What type of jobs should I pursue as a Business Admin: Finance + Accounting???

I will be out of college with a degree of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting. I am looking for a job right now. What are some places I should look at and what positions do I apply for? (Obviously I wont' get be a CFO out of college.) Thanks for all your help!

What type of jobs should I pursue as a Business Admin: Finance + Accounting???
Congratulations on graduating from college with a Bus. Admin. degree! If you want to pursue the Finance and Accounting fields there are many options available to you. However, don't be in a hurry or expect to make the big bucks right away. You'll have to take some entry level jobs and pay your dues for a few years. It's not that bad as long as you keep a positive attitude and plan your career correctly.





You should start your career with either earning your CPA license or working for a major corporation as a staff accountant.





If you plan on being a CFO someday then you should definitely go the CPA route. This involves passing a tough CPA exam and working long hours for a CPA firm for 2-3 years. The pay will be nothing to brag about, but the experience and having a CPA license will be the cornerstone of your career. Try to get hired by one of the big 4 accounting firms or a regional firm that does audit, tax, and consulting. There's also some travel involved so you'll need to be flexible. Passing part of the CPA exam now will help you get in the door. Otherwise networking through your local CPA chapter or business fraternity (Beta Alpha Psi) will help you.





If you just want to work for a few years to get some good experience then you should work in corporate accounting. You could try for an entry level Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable position. Check Yahoo! HotJobs. The pay is a little better than public accounting, but the work environment is more conservative and you probably won't get to travel as much. Try to work for a large Fortune 500 corporation with an international presence. This will look good on your resume plus later on companies will be more interested in you if you've worked for their competition. You should also be genuinely excited about the company and it's products and services. Do your homework before the interview and learn everything you can about the company (use Yahoo! Finance and type in the stock symbol). Examine their financials, annual report, and press releases. Understand their products and services, operations, growth history, industry, officers and directors, competitors, etc.





Getting your MBA is also a good goal, but get a few years work experience first. This will enhance your learning time. Plus if you're employed with a good company they'll pay for part or all of your MBA classes if you maintain a 3.0 gpa. After all this, you should be ready for that CFO position you dream of. Otherwise, you can venture into multiple areas of business consulting, mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, venture capital management, etc.





I also recommend you stay at any one company or position for about 2-3 years. If you're not growing or being challenged, don't be afraid to look for work elsewhere and move on. Try to develop some basic people, writing, and speaking skills along the way. Become an expert as some type of software, application, or process. It doesn't have to be much. But something that you can talk about and prove that you are valuable to the company.





There's a ton more I could tell you about the accounting and business world, but you're just starting out and I don't want to overwhelm you. A big part of finding work is networking and I hope you can connect with some good people that can help you. You may want to also talk with your university professors or the career placement center at your school. If you can't get a paying job then you should consider non-paying internship too as this will give you good experience and a foot in the door. Once you're in, get to know the hiring managers and start impressing people by working hard. If they like you they'll create a position for you.





Good luck!