily McMillen, MBA Accounting 2012

Recruitment season is drawing to a close. For the lucky few, internships and full-time offers at public accounting firms have been obtained and futures are looking bright. However, for the majority out there, you got zip. The big 4 didn’t want you and because you blew off the interview with that small-tier firm you never heard of before they didn’t come knocking either and now you’re left with nada.

Just because the major accounting firms are done recruiting, doesn’t mean you still don’t have a shot. With the cushy accounting world sitting with about 3% unemployment there are plenty of other firms you can land a position with at this point. We haven’t hit a hail mary situation just yet and there is still plenty of game time on the clock. So now that OCR is over, what do you do?

Contact the Career Management Center – This is what they are here for. There are plenty of great companies still accepting resumes and they will be able to help you make sure it stands out. The GCMC also provides mock interviews to help you prepare for the inevitable uncomfortable interview situation. They are a great resource for all things career related. Hey, that Academic Excellence Fee went somewhere. Go use it.

Utilize Your Network – Surely your cousin Jim’s wife’s sister has a job at a firm that is just waiting to fill in some last minute gaps. Right now, firms are receiving their offer acceptances and later this month will assess the rest of their needs when they know who will be joining them. There may be some last minute holes that need to be filled. So, if you have a contact in a management position or higher then don’t be shy and use it.

Attend On-Campus Events – Between ZGAS, ZGTS, BAP, and at least 20 other acronymed societies on campus there are always big name executives and recruiters coming for some sort of panel or round table discussion. Also, don’t sell yourself short and go only to accounting panels. Major finance powerhouses have been known to grace the halls of Baruch and they need future CPAs too. Job hunting is a numbers game and the more the better. So instead of putting your suit back into storage, check up on who is coming to campus and get ready to network.

Suck it Up – There’s no crying in accounting…usually. If you didn’t get your accounting dream job the first time around then keep working at it. Put some time in at the accounting department of XYZ company, hope you’re working under a CPA so you can get your 1 or 2 years of required experience for licensure, then move on. Better yet, pass a few sections of the CPA exam and bigger firms will know you mean business.

This is not the end of the road, friends. It’s time to understand the true meaning of pounding the pavement. So slip on some comfortable yet professional looking shoes and get to work.