Current Uni Student Unsure What To Do? (Accounting)

Langelo44 on 13/08/2016 - 15:25
Last edited 13/08/2016 - 16:05 by 1 other user

Hi all,

I'm in a predicament and I'm not sure what exactly I should do.

I'm 22 years old and study commerce (accounting) at Monash University. Due to past mental issues, I have 4 fails and a low average (59). I'm currently in my final semester of University. I wish to work in accounting (I'm leaning towards tax because I did enjoy studying tax accounting last semester).

The problem is I'm not exactly sure what I Should be doing. I don't have a job at the moment and have limited work experience. I have worked briefly at KFC (4 months) and at some factory jobs a few years ago. I don't do many extra curricular activities except for playing football. I don't have any "connections" in the field of accounting too.

I'm really worried about my future. I've tried contacting a few local firms in my area asking for a possible work experience role but they seem to get turned off once I present my transcript. I'm kind of depressed that I don't have a part time job too. I apply for places like Kmart, Officeworks and Woolworths but get rejected. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure what I should do.
I'm thinking about trying to find any part time job whilst I study and then apply for entry level accounting jobs once I finish university. If i'm really struggling, then I'd look into MYOB courses, H/R tax courses etc. Would this be the best course of action?

Also, does it really matter what type of part time work I do? I live close to factories, and know i could probably work in one of them again. However, this type of part time job would be completely unrelated to my field of study/long term career aspirations. This makes me think maybe i should just try and work in fast food again, at least i could speak about how i provided customer service, was a team member etc to future employers… I'm not sure.

Anyway, thanks for reading, if you have any advice for me I'd greatly appreciate
-Angelo

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  scupper on 13/08/2016 - 16:16

  +1

  What about H&R Block as a tax agent? I've known of a few people that took their courses and worked for them afterwards.

  • 

    angelo44 on 15/08/2016 - 09:46

    Thanks for the response! I'll most likely register for one of their courses when they open next year!

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  currentfad on 13/08/2016 - 16:20

  Have you applied for grad positions in accounting firms? I know most big firms require a minimum credit average but you should still give it a go if you haven't. Good luck!

  • 

    angelo44 on 15/08/2016 - 09:46

    I've applied for a few grad positions but haven't had any luck :(

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  rambutann on 13/08/2016 - 18:45

  +1

  My advice - (from being someone with not amazing grades and no work experience prior to starting uni).

  • Get multiple jobs at once, they dont have to relate to what you do but i'd commit so that you resume fills up. For example, I got at 6 different catering companies around Melbourne. Large companies such as Kmart, Officeworks and Woolworths are extremely difficult to get. There are plennnnty of jobs out there, you just need to be looking in the right places. But there's plenty of jobs that just require manpower, not necessarily brain power.. aka warehousing jobs, catering jobs, delivery jobs etc. Just begin to fill that resume.
  • Grad positions are borderline impossible to get. I applied for 1 grad position, not expecting to get it even though I had an internship in my second year at uni, have worked for Qantas (in my field) and have also worked for another extremely large that looks good on a resume - and im only 21 and have just graduated.
  • Personality is more than grades (to an extent..). My GPA would be around 2.2 which isnt a whole lot better than yours.
  • Build up some decent references in your jobs - begin applying for junior roles in your field.

  Wouldn't be down about life - I believe you just need to start filling your resume. Once you look good enough in other jobs it'll be much easier to land an entry level role in accounting.

  • 

    Kangal on 13/08/2016 - 19:47

    ^This.

    And make sure to do some volunteering jobs.
    Grab anything and everything and cram that resume.
    Write up a very neat and professional Cover Letter, and Resume format.
    And remember to have a "tactic" whenever you apply for jobs, and do interviews.

    It takes time and experience, not necessarily skill… to progress to a comfortable position.
    After you've got the job you wanted, grind yourself hard, and please everyone to have a positive reputation.
    Put some years under your belt from that job, now you're ready to soar.

    It is very cliche but the First Step, truly is the hardest one to take.

  • 

    Excelsior on 16/08/2016 - 14:14

    I agree with most of what you've said but mate, just ONE grad application???

    I'm not being condescending, but if you're even thinking of getting a shot at just an interview for a grad position you're looking at a minimum of 20 applications.

    • 

      rambutann on 16/08/2016 - 18:58

      I don't really need a grad position as I've already got plenty of experience in what I want to be in. Just applied for it as it was for a company I really wanted to work for.

      I watched my girlfriend apply for well over 20, get a number of interviews, get a number of second round interviews, one third round and still end up with nothing. The odds are just crazy low in landing a grad role compared to a regular role (for me at least).

      • 

        Excelsior on 17/08/2016 - 10:38

        That's fair enough. I mean realistically it comes down to a bit of luck and other contributing factors as well. I've seen mates with strong grades who progressed all the way up to final round interviews and end up with nothing, and a few with fairly average grades end up with grad offers (Telstra, Coles, etc). That's just life I guess.

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  scrimshaw on 13/08/2016 - 21:05

  Experience builds up, and going by my poll made several months back, a LOT of people (on Ozbargain, at least) end up doing jobs that are unrelated to, or are only somehwhat related to, the degree that they have studied in.

