u/musclemanb

Hey guys,

I graduated last month with a B.S. in Accounting, but I've been applying like crazy with very little luck. I'm based in Baltimore, MD, and while I know it's impossible to apply to literally everything, I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of places to look.

I've been applying for Staff Accountant, General Accounting, Corporate Accounting, Government Accounting and other entry-level accounting roles. I'm especially interested in tax, so I've also applied for entry-level tax positions at public accounting firms, but I haven't had much luck there either.

Unfortunately, I didn't take internships seriously enough earlier in college and didn't start aggressively applying for them until toward the end. I know that was a big mistake on my part, and I've already been passed over for several internships.

I've also applied through Robert Half and LHH for entry-level accounting positions without much success. At this point, I'm not really sure where else I should be looking.

I have the 150 credit hours for the CPA and plan to begin studying for the exams. In the meantime, I'm considering working at H&R Block for the upcoming tax season just to stop the bleeding financially since I'm currently unemployed. I know the pay isn't great, though, so I'd definitely prefer to land a full-time Staff Accountant, Tax Associate, or similar entry-level accounting position if possible.

Is anyone here in the Baltimore/Maryland area who could point me in the right direction? Maybe companies or firms that are actually willing to hire and train new accounting graduates without prior accounting internships?

I usually network and search through LinkedIn, but I figured Reddit might be worth a shot too. Any advice, leads, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

https://preview.redd.it/hsjjxg8w05jh1.png?width=641&format=png&auto=webp&s=e8a7fb7775e92cd1f91d5738107875716ad35d19

Hey everyone,

Maybe this is something I should already know, but I’m honestly a little confused. I did ask my advisor, but I don’t think we were on the same page. I tried explaining what I was asking a few different ways, and I left the conversation still unsure of the answer. So I figured I’d ask people who actually work in accounting or have gone through this themselves. I’m in Maryland and finishing my Bachelor of Science in Accounting at UMGC this summer. I used Sophia Learning for about 12 credits of gen eds since UMGC accepts Sophia through their partnership.

I already have all of my required courses and upper-level accounting credits completed. I’ll be graduating in August with the 120 credits needed for my bachelor’s. The only reason I’m asking is because I’m wondering if I can use Sophia to earn additional general elective credits and get myself to the 150-credit requirement for the Maryland CPA instead of stopping at 120.

My questions are:

Can I use Sophia Learning to earn additional general elective credits beyond the 120 needed for my bachelor’s and have those count toward Maryland’s 150-credit CPA requirement?

Does Maryland accept Sophia credits toward the 150-credit requirement if UMGC accepted and transcribed them?
Would UMGC even let me take enough additional credits to go over 120 if I’m not adding a minor or certificate?

I know another option is getting a master’s, and I’m open to that if it’s the better route. Right now, though, my main priority is becoming CPA eligible as efficiently as possible. If I can knock out the extra 30 credits through general electives on Sophia, that seems like it would save me a lot of time and money. Has anyone in Maryland (or anyone familiar with UMGC or Sophia) gone through this? I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experience.

Thanks!