The task of trying to get a job with no experience is a daunting task that most recent graduates are not prepared for.
The job market is one of the most fierce markets around, you are not only in competition with thousands of graduates that have been in the market before you but you also have to worry about the candidates who have accumulated intimidating levels of job experience.
As if that is not enough employers have now raised the bar as to what type of accountant they wish to hire and that makes it hard for even the most brilliant of individuals.
But you cannot blame employers for doing that. In these harsh economic times, the most wise thing business owners can do is to employ someone who has experience and can prove that they can manage their funds properly.
But even if that may be the case, it is possible to get a job. Here are a few tips that can help you achieve your objective.
A network will be one of your great assets in the professional world. Without one it will be a lot harder to achieve your objectives.
Creating your network is something you must start doing before you even graduate. There is no rule on when you can start networking.
People hire people.
Learn to sell yourself to your network long before you even start looking for a job. Invest time in building both an online and physical network.
SHOW OFF YOUR PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL SKILLS?can?t emphasize this point enough.
Get the right qualification
With no experience, it?s important to gain a theoretical grounding you can build upon when you enter an accounting role.
If you have an accounting degree and can afford it, why not take up a professional qualification?
There are a number of qualifications that are highly respected by financial employers, and can help you take your first steps in accounting.
ACCA and CIMA are examples of professional qualifications that will give you an advantage over other candidates who may even have experience.
Learn about accounting principles and softwares
Get educated on the updated accounting principles, practices and accounting software programs. Job adverts list a set of skills, principles and even accounting softwares that the company uses for their business trading.
You don?t need to have industrial experience to know how they work.
Get as much training as you can from online courses or resources that you can get your hands on. You will learn valuable accounting principles, and the ?professional? training you receive will make you a much more appealing candidate to accounting firms and businesses.
Apply anyways
1?3 years, 2?3 years.
Apply for job adverts that want this level of experience. As long as the position isn?t ?Senior? something it is an entry level.
You will rarely find a job advert which requires someone straight from the university or college. They are accounting firms that do hire such but even they only have so many places.
So apply for jobs with low entry requirements. Usually jobs with low minimum requirements are jobs that will give the firm the opportunity to train them in the way the company does business.
Don?t screen yourself out, that is the job of the HR.
Apply anyways is always the best advice. Worst case scenario you just don?t get the job anyway which is where you were in the first place.
Apply for a different job
They are other jobs that require your skills, the skills that an accounting graduate possess. For example, the position of bank tellers.
You can list these skills in your resume.
Seek work as a bookkeeper, accounts receivable clerk or even an accounting assistant position.
As you learn skills and gain experience from one job, you will be able to translate that experience into another position until you work your way up to the perfect accounting job.
Interview skills
All of the above would be all in vain if you do not work on your interview skills. If you are fortunate enough to get an interview, don?t let the fact that you were unprepared be the reason you failed to get hired.
Prepare as much as you can for the interview. Remember that even if you think you are ready for an interview, you are not.
Keep on refining your answers and techniques. You can always do more to improve your chances of getting picked.
Volunteer
Another way you can get the job you desire is by working your way up from the bottom. And the bottom is volunteering.
Find charities, small companies and business that need their books to be done and volunteer for a few hours in a week to do their books for free.
This will make you have the necessary experience you need to get bigger jobs. The experience you get will be invaluable to you.
I?d advise you to start doing this while you are still in school. But even if you have graduated and you have someone to support your expenses, you can still do this.
Final thoughts?
The Competition is fierce but you can always choose to rise up to the challenge.
Work on your resume and cover letters to improve your chances. Get in touch with recruiting agencies (multiple not just 1) and don?t be afraid to take temp jobs.
There is always a company that might be willing to take a chance on training you even though you don?t yet have experience.
Do you have any other tips to share? How else can one without any accounting experience get a job? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences in the section below.
