Fell off the wagon
November 19, 2008I’ve been pretty bummed out for a few weeks now. What was originally just going to be a small break from job hunting turned into a death spiral of general unproductive laziness. Procrastination was my bed buddy and my poison. It’s kind of embarrassing actually, and I’m not very proud of my lack of effort.
To me the job hunt experience is comparable to that of an exam period. I know I should be studying, but I’m not. But at least there’s a definite end to exam period, a date to look forward to when the suffering and mental anguish will end. Who knows when this job hunt will end?
Extra motivation was gained today when I read two job postings that peaked my interest. I found them when I woke up at 4:00AM or so. The awful P-word kicked in and I thought I have the whole day to apply. So I kept pushing it back and pushing back: did some stuff on the computer, ate something, took a nap blah blah blah.
When I finally muster up the motivation to apply I discovered that the jobs were expired already. Posted and expired in a single day. Are there that many unemployed accountant grads out there? Or is it because these jobs were never there in the first place? Maybe the company already knew who they were going to hire and the posting of these jobs were just a formality to satisfy some company policy. Well I’ll choose to believe that there was some sort of mix-up for now to keep my spirits high.
New plan of attack now. Stay on top of job hunt. Ready applications to send to CA firms in December and January when people leave after receiving UFE results and busy season begins. Continue with applications to industry positions too. Hope for the best?
Oh and I have an interview later at a CA firm (sent application weeks ago, before I got all demoralized). If anything, it’ll be good interview practice.
Try not to let this bother you. You’ll get a job if you keep trying.
This may be helpful. You can use this link to find all the CA firms in Ontario. Sometimes you can get lucky by cold calling places.
http://www.icao.on.ca/public/apps/cafirm/centralont.aspx
Best of luck!
Ironically I used the same method bd suggests. I heard back from one firm like 2 or 3 months later – but that was two weeks after I got the offer for my current job. :/
People take vacations from work. Job hunting is like work, if you can afford it (and perhaps even if you can’t), it’s worth taking a break.
The only thing than scrambling to get a job, is trying to get a job while feeling absolutely burnt out.
Most ‘core’ audit departments will politely say “try again next fall”, so your goal is to find a specialty group, or go after those small/mid-sized firms that need people, and need them NOW.
As for the transient posting – could’ve easily been someone messing up the online posting system – it happens sometimes, unfortunately.
Good luck with your upcoming interview!
Hi bud I discovered your blog this afternoon. Like you, I was rejected by the big 4, and the medium size firms too. Big 4 because of my grades, medium size firms because they give preference to their coop students.
Right now I am applying for AAP with the CRA, but I would suggest a strategy like I have done: apply anywhere. Spending a year as a junior accountant will help you out when you reapply for articling next year.
I abandoned the idea of being a CA for the time being. The program at the CRA is not a CAST program so I will start on a CMA program. CA is not the be all end all.
-bd
My spirits are somewhat higher after I received the call for an interview. Not that I know if I’m getting the job, but it’s nice motivation to keep trying.
-Krupo
That was exactly my reasoning for the break. I guess for once in my life I’m my own boss setting my own hours eh?
-M
Yea I know my situation is by no means unique. I just had no idea previously it would be like this. I kind of feel I was somewhat “mislead” or, more accurately, left in the dark about the details of a CA job search due to external factors and my own naivety. But I agree, there definitely are options besides CA.
yikes, i’m pretty worried about my job prospects when i graduate next year. also taking a whole sleu of accounting courses.
did you take up accounting for the “job security” and supposedly good salary prospect? do you actually LIKE it?
ps. good luck with the job hunt!
-[n]
I don’t know why I picked accounting. It is by no means my “passion”, but it was something I did well at in high school, and thus chose to continue in university. I never considered job security and salary, which I admit was stupid of me. But I was only 18 and naive when I made my decision and entering the workforce seemed so far away; such considerations never came to me.
[...] recent accounting graduate « Reboot What just happened? August 19, 2009 Remember the entry in November 2008 where I signed off with a vague “I got an interview with a CA firm next week”? Well [...]
Hey.
Thanks for commenting. I remember visiting here before when I was watching LOS. I remember your screencaps hehe. 