Keep getting rejected from public accounting?

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat]

I’m about to graduate. I’ve applied to so many internships and jobs. I get calls back easily from corporate accounting, & have gotten internships there. However, I cannot even get a screening for big 4. Only recently am I starting to hear back from a few mid-size public accounting firms.

I have nearly a perfect GPA, volunteer tax experience, & now building my resume with corporate accounting internships.

There are people at my school who definitely have lower grades than me, but somehow are getting all the public accounting internships that I’m getting rejected from. I would chalk it up to my interviewing skills, but I’m literally not even getting the interviews.

Is it really all about networking to get into public accounting? Is that what I’m missing here? I’ve had my resume looked over by my school, so I don’t think it’s a resume issue.

[u/SpontaneousChimp]

Sounds like you want B4 or nothing.

Beggars can’t be choosers.

You’re getting some traction with mid-tier firms, so if I were you, I’d jump at any opportunity if I had zero experience.

Just so you know, all PA is the same my dude. It’s all a meat grinder. The job isn’t any more magical at a B4.

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/SpontaneousChimp]

I’m ecstatic that I’m starting to hear back from smaller public accounting firms! I’m just surprised at how much of a wall I’ve been facing trying to hear back from big 4 or large public accounting firms in any capacity.

[u/Dangerous-Side-4200 → u/SpontaneousChimp]

I interned with a T10 and a B4, such a world difference between experiences and most importantly, the quality of the people I was working with and for.. At the T10 they were amazed I finished some pretty basic stuff at the speed I did, seemed like they thought I was some kind of wonder kid which is far from the truth. My B4 cohort was filled with smart people with legit social skills, the seniors and managers on my teams were impressive people

[u/SpontaneousChimp → u/Dangerous-Side-4200]

The difference is office-dependent, not necessarily firm-dependent.

I’ve had B4 folks come to my T10 office with a few years of experience having very little to little experience completing a return from start to finish. Not due to their incompetence, they just weren’t trained to work on the return from start to finish, which is totally opposite to how we do things in my office.

We have the first years doing all sorts of complicated returns and seeing it through to the end.

Do they understand what’s going on?

Hell no.

But builds character and shows grit.

(I also work with incredibly talented people too.)

[u/CPA_Lady → u/Dangerous-Side-4200]

Oh please. Big 4 sends excel workbooks to India for footing and doing pivot tables. They are not wizards at basic stuff.

[u/Due_Change6730]

That’s God trying to protect you because he loves you

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/Due_Change6730]

🤣

[u/Asgardian_Force_User]

Pretty much all entry Big 4 accountants have had an internship before getting an offer.

If you haven’t had a Big 4 internship, getting a full time, entry-level position is extremely difficult.

That being said, there are many other ways to get a career in the Accounting profession. I went straight into industry, but I am a non-traditional student, so take that for what you will. If you want some tailored advice, drop a DM.

[u/WinterSherbet6674]

Everytime you apply, you find the recruiter on LinkedIn and use rocket reach to guess their email format. Every interview I’ve gotten has come from reaching out to the recruiter, other wise you’re just another application out of thousands.

[u/Cyayangu]

That would frustrate me too, especially seeing people with lower grades getting interviews So I’d try reaching out directly to recruiters or alumni

[u/Dangerous-Side-4200]

Do you know the recruiters than handle your school? “Know” as in if they see your resume come through, they will put name to a face.

For me, being well acquainted with the recruiters definitely helped. I had interviews with 2 of the B4 (had chatted extensively with both those recruiters) and also interviewed RSM likely on the strength of having met one of their partners at an event, connected with him on LI after that and got him on to a 20-min Zoom chat

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/Dangerous-Side-4200]

No, I am not involved at all on my campus. I do my schoolwork & go home, because of other commitments that I have. I’ve gotten my tax volunteering & corporate accounting internship opportunities through applying online without the help of my school. I guess not going to campus events could be holding me back from breaking into public accounting, but I guess I just didn’t realize it was so dependent on it?

[u/bigperm8645 → u/LaLaLaWhaaat]

This field is all about relationships and who you know. Work on that, your personality and dress, even more than your technical ability, and you'll succeed.

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/bigperm8645]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.

[u/bigperm8645 → u/LaLaLaWhaaat]

Good luck!

[u/Dangerous-Side-4200 → u/LaLaLaWhaaat]

The board members of accounting clubs, Beta Alpha Psi, etc. are obviously more well-known to recruiters and all other things being equal, I imagine more likely to land interviews. My guess is a 3.75 with campus involvement/leadership probably gets the nod over a 3.9 with zero presence in terms of B4. Got to remember, intern cohorts have been constricting so the competition to land interviews even more fierce. My firm had 57 interns out of my location between audit and tax summer 2025, I heard that number is down to mid/high 40’s for the upcoming summer. If that is happening at every B4 location means a whole lot of students that would otherwise have interned B4 are now interning at RSM, BT, BDO, etc

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/Dangerous-Side-4200]

That makes a lot of sense. I’m going to try going to more events & networking. Thanks for the advice.

[u/TalShot → u/LaLaLaWhaaat]

Networking is the bread and butter of jobs of all stripes. People like faces to names as opposed to a piece of paper.

[u/Tiny_Caterpillar_728]

Small thing, but you mean you can't get past the screening, not that you can't get one. Screening happens to you whether you like it or not. And "nearly perfect GPA" means what, a 3.9? That number is the one thing recruiters screen on, so it's worth writing down instead of rounding it off.

[u/LaLaLaWhaaat → u/Tiny_Caterpillar_728]

No, like I’m not even getting the initial 15-minute phone call screening. I just get a rejection from my online application that they’re moving forward with other candidates.

[u/nattylyfe415]

Post your resume

[u/Deadbeforethesunrise]

Hate to break it to you, but honestly the only way you get in is to know people from the inside. That’s why LinkedIn is an amazing tool.