u/AlphaSpartan331 — reddlx

The job search is so bad right now. No positions open and all “career starter” positions require 2+ years experience in industry. Combined with all the layoffs, it’s awful. I’m a strong candidate and I didn’t apply to jobs at the beginning of the year so my girlfriend could apply to her masters and we could figure out what state we’re going to be in. I have a 3.7 GPA and was VP of education in my frat, VP of academics and membership in BAP, won 1st in a BAP case competition and got selected to compete in BAP’s international case competition where I placed 3rd. I have great client facing experience working at restaurants and I got internships. I make it to the last round of interviews and despite having great conversations with hiring managers and partners, it just never lands. It’s so depressing. Half a decade of my life spent studying accounting and I’m honestly thinking that it would have been better to try and become a manager at an Olive Garden or something. Just feels so hopeless with AI, offshoring, and my state allowing an alternate pathway so the job market is flooded with 5th an 4th year eligible CPA candidates graduating this year. I want to study for my CPA but the Reddit is full of people with masters and 4 sections passed who can’t even land a job. All the layoffs as well, is it even worth it to go for public accounting? I hear about people with strong performance not making the cut. My plan while I don’t have a career job is to work at Olive Garden and volunteer at non profits to run their books for free to get experience while studying for the CPA. But even then, it seems so hopeless and all that effort can amount to nothing. I’ve put in a lot of work to build a strong resume and equip myself with lots of experience, and I have great answers for interviews drawing upon those candidates. It all just feels so hopeless. Applying to so many jobs just to hear back from a few and then not make the Final Cut…. Hope everyone is surviving out there, it just seems so rough.