Because you are accounting students, I know you are detail oriented. However, make sure the particulars of your resume layout do not preoccupy you too much. Most recruiters care less about how your resume looks, and more about what is on it. I’m sure your admissions office has gone over these tips with you ad nauseum, but let’s talk about them one more time, recruiter to student. What do recruiters look for?
1. GPA- the first little number a recruiter’s eyes scan for. That is not to say the higher the better, but we just want to make sure you make the cut- usually 3.0. I can’t speak for all recruiters, but in my opinion, if you meet our minimum GPA, we do not assume that a 3.8 will be a better candidate than a 3.1. Grades are such a small portion of what encompasses defines a successful accountant. If you have a 4.0 and cannot communicate, then you might as well have a 2.0. Bigger firms may be different, but for local/regional firms like ours, all accountants need to be able to communicate with clients and build their professional network. Besides, we’ll have to train you anyway, so what you learn in class really won’t get you too far.
2. Graduation Year- Most recruiter just want to know how much longer you have until you graduate. We usually will take interns that are between sophomore-senior year. I know some recruiters however will only take juniors or seniors. In my experience, the seniors don’t have a huge advantage over the sophomores. Classes only offer a small foundation of what you need to work on tax returns and audits. You will basically be starting from scratch no matter what classes you’ve taken.
3. Involvement- Can you handle more than just your course load? If not, we can only assume you won’t get involved in the community if we hire you. We are not interested in those who only want a “job” (8:00-5:00). We are looking for students who are eager to build a career- get involved and take leadership roles in the community and at the office.
Along the same line, a lot of resumes include a list of qualities, which is great. But, let’s be honest, if you say you are a self-starter, honest, dependable, and work well under pressure, but don’t give an example (use the work description bullet points) of a time you worked well under pressure then a recruiter won’t know how great you really are! (Example: Worked with a team to complete task XYZ with a two day deadline) Everyone has a list of great qualities, but few can demonstrate those qualities.
4. Job Experience- Depending on what grade you are in, you may have a lot or a little work experience. I like to see work experience no matter what/where it is. Being in school is drastically different from working. If you are starting in the work place cold turkey, it will take more time and training on our end to catch you up to speed. Accounting work experience is preferable. Working anywhere is drastically different from working in public accounting. So if you start working in public accounting cold turkey, that means more time and training on our end to catch you up to speed.
5. The Combination Factor- Basically, if you have a low GPA and no involvement/work experience, then your chance of getting an interview is slim. BUT, you might get away with a lower GPA if you have a lot of quality involvement/work experience on your resume.
6. Spelling/Grammar- This pretty much speaks for itself. Have someone else proof read your resume. You have looked at it too much and might not catch a mistake.
The bottom line is, everyone has a different opinion about what to put on a resume, and there are about a million different “silver-bullet” technics. But, at the end of the day, it is your resume and it reflects you. The best advice you can get is: keep it real.
If you have any questions or want to get my opinion on something, I am more than happy to help out!
Cheers!
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