career preparation: employment tips

Marketing YOU

10 tips to move you from graduate to gainfully employed

This article has run twice before in CPA2b — in the Fall 2017 and Fall 2019 issues. The information it contains is so relevant and helpful, we’re running it again!

By Kristin Kallies, PHR

As a campus recruiter, I meet and interview thousands of students each year to fill a finite number of new positions within our firm. From among the copious number of eager graduates, we have to narrow down our final candidates to more than 200 individuals.

So, how can you break away from the masses and set yourself up as one of the finalists? How do you land that first professional opportunity? Whether you’re a recent graduate in pursuit of an entry-level position with an accounting firm, or an underclassman seeking a valuable internship experience, these 10 tips can help you rise to the top.

1. Develop your personal brand.

Your personal brand is how you present yourself to the marketplace; but more importantly, it’s how you’re perceived in the marketplace. By developing your unique and authentic personal brand, you decide how you want people to feel and think about you and help create the lasting impression you want to make in people’s minds. Your personal brand also serves to differentiate you from everyone else. Develop your personal brand, and then develop a consistent and compelling way to talk about your brand — in your résumé, during interviews, throughout your online profile and with each and every touchpoint. Remember, you’re the head marketer for the brand called YOU.

2. Market your experiences, both big and small.

Part-time, volunteer and minimum-wage positions matter. In actuality, such experiences can give potential employers additional insights into your character, capabilities, work ethic and creativity. Translate those workplace responsibilities into meaningful business, industry or accounting experiences. Did you work at a local sandwich shop? Emphasize the daily inventory counts you managed as a way to reinforce your love of numbers. Did you volunteer for a local charity? Explain your role and leadership responsibilities.

3. Research prospective employers, then make the findings relevant.

Doing homework on a firm is essential, but interpreting what you learn as it relates to your career objectives or values is golden. In addition to recognizing the industry diversification of a firm, take it a step further and talk more specifically about the firm’s expertise with health care clients, for example, and your passion for that industry, along with your knowledge of the industry’s challenges. Make your research resonate.

4. Social, social, social!

You’re looking for an opportunity, and opportunities primarily come by way of people. The more people you can meet, the greater your chances of finding your best

Relationships and connections matter, not “ just now but also later on.”

opportunity. Right now you have exposure to multiple groups and access to many firms and industry leaders. Use this time wisely to proactively build up your social networks, both offline and online. Leverage LinkedIn and reach out to contacts through your parents, professors, classmates and any connections at accounting firms. Take full advantage of each encounter. Doing so will establish valuable groundwork for the rest of your career. After all, you never know where you’ll end up further down the career path. Relationships and connections matter, not just now but also later on.

5. RSVP … always!

Each time you receive a firm’s invitation to attend an on-campus event or meeting, you need to respond promptly. Many firms track and monitor how often invitations are extended and whether or not you respond to them. If you have a conflict, decline the invitation with a brief note of thanks. Otherwise, a pattern of no response says, “I’m not interested in working for your organization.”

6. Treat every encounter as an interview.

Whether it’s job shadowing or an after-hours social, every event is an opportunity to market yourself. If you’re unsure of the dress code for an office you’re visiting or an event you’re attending, it’s always best to be overdressed: always err on the side of professionalism and formality. Rest assured you are constantly being evaluated; be punctual, and conduct yourself with proper etiquette.

7. Leverage staffing firms to the fullest.

An employment agency can offer more than just resources for job openings. Use agencies as a way to practice and perfect your interview skills. The more you interview, the more confident you become.

8. Conduct informational calls.

Informational calls or interviews are a great networking technique. They also help build your confidence levels and give you exposure to various industries. A word of caution: Never use informational interviews to ask for a job! Instead, use the interviews to gain good insights, and afterward, leverage the interviewers as new contacts in your network.

9. Articulate your milestones.

For many students, graduation day is not the end of their higher-education journeys. Some accounting students may still be pursuing advanced credits and degrees or certifications. List this on your résumé, and be clear with interviewers where you stand as a candidate for the CPA Exam.

10. Go beyond your résumé.

Your résumé is only one tool in your job-search toolbox. Develop an online portfolio of your work, and include a series of success stories from school, work or volunteering that show how you solved a real problem, accomplished a goal, executed plans or generated results — anything that highlights your skill sets and best attributes.

Follow these 10 suggestions, and you’ll stand apart from the rest while also standing the best chance of launching a successful career.

Kristin Kallies, PHR, is director of talent acquisition at Wipfli LLP in Madison. Contact her at 608-274-1980 or kkallies@wipfli.com.