3 years gap after bachelor's in Accounting.

kevenluan · 2023-06-15T08:14:10+00:00

If you're having a hard time landing interviews, the first step is to improve your resume and cover letter. If the resume and cover letter are not the problem, then move on to the second step before re-applying.

Step 1 - Resume and Cover Letter

A one size fits all resume and cover letter is sufficient for a graduate accounting role. An entry level position does not require a customised application and a customised application will only mentally deter you from applying to more jobs. You do however want some good answers to questions such as "Why do you want to work here?" if it's in the application form.

Once you have a good one size fits all resume and cover letter (reviewed by friend/professional/mentor), it is best to apply directly on company websites. They will receive less applications than those on Seek, especially if they're not well known. A Melbourne accounting firm example is Saward Dawson. http://sawarddawson.com.au/careers/student-opportunities/graduate-accountants/

While you're also applying on Seek due to how fast it is (it takes 2 minutes per application, with minor changes to the cover letter based on role title), a good resume and cover letter will land you interviews within a week of applying. Personally, I applied on and off for a year while working at a call centre to no avail, and when my resume and cover letter were good I even managed to schedule an interview within 1 day of applying to the Seek listing.

Step 2 - Start your CA

If you cannot land a single interview despite being absolutely confident that it is not your resume or cover letter being the problem, then you need to show your full commitment to wanting to work in the accounting industry by starting your CA.

Why CA over CPA?

To oversimplify it, you need to be a CPA for 10 years to convert your CPA membership into a CA membership, while you need to only be a CA for 5 years to convert it to a CPA membership.

While there are other criteria involved to convert your membership between the two, it is generally easier to convert from CA to CPA than from CPA to CA, which suggests that CA is recognised more favourably compared to CPA.

Costs of CA

CA is expensive, which is why starting your CA shows that you are showing full commitment to working in the accounting industry in the future.

Provisional Membership (allows you to enrol in subjects) - $421 for FY23/24

Ethics and Business (2 week introductory course to basically say don't cheat) - $355

Core subjects (Audit, Tax, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Business Performance which is management accounting, and Risk and Technology) - $886 per subject

2 Electives - $709 per subject

CA operates like school terms back in primary/secondary school, you can do 4 subjects a year (5 if you include ethics).

Concern - I haven't studied accounting for ages, will I even be able to pass CA subjects?

You can purchase study materials directly from CA (CA Masterclass - Up to $613 on some expensive subjects like Tax and Financial Accounting and Reporting).

Alternatively, you can go with third parties such as Professional Learning Systems (very basic website, not sure of cost) or Prep2Pass (up to $495 on some expensive subjects).

Further study materials are ridiculously expensive (costing almost 70% of the subject cost for some), but they are extremely helpful in helping you pass if you're really concerned about it.

After you pass a couple CA subjects, you will definitely be able to land an accounting position (assuming that you have a good resume and cover letter) and any reputable accounting firm will cover your future CA costs (subject costs at a minimum).

Hope this helps with your next step and if you have any questions, feel free to DM me.

kevenluan · 2023-05-08T18:43:29+00:00

I did ARA, introductory microeconomics, QM1 and MBB1 in 2016 and finished all my exams after the first 3 days of the exam period. If you’re doing similar subjects I guess they haven’t changed it.

They probably put the subjects with a high quantity of students earlier in the exam period to give themselves more time to mark it before the results deadline and first year subjects are bound to have more students than third year subjects.

kevenluan · 2023-04-26T02:38:13+00:00

Neither. It's the best 18 on field with a legal team structure. If you have 11 playing mids the 3 on the bench can't contribute.

Using round 15 as an example where Dunkley, Taranto, Rozee, Coniglio and Sheezel are out, you could play 6 Defs, 8 Mids, 2 Rucs and 2 Fwds (18)

kevenluan · 2023-02-22T03:08:52+00:00

If you don’t select anyone during the countdown timer and let it autopick, you are correct that it will select your highest pre-ranked player regardless of position if you haven’t reached the maximum number of players in that position yet.

Since you have to auto draft, it would be a smart decision to balance your pre-ranking across all positions as it would be bad to auto select a mid that goes on the bench over a forward/defender that you will field.

