Accountants worry about job options after graduation
15 posts in the last 60 days, all from r/Accounting.
“That fall 2027 timeline actually works in your favor, gives you space to knock out the CPA while those firms cycle through their intern-to-staff pipeline and realize they need more bodies. The "only hiring interns" line is what they tell everyone on campus, but come spring when…”
“You can find a staff accountant job without experience and even with your internship experience. If it’s a fund admin and the name starts with S and ends with H, avoid at all costs!”
“TL;DR - Start: Graduating with ~12–16 months of U.S. corporate co-op (8 mos Midsize (completed) doing 1120-F/treaties/SALT + 4–8 mos Deloitte (in-coming) ). Want to know if completing the IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) before a full-time start after graduation can realistically…”
Recent accounting graduates are concerned about securing full-time roles and navigating the job search process. One user suggests focusing on gaining public experience, while another discusses potential career paths in Canada with a UAE golden visa.
SOURCES (20)
“That fall 2027 timeline actually works in your favor, gives you space to knock out the CPA while those firms cycle through their intern-to-staff pipeline and realize they need more bodies. The "only hiring interns" line is what they tell everyone on campus, but come…”
“You can find a staff accountant job without experience and even with your internship experience. If it’s a fund admin and the name starts with S and ends with H, avoid at all costs!”
“TL;DR - Start: Graduating with ~12–16 months of U.S. corporate co-op (8 mos Midsize (completed) doing 1120-F/treaties/SALT + 4–8 mos Deloitte (in-coming) ). Want to know if completing the IRS Enrolled Agent (EA) before a full-time start after graduation can realistically accelerate the bump to Senior Associate internally at Canadian Big 4 instead of 3-5 years, or if firm bureaucracy makes job-hopping the only real way to skip steps? TL;DR - End Looking for honest input from people in U.S. and cr”
“So I got a job offer at a CPA firm starting Sep 2027 (a few months after I graduate). In my application I told them I’d be pursuing the CPA designation upon graduation. Im also completing all the CPA PEP prerequisites prior to graduation. I want to begin studying as soon as possible. So when is the earliest time I can start applying and studying for that (e.g. May 2027 after I graduate?) or even earlier for transcript assessment? Would it be possible to study and pass all the knowledge portions”
“I’m an accounting student in Calgary, Canada graduating Spring 2027 with around a 3.2 GPA and 12 months of accounting co-op/internship experience in industry. My experience includes reconciliations, journal entries/accruals, fixed assets, WIP, project accounting, and ERP systems. I’m hoping to have a full-time accounting job lined up before graduation and plan to pursue my CPA. I’d prefer public accounting, but I’m definitely open to industry as well. I’ve already applied to the Big 4 and severa”
“You can switch as a manager or do a rotation, or try to get a TN visa after you get your CPA done. It's pretty doable in the medium term.”
“The new Ontario program may be different from the new one for WSB/CPA Canada because of the split. The new one for WSB removes a lot of the program entry requirements, removes electives and is instead 4 modules that everyone must take with less content, shortens the PERT requirements, and completely removes the CFE”
“Hi! I just finished my undergrad in Canada and I'm facing a tough decision. I've been offered a job at a company with potential future opportunities to work in the US. I've also been accepted into a graduate diploma program in accounting, which would let me write the CPA Ontario exams under the old system (Core 1, Core 2, Electives, and the CFE). Right now, I'm leaning toward taking the job, for a few reasons: It's closer to home I can progress within the company for a while”
“Unpopular opinion (probably) but you don’t need big 4 on your resume to have a better career, especially when that offer doesn’t seem to align well with your experience (and maybe even your interest). Asset management is also quite niche and won’t help you when you decide to open your own firm in the future. (I am a former tax manager)”
“I believe you need to register with CPA Ontario prior to starting the Foundational Program. If you want to start the program as soon as possible and not wait until May, the last offering of Core 1 under the old program is in January 2027.”
“Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone familiar with CPA Ontario’s new program can help me understand my next steps. Here is my situation: I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from outside Canada, which WES evaluated as equivalent to a Canadian bachelor’s degree. (I am Canadian Citizen not international student.) In 2022, I submitted my documents to CPA Ontario and completed their assessment process. I paid the assessment, registration, and annual membership fees. I registered for one”
“I’d say every summer do an internship if possible: audit, tax, advisory, government, etc. There’s realistically a different niche to intern at every summer, including going into a masters.”
“Going for a Masters during this uncertainty is bound to be a disaster (if you don’t pass the CFE by the deadline in Sept 2028). I know some programs have stopped admissions entirely due to the uncertainty of needing to adhere to the new requirements. Not to mention the fact that it’s more expensive. Firms usually have the policy of paying for the equivalent of doing PEP, so it’s only partially reimbursed. Unless the goal is to eventually go into teaching, this is a very risky and expensive thing”
“After working in Dubai's market and moving to UK for my masters and deciding to settle there because there are much more opportunities here. I'm strugulling to find an auditing job ( I basically get brejected at the CV screening level). I always wanted a role in audit or tax, now I'm beggining to think its my CV. do you think it needs improvment. P.s. joined a charity organisation as intern to get UK accounting experince cause I always thought may be it's cause the lack of experi”
“I’m 22 and graduated with a bcom in accounting this year in Canada. I have a offer for staff role in audit at a mid-sized firm in Canada. I havent started my CPA journey yet and could use some guidance. I know that the Canadian CPA is important if I chose to live in Canada. However, i feel that the jobs related to US CPA would be more niche? Leading to a higher pay? Also having US CPA could potentially open up an option for me to move to the USA a few years down the line on a TN visa. I see the”
“So I expect to have completed my CFE on September 2027, but I will only have ~27 months of work experience by the December 2028 deadline. What should I expect?”
“Hi Everyone, I am an aspiring CPA. I have an MBA and work experience of 7+ years in the past 10 years in Nepal. I joined one of the CPA information session today and I am a bit confused regarding the work experience part. They said I would need a 8 month of foundational experience which is fair but if it is international, it has to be verified by a member from IFAC who has worked in the same organization as that. It doesn't work for me. Because there was no one in my office who was a member”
“I’m a Canadian and my family has the UAE golden visa, we can come back anytime without the need of a sponsor”
“You're overthinking this, not in a bad way but you're clearly smart enough to see all the angles which is half the battle Go for 2027 full time roles first, your gpa is solid and that tax internship shows you can handle busy season even if the return offer didn't pan out. firms care way more about having SOME public experience than what service line it was in. and don't let the "only 2 applications per 6 months" thing paralyze you, that policy is soft and recruiters wil”