Work for FREE

Verbal_Kint

Finished commerce last year and studying ACCA on my own.

Seeing as the merde is hitting the fan and there are people way more qualified than me unemployed now I am thinking of offering to work for a small accountancy firm just to get experience and have something to show on the CV.

Whats the thinking about this? Someone told me accountants were applying to McDonalds in Sligo:)

Climber

I would think that the experience you gain as a skivy in a small pracitice might not be worth it?

Maybe concentrate on passing your exams? Do 4 at a time since you have the time to study?

maddogcollins

In my opinion, any experience is better than having none. I agree that you should try doing four at a time at least. But I would certainly try to get some experience. Nobody is going to want to hire a qualified/part qualified accountant with no experience, when you consider the 100's of staff now qualified and experienced out in the market.

Id certainly write to a few firms and check out if they could even offer a day or two a week just to get a foot in somewhere.

Also accountants applying for McDonalds in Ennis!

Verbal_Kint

have 8 left and def doing 2x 4. will give the 2-3 days a week thing a go. anybody know of a place around galway city PM me thanks.

Kingkong

Verbal_Kint there should be no reason why you could feel the need to work for free to get experience. There are plenty of accoutancy firms looking for trainees with no experiences as that is the life blood of the industry. Dont be mistaken that just because you have no experience you are at a disadvantage. Plus proffessional services firms might be a bit wary of having someone working with senstive infomation who is not paid by them.

Galway may not be the right place to get a traineeship at the moment. Try mid sized firms in the Dublin, Cork area. In my opinion doin the exams of your own back isnt the best way as practical experience is everything there are many people who are great accountants but failed exams.

crazzzzy

try gradireland.com and college career website. you might find firm looking for trainee. you could try applying to accountants that havn't advertised vacancies and say you would take part-time work if available.

I spent 6months looking for work and eventually got in with small practice covering maternity for their receptionist. now they gonna keep me on at least part-time while i study for exams.

Verbal_Kint

At the moment int he current job market there are a lot of accountants with experience and references including a number with big 4 experience. How am I to compete with them for jobs?

I did pretty good in college although not at the top of my class. I am one of the few who actually like accountancy because I can see the benefits of it to one day owning my own company but even when it comes to applying for accountancy masters the cream of the crop that were taken on for traineeships in the big 4 are being asked to defer for a year to do masters from what I hear and thats makes the competition much higher for those places.

There doesn't seem to be much support for the idea of working for free:) Ovbiously nobody wants to see that start to gain popularity as wages would drop in the smaller practices however for someone in my case I cant twiddle my thumbs for I was thinking of after the June exams at least doing two months p/t to pretty much get my foot in the door, shave a bit of time off qualifing and get a reference to get into a bigger practice in Dublin.

crazzzzy

the only reason i wouldn't support working for free is that the wages for trainee accountant are already crap and you deserve to be paid if you gonna work!!! if you interested in work shadowing then that is different.

It is v frustrating not being able to get work but you're not the only one out there. keep trying & get through some exams while waiting. that way you will have advantage over the people straight outta college.

CaptainSubprime

No company in their right mind to take someone on for free. Against the law.

Verbal_Kint

dont some marketing grads work for free to gain experience? im sure there are ways around this. so no support?

another world

Working for free will make things more difficult for other people and really bring down the value of the work accountants do. I´m sure if you keep looking you´ll get something... a bit of patience and in the meantime just keep going at the exams.