Why am I getting rejected from every accounting job I apply to?
Job seekers are facing constant rejections or total silence after applying to public accounting firms for weeks, months, or even years. Even when reaching final-round interviews, candidates experience rejections or endless waiting, often leading them to question whether their resume is flawed or if breaking into the industry is even possible.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Studying for or getting a CPA
- 2Willing to uproot family for another city or state
- 3Changing resume formats and using school career resource centers
- 4Applying to local and regional firms instead of only mid-tier or Big 4 firms
- 5Passing the CPA exams to demonstrate competency and de-risk candidacy
- 6Starting to network
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've been applying for the last month, and have been getting rejections or not getting any responses at all.”source ↗
“It has been extremely difficult for me. In Chicago. I’ve had 6 final interviews so far, 4 of which have rejected me and 2 of which i’m still waiting on word from”source ↗
“I keep getting rejected from every public accounting firm I apply to, and I’m starting to assume my resume has something to do with it.”source ↗
“This has been going on for about two years now, and I’m honestly starting to wonder if getting into public accounting is just a pipe dream for me.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 11What other career paths are there with an accounting degree?
- 21Feeling lost and overwhelmed starting a new accounting job
- 2How to get tax experience without an entry-level job
- 21How to break into accounting as an international student with a low GPA
- 4How to get an accounting job without a CPA
- 4Why can't I get an interview at a public accounting firm?