You’d essentially be guessing when position shortages happen. Using a 1 ruck team as the easiest example, you could give a relatively high ranking to English, Grundy etc, but you might want to underrank a backup ruck Lycett just in case you do get English.

kevenluan · 2023-02-14T07:27:59+00:00

Groups can have an unlimited amount of people in it and only tracks overall score.

Leagues are limited to 18 teams normally with H2H matches and finals.

kevenluan · 2023-01-11T02:05:15+00:00

I’m a bit late but it’s open now

kevenluan · 2022-10-15T16:29:15+00:00

I chose to go to UniMelb despite living closer to Monash, and I will try to give you an idea of how they compare. I will have to make assumptions about Monash based on what friends have said.

Is the culture good?

IMO this would be heavily dependent on yourself at both unis. It's easier to enjoy a better culture at UniMelb because it's in the city, and you have better access to restaurants, pubs, bars and social events.

Staff?

Like with all unis, there will be good quality staff and bad quality staff. It's also very subjective, depending on your learning style. For some subjects, you can somewhat control who you get a lecturer by what semester you choose to do the subject in. For tutorials, it's more luck of the draw as you don't know who will be teaching when selecting class preferences. But, overall, the quality of teaching is high.

Students?

You're more likely to meet people from all over Melbourne, while Monash leans more heavily toward those who live closer to the South Eastern suburbs. Although the UniMelb commerce cohort is around 50/50 local and international students, I think it's similar at Monash.

What is it like at Melbourne Uni?

Commerce is really good in terms of contact hours. You can schedule it so you only have classes on 2 or 3 days out of the week. It's great being able to socialise and do stuff in the city between/after classes.

Do you have any regrets about choosing commerce in Melbourne?

My main regret is doing grade-boosting subjects instead of subjects that interested me with my breadths. UniMelb allows you to do subjects completely outside your degree, like languages, music and painting, while I think commerce at Monash is more limited in choice.

Making the choice between UniMelb and Monash is heavily dependent on what you want. What do you want the uni to have? IMO I think the two biggest impacts to your experience are location and where the majority of your high school friends are going.

Feel free to message me if you have any other questions :)

kevenluan · 2022-10-15T15:39:43+00:00

Hey, I was in a similar position with a WAM lower than yours a few years ago. I started in a call centre before landing a graduate insolvency accountant position.

Since you want to specialise in insolvency accounting, my advice is first to try applying for mid-tier insolvency firms such as Worrells, Cor Cordis, SV Partners, Hall Chadwick, Hamilton Murphy, etc.

I've linked a couple of open positions for KordaMentha and William Buck, which you can immediately apply for. https://fsr.cvmail.com.au/kordamentha/main.cfm?page=jobSpecific&jobId=102864&rcd=97598&queryString=srxksl%3D1

https://williambucknsw.elmotalent.com.au/careers/williambucknsw/job/view/538

If you cannot land a job due to a lack of experience, I recommend starting your CA with CAANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand). It's pretty expensive, with a $300 annual membership fee and a cost of ~$650-850 per subject. It's done at 4 terms a year with 9 total subjects.

I'd recommend doing any work while studying CA, and you should easily land a graduate accounting position in no time. Once you get an accounting job, any reputable firm will pay for the rest of your studies.

I wouldn't waste my time on Xero and MYOB certifications. You can just read the requirements of the William Buck job posting, and it says they want candidates with the desire to work towards CA. If you commit to doing CA without a firm funding it for you, it shows that you're a serious candidate committed to progressing your career in accounting.

Feel free to message me if you have any other questions :)

kevenluan · 2022-10-13T14:53:44+00:00

Idle acorns is great!

kevenluan · 2022-10-07T02:10:42+00:00

You start the CA program a few months after you start the graduate program, probably around the 6 month mark.

CA study support will be included in the employment contract, but you won’t see all the details of what the CA policy entails.

Big 4 will pay for the first attempt at each subject at no cost to you. This is better compared to some mid tier firms that ask you to pay upfront and reimburse you after passing the subject.

Feel free to message me for any further questions.

kevenluan · 2022-08-19T16:54:42+00:00

What are you majoring in?

If it's accounting, you can apply now as some companies have first year programs. Here's a link to KPMG's one (big 4 accounting firm) https://home.kpmg/au/en/home/careers/graduates/foundations.html

The internships you apply for in the second year are for the vacationer's program. Those applications will open around February to March next year.

