What can I do to make myself more appealing to a company despite lacking relevant experience?

What can I do to make myself more appealing to...

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Dear all

I am a twenty seven year old fine art graduate currently working in mental health. I have been studying towards becoming ACCA certified and I have passed F1 & F2. So far I have been unable to get even the most junior positions at accountancy firms as I do not have any relevant experience. I realise that this is a key time in my career and I am beginning to feel very demoralised. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of how I could boost my CV (Reputable training courses ect) I expect to take a pay cut and I am desperate to prove that I would be a good employee. I would be really grateful for any advice offered.

Thanks!

Replies (7)

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By JCresswellTax
17th Jan 2014 09:22

Unfortunately,

Its a struggle just now in the accountancy field.

Recent experience proves there are a very high number of unexperienced applicants for even the most junior positions. 

Accountancy firms prefer someone with experiencem, even if its only 6 months, so if you are up against these sort of people, you will be struggling.

I can't offer any advice as such, but just keep plugging away, all you need is someone to give you an opportunity and once you have some experience, you will find it a lot easier to move around.

Good luck.

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By andy.partridge
17th Jan 2014 09:34

Experience

Offer to help out with the accounts of local clubs, associations and charities in your spare time if you have any. Not only will it enhance your CV in terms of experience it will say something about your character too. 

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By neileg
17th Jan 2014 09:54

Public sector

You may get a better result withe the NHS or other public sector employers. Andy's advice is good too.

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By Kirkers
17th Jan 2014 09:57

Andy's advice is really good.

I'd also ask yourself how you plan to show prospective employers why you've gone for a degree in art, and moved into something so different. There are lots of people doing accountancy degrees and they're still not getting junior roles, you're up against people that have always wanted to be an accountant. You need to show that you as a person are a great investment.

Try approaching local firms and offering a day a week volunteering to learn the basics of practice environment?

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By dialm4accounts
17th Jan 2014 14:20

You don't need a financial degree

I have a music degree - and the firm with whom I did my first graduate placement said they actually preferred people with non-financial backgrounds, because that gave you a broader and more well-rounded perspective.

The right employer is out there for you, keep plugging away as other posters have said.  One possible avenue is to keep an eye out for a firm with one or more partners who are interested in fine arts, because then you will have something in common with them besides accounting.

And I also agree that Andy's advice is excellent.

Good luck.

M

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By Kirkers
17th Jan 2014 14:37

Just to clarify regarding dialm4accounts' comment, I was in no way saying that you will not get a job because you don't have an accountancy degree.

My comment merely stated that there are others who have studied finance and have always wanted to be apart of accountancy, and clearly at one point that wasn't something you wanted to study and therefore on your CV may not come across as passionate as those who have a degree in accounting. As I said you need to show them why you've made the jump from art to accounting, and how that will benefit them. (Attention to detail, concentration, keen eye for anomalies etc).

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By dialm4accounts
17th Jan 2014 14:52

My apologies

@kirkers, my apologies, I meant no offence. I just wanted to clarify that you don't need a finance / accounting degree to have a successful career in accountancy - so I think we're both saying the same thing, just approaching it from different angles.

I'm sorry if my earlier comment came across more brusquely than I intended.

M

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