  See the poll results here
  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/207254?page=4#comment

  Do not restrict yourself to applying for Accounting jobs, just apply for as many as you can (but most importantly, tailor your resume for each) and hope for the best. If you don't feel that factory work is suitable for you, then don't… there's a crapton of other jobs you can go into.

  Also don't stress out if you actually bomb uni or do not get a good grade, there are many avenues to get good jobs— you just need to be patient, be a good worker, be a good learner at work and be good with making relationships. I can't stress how important it is to forge relationships.

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  trex on 13/08/2016 - 21:19

  In the accounting field, being a member of a professional accounting/tax body is important as it helps with recognition. Consider joining CPA Australia, CA ANZ or The Tax Institute (formerly known as Taxation Institute of Australia).

  • 

    Limitless on 16/08/2016 - 09:06

    CA provisional membership is expensive and you need 3 years experience, a mentor and a few thousand dollars to become a full member

    • 

      trex on 16/08/2016 - 15:02

      Current CA provisional membership fees is AUD328.90 per year, CPA Australia is AUD320. Exam fees can be AUD1300 per paper.

      It is the rigid requirements to be a member (ie passing the required exams, relevant work experience, continuing professional development etc) that employers seek accounting candidates with professional membership.

      • 

        Limitless on 16/08/2016 - 15:45

        OP has no experience so that isn't going to help…

      • 

        trex on 16/08/2016 - 20:50

        After passing all subjects, work experience is only required to become a full member. I am suggesting that OP should sign up to be a provisional member.

      • 

        CleverCounter on 18/09/2016 - 19:47

        @trex:

        You need to be employed in accounting with a CA mentor to apply for the provisional membership.

        You can't just apply for it on your own.

      • 

        trex on 18/09/2016 - 21:34

        @CleverCounter:

        Practical experience in accounting and CA mentor is only required to be a full member after completing all modules in the CA program. Further read here where it states practical experience is not mandatory when signing up.

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  robertbruce on 14/08/2016 - 19:48

  Keep going with the accounting!
  Get abn'd and gst'd then do private returns…

  With accounting, it's not what you know, it's how many you can count!

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  angelo44 on 15/08/2016 - 09:47

  Thanks for the responses guys, really appreciate it1

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    scrimshaw on 15/08/2016 - 13:31

    Keep your chin up, finance jobs are difficult to find in this econ climate, but don't give up and just keep polishing your resume and gaining work exp. It matters not what kind of job you do, you are still young and have plenty of time to build up your career.

    Monash should have a Careerhub centre that provides a free careers counseling sessions for students (take advantage of it while you are still a student) and you can contact them here for advice. They can help you write a resume and give you mock interviews.

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  CleverCounter on 03/09/2016 - 22:50

  You need to cold call for a free work experience. Its a good time of year because accountants have plenty of work on. Unfortunately I think you will be overlooked for a lot of formal job applications due to a limited resume. 3 months free work is a drop in the ocean once you have your foot in the door. All the best.

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    angelo44 on 18/09/2016 - 18:09

    Will i be rejected because of my poor marks?

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      CleverCounter on 18/09/2016 - 19:43

      Big 4 and mid tier are only after the best. Imagine getting 1000 applications for a grad program or job application. The quickest way to cut it down is to set GPA bar and throw out all the resumes that meet it.

      Get your foot in the door with work experience. Once you have it, you can get a job any where! Employers won't care about uni results if you have some experience. Then you can work your way into any accounting firm you want. It might take a little longer, but you will get where you want to if you put the effort in!

      • 

        angelo44 on 18/09/2016 - 19:45

        So you reckon i should cold call local firms in the area and ask if there are any work experience roles?

      • 

        CleverCounter on 18/09/2016 - 19:59

        +1

        @angelo44:

        Absolutely. Make sure you know your sales pitch. What you offer, what you want to learn, really show your passion.

        They are likely to say no a lot. But that's because weren't expecting someone to call up and work for free. If they were, they would have advertised it. So make sure you have a comeback or a line for when they say "we don't have anything like that at the moment". Ask to take them for coffee before work and call them back even after they say no and see if they are interested in changing their mind. You'll learn a lot in this experience

      • 

        angelo44 on 19/09/2016 - 17:26

        @CleverCounter:

        Thanks for the advice really appreciate it !

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  mchoodie on 15/09/2016 - 20:28

  Spray and pray with applications. Graduate accountants are a dime o dozen. It will come down to pot luck to get a shoe in for an interview. It was with me nearly 10 years ago and I only imagine it's tightened now.

  Getting work experience is really critical in your case I feel. I don't know the market for tax agents or smaller/local firms, but I feel they wouldn't find a CPA/CA more advantageous if a person doesn't have work experience. Do you have any contacts? Face to face contact with local firms to get you some unpaid work experience may be worthwhile pursuing. But you need to find a situation where you will be able to add value to the business. It takes around 3-6 months of investment in an individual to start seeing results so that's the mindset of a potential employer of unpaid work you need to reckon with.

  You do need to arise like the Phoenix did from the ashes.

  I do feel you need to lighten the pressure slightly. Be positive in your pursuit and you'll get where you should end up. All the best.