Aditi
I completed CPA(Certified Public Accountancy) 4 years back, before that I was working in a Public accounting firm. So I have the CPA license and work expereince also but for past 4 years didn't work coz of Visa requirements.how to go back to work now
I am a CPA and a mom of two kids. I have work experience and CPA education and license but its a few years that I didn't work. Now, my question is that should I think of getting back to work through H & R block tax course in Sep2015. If I do that what are my job prospects gonna be after completing the tax season? #accounting #accountant #cpa #personal-finance #recruiter #taxes #ea
4 answers
Alexandra Grashkina-Hristov
Alexandra’s Answer
If you have a CPA and an interest in tax, you have many opportunities even though you took a break from work for reasons that were outside of your control. I think that in addition to H&R Block, you can look at accounting firms that need experienced associates. It is important to explain why you took a break from work but you remained interested in working in tax, kept current on new developments, and maintained your license active. Make sure you build your resume to show the experience you had before you took a break and the learning experience/responsibilities that you had.
Good luck!
Hung Tran
Hung’s Answer
Good luck!
Stephen Gilmour
Stephen’s Answer
As they said it normally looks better when interviewing to not have gaps in work experience however, one thing that stuck out to me in your question is the fact that you are a mother of two. During my time in college one of the students in my business development class (basically an interview prep class) was out of the workforce for many years taking care of her child. What the teacher recommend was to use those experiences you had raising their child in their resume. What many people forget when updating their resume is that being a parent can demonstrate a lot of qualities that are wanted in the workplace such as time management and organization of work/tasks to be done.
So definitely go out and apply for jobs but if you can spin the time you have spent as a parent when you weren't working as applicable experiences don't be afraid to include that as well. It will help to show that you weren't sitting around not working but that you were doing things that gave you experiences that will help in the work place!
Jenny Hill, CPLP, CTDP
Jenny’s Answer
With your qualifications and experience, it sounds like your prospects should be good! It's often easier to get hired when you already have another job, so taking a job at H&R block might be beneficial. You may even be able to get a job with them in the off season if you have a strong tax background.
In the meantime though, provided you have a visa now and can work, there's no reason why you can't start your job search. Spruce up your resume, and start applying to jobs. Find out if there are any recruiting agencies in your area that specialize in accounting positions. Sign up for LinkedIn if you haven't already, and connect with your former co-workers and local people you know to let them know you're looking for a new job. Go to any local events for accounting professionals, and introduce yourself to others- you never know who might be hiring!
Good luck with the search, I hope you find the perfect job!