Anybody here have a career in finance, tax, advising, accouting...?

[vinkoch]

Got my finance and accounting degree years ago. This is was my plan -- get a cpa license and eventually focus on small business and also merge that experience into financial planning and advising for individuals and small business. It at least focus on one.
Here's what happened -- couldn't get an internship. Finally got a job with a mid size accounting firm. Learned very little and had problems with vindictive women playing office politics. Got laid off. Found a seasonal job with a very small firm and the two owners were arrested for tax evasion assistance. Got a job at HR Block and couldn't get enough hours. All other attempts to branch out or get better jobs failed due to lack of experience with specific things such as certain software or just not enough general experience. Eventually I took a job at a retail store and became store manager then went to warehouse and got laid off. Now I'm trying to get back into financial services like tax and financial advising but same old problem. Not enough experience.
I'm thinking of learning a trade and becoming self employed eventually. But I'm getting into my mid thirties and want some damn stability so I can have a family.

 

[conditioningg]

I'm not in finance, tax, etc. but I do know of a way to learn a trade and maybe become self employed. Coding bootcamps, if you can get into one, whip you into shape in 6 - 12 weeks for you to start as an entry level software engineer. One of my housemates went to one called The Flatiron School here in NYC and he got a job as promised.

Here is a list of a bunch of them throughout the nation http://www.skilledup.com/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-coding-bootcamps-the-exhaustive-list

 

[PrettyBoyAJ]

I have a bachelors degree in accounting and a MBA. When I graduated with my degrees I was applying for any type of finance or accounting degrees. I didn't care how much money, I just wanted to get my foot in the door. After applying for a month with no avail I just got a job in sales. The only interview I had that wasn't with a recruiter didn't go to well.

My advice to you is network a lot. Go to networking events and meet up with CPAs and financial professionals. It's not what you know, it is who you know.

 

[conditioningg]

PrettyBoy's advice is solid.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Unless you're Ivy League or upper-crust connected, most jobs that are realistically available in financial services are going to be sales jobs. I have had a lot of jobs with impressive-sounding names, like stockbroker, retirement planner, and mortgage broker, but none of my bosses cared about my level of education. They just wanted me to get on the phone, hustle, and bring in money. That's the point of any commission sales job. Some of the bigger companies will offer a "draw" against your future earnings as a way to look like it isn't a pure commission job. But if you want that draw, you typically have to produce names of your friends and family so the sales manager and you can pay them a high-pressure sales call.

 

[BeTheChange]

Yes and ignore the naysayers.

You don't need to have good connections or money to land a job in finance.

Hard work and careful career planning from an early age - the younger the better - will get you there too.

Ask me anything.

 

[Tenacity]

I too am in the Finance realm, and Bible Belt and AJ's information is spot on. The vast majority of the positions not just to get "in the door" but perhaps the only way in the industry period, is through professional sales jobs.

Every professional sales job is based on performance (bringing in new revenues), don't let a "base pay" fool you, if you don't hit the metrics established you will be fired very fast and POTENTIALLY have whatever amount of base already paid to you clawed back. The base pay is nothing but an "advance" on the future commissions you are going to make from bringing in the new revenues, which means if you bring in no such revenues, a clawback might be in place.

If you don't like this route, other routes will include having a top tier network so you can get into I-Banking roles which still can be considered "sales" but not in the generic sense as other Financial Services niches.

With Accounting, you need experience PLUS your education/CPA. The kicker here is how do you get the experience if no one will hire you? You have to figure something out there buddy. I would start with low level accounting roles.

The one thing that I will tell you is that you need to start EARLY. Do not be 30 years plus trying to become a CPA with no experience already, it won't be good.

 

[Tictac]

You don't say where you live. But if you're in commuting distance of NYC, Chicago or San Francisco any of the three debt rating companies - Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch would likely have needs for CPAs.

 

[SageProductUnleashed]

Unless you're Ivy League or upper-crust connected, most jobs that are realistically available in financial services are going to be sales jobs. I have had a lot of jobs with impressive-sounding names, like stockbroker, retirement planner, and mortgage broker, but none of my bosses cared about my level of education. They just wanted me to get on the phone, hustle, and bring in money. That's the point of any commission sales job. Some of the bigger companies will offer a "draw" against your future earnings as a way to look like it isn't a pure commission job. But if you want that draw, you typically have to produce names of your friends and family so the sales manager and you can pay them a high-pressure sales call.

Lol since when did anybody think "mortgage broker" sounds impressive?

EDIT: BB professional financial services may be out of reach for non-Ivy grads, but there's a whole realm of commercial banking and corporate finance jobs out there for everyone else that aren't sales-oriented at the junior level.

 

[SageProductUnleashed]

Yes and ignore the naysayers.

You don't need to have good connections or money to land a job in finance.

Hard work and careful career planning from an early age - the younger the better - will get you there too.

Ask me anything.

BeDJ, is that you?

 

[BeTheChange]

BeDJ, is that you?

No. But appreciate the complement.