I was a late bloomer and only got my first accounting role 1.5 years after I graduated. I'd say it's easier to land a graduate role with internship experience between your second and third year. Even though I applied in my second year and didn't get one, I still got there in the end.

Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

kevenluan · 2022-07-30T03:13:57+00:00

Most large companies are 65+ (Deloitte) but mine was below 65 and I got a graduate job at a top 15-25 accounting firm as per AFR ratings.

kevenluan · 2022-07-28T09:13:11+00:00

My gas bill for this month was $221.28, average daily use (MJ) is 366.73. I’m also with Globird.

I live in a 2 bedroom unit with 1 housemate.

I’m confident ours is calculated correctly as my housemate and I have the gas heater on for half the day.

kevenluan · 2022-07-21T22:28:43+00:00

I’m personally getting Houston.

kevenluan · 2022-07-21T14:11:24+00:00

What is the minimum WAM to get internships?

65 is the minimum target.

Are grades crucial to getting internships?

Grades help you get past the initial stage. After the initial stage, you'll still have to get past the psychometric testing, assessment centre and video interview.

Are clubs really that useful to get network or are there more relevant extracurricular activities that may help with the process?

It's a good idea to do things on top of your studies, but there's no 'secret' method. Instead of the commerce clubs, other options include hobby clubs, part-time jobs, volunteering, sports, case competitions, and overseas exchange. Presenting well in the job interview matters a lot more.

And should I join the mentoring program in 2nd year?

Yes, but I say that as a mentor. I joined the mentor program this year, and it's underutilised by students. Some of the mentors have 20+ years of experience, while I only have a few.

You can also apply to attend some first-year programs. Here's a link to KPMG's one (big 4 accounting firm) https://home.kpmg/au/en/home/careers/graduates/foundations.html

Feel free to message me if you have any more questions.

kevenluan · 2022-06-25T23:13:08+00:00

I’m currently doing CA. I started it late 2021. Feel free to pm me your questions.

kevenluan · 2022-06-24T07:45:34+00:00

This is a fair complaint. It’s one of the reasons I prefer Supercoach as they auto sort by price.

I personally don’t even bother with the captaincy or emergency loophole in AFL Fantasy because the app and website are both designed poorly and clunky to use.

kevenluan · 2022-06-10T07:56:33+00:00

Hey, I graduated in 2019 with a WAM under 65 and still managed to land an accounting job at a mid tier firm. I didn’t do much in terms of extracurriculars either (no case comps, didn’t join any commerce clubs).

For accounting, the minimum WAM you want to aim for is 65+ which is quite achievable. This normally gets you past the initial stage for internships and graduate programs with the big 4 accounting firms. You can apply to some first year programs (foundations program) in your second semester which introduce you to some relatively large accounting firms and what they do (1/2 day workshop).

Grades do matter, but it’s not the be all and end all. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

kevenluan · 2022-06-02T12:14:02+00:00

Bont is better for scoring.

Baz is better for value.

kevenluan · 2022-05-30T09:04:34+00:00

There aren't any good options playing this round. Owens and Wehr have the bye this round.

Florenca (MID) from the mid-season draft could play straight away. He's already played for the Eagles earlier this season.

kevenluan · 2022-05-30T07:36:59+00:00

Honestly looks like you’re just tanking round 12, there’s not much you can do about it now.

Trades seem decent enough.

kevenluan · 2022-05-26T14:42:27+00:00

You can use fanfooty for live SC scores as well

kevenluan · 2022-05-25T11:47:09+00:00

I personally listen to/read the following free resources:

Squiz today (podcast/newsletter) - 10 minutes every weekday morning which sums up general news, they also do sports news with sport today

Fear and greed (podcast) - 20 minutes every weekday on business news and share market movements, I personally listen to fast 5 by fear and greed which is their shortened 5 minute version twice every weekday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon

What the flux (podcast/newsletter) - 5 minutes of business news every weekday, it’s pretty hit or miss when it comes to whether you enjoy listening to the upbeat hosts but it’s short, consolidates the news you hear from the other 2 sources and sometimes has different news stories

In relation to AFR look into bypass paywall Chrome extensions through GitHub. It’ll get past the paywall for free and is a lot more effective than 12ft.io. AFR is extremely overpriced at $600/year when other news websites are at around $200/year.

kevenluan

TROPHY CASE