There are several things that have proven effective when developing CPA recruiting applications. A specific, concise and compelling application has a higher probability of receiving an invitation to interview with a firm.

Here are some pointers to get you going in the right direction:

A. THE APPLICATION FORMAT

At a time when the CPA Recruiting process is changing right before our very eyes, it has become even more important to pay close attention to the nuances of each posting and follow directions explicitly. Did they ask for an online application? Are there specific assessments involved? Is there an online profile that you need to complete to apply? Do they want documents in PDF format, and if so, are all the documents sent as one attachment? Do they require a CPA Application form? Did the firm give directions on what they are expecting for applications sent to their specific firm? These are all questions worthy of consideration BEFORE applying. It is a great time to reflect your “attention to details” skill set and figure things out before hitting the send button.

B. THE APPLICATION FORM

If required, there are a few expectations when completing this form. Firstly, does the firm even want an application form? Will you be applying online and filling out this application information when completing your profile and applicant information? If you are required to fill out an application, it will act as a cover sheet to your entire application. This form brings together some important information that the firm reps can see at a glance including the name of the firm, your current contact information, your employment preference, your available start date, your current and previous education and GPA, and of course, the documents that should accompany your application form.

C. THE COVER LETTER

There are other significant reasons to interview a candidate, however, the cover letter acts as a catalyst or confirmation for including a person in the next phase of the CPA recruiting process – the interview. The letter gives the candidate the latitude to express themselves strategically, and the reviewer the opportunity to be compelled and inspired to narrow the playing field. The letter then, wields a fair amount of power in the CPA recruiting process and can make an impact when crafted with the right content.

Here are a few things to consider when preparing yours:

1. Layout

The look of your letter is its’ first impact and it should be a positive one. When the look of the letter is unprofessional or lacking proper branding the reviewer notices it immediately and may even be trying to determine the organization of the document instead of reading the content itself. Ensure the look of the cover letter models the look of the resume. Header, margins, font style, font size and spacing should be the same on your personal documents. The professionalism of the layout allows the reader to get to the good stuff more rapidly. More pleasing for them = better for you!

2. Standing out

With so many schools and students involved in the CPA recruiting process, it is a daunting task to stand out significantly among so many students with similar backgrounds, academic successes and goals. One of the greatest ways to differentiate yourself is by being “you”! Another way is by showing your specific passion for the firm you are writing the letter to and the specific staff that have made an impact on you during the various events. Try to create interest through highlighting a “wow” factor that took place somewhere in your past.

3. Getting attention quickly

There is no time to waste, no words to waste and certainly no space to waste in a cover letter and especially the opening paragraph. Starting out describing by an interest in the position is one of the most common openings in cover letters and is also the weakest way to begin. Like any good writer each candidate must “pull the reader in” by capturing them with their first line (or two) so that the reader wants to see what is coming next. The reference line (Re:) is where the mundane but necessary position information belongs. The first line should entice with something significant about the firm of interest, specific connections with certain staff or some outstanding thing about the candidate that will raise the level of interest from the reader. When the reviewer finishes the first paragraph they should already want to interview the candidate and the other paragraphs should provide further value.

4. Content

With the cover letter only allowing so much space to communicate many possible things, it is important each candidate picks their direction with each firm, commits to that direction and sticks with it. Trying to fit everything in may leave the reader without anything that truly impacts them. Determine what the needed pieces are for each letter you create and own it, make it strong and send it off with confidence that it is the best letter you could have produced for them. Most importantly, each letter must be “firm-specific” and in no way be a carbon copy of another firm’s letter. Some repetition is natural from letter to letter but the litmus test of a good letter is that you cannot just change the name of the firm with another and send it out because it simply would not work to do so. When deciding the content and flow of your letter, showcasing academic success, previous accomplishments, past wins, results from utilizing skills effectively, personal story, demonstrating accounting core competencies and a “wow” factor just to name a few. Also, specific connections with firm’s values, staff, service lines, offices, culture and other intrinsic firm characteristics can all be part of making your content elevate your chances of interview success. It is a fact that specific and tailored cover letters generate more interviews than boring, general and ineffective cover letters. I think you can catch my own sentiment here 🙂

5. Expression

The voice and tone of the cover letter should be consistent throughout and show the same direct confidence the resume displays. Replacing terms like, “I think” with “I believe”, “I am confident that”, or simply “I am” statements will help the reader as you display your past accomplishments, your passion and your pursuit in a believable way. I recently had an employer review one of my client’s cover letters. She was so impacted by what she read, she published the following in a local industry publication.

“At our agency we look for people who have at least one university degree. They have to be presentable, speak well, tell a story and think. We don’t settle for less. If they can’t write effectively, it is doubtful we’ll meet. Last month I read a three-paragraph cover letter that stopped me in my tracks. It was written by a student whom I knew nothing about. She wrote with a refreshing and unconventional clarity. It was like she was sitting at the other side of my desk talking to me about her life and goals. The same unconstrained voice was in her resumé. When a letter and resumé are that strong, you are seldom disappointed when you meet the person. She aced her interview too.”

6. Conclusion

Wasting time with contact information, desperate statements that sound like, “please, please hire me!”, or generic wording will just not cut it. The way a cover letter ends is an important component that can leave a lasting impression and help the reader truly select the candidate for the “yes” pile. The manner in which the information above is summarized, an added enticement that there is more to this person than is possible on paper and a belief that they will be seeing you later in the process can all generate a hunger for more. There are usually no more than about five lines in the final paragraph but within it there can be enough to make finals statements that just make it hard to let go. Confidence, passion for the company itself or some other significant thing, and/or a correlation to a “wow” factor mentioned earlier in the letter can all be part of a good conclusion.

D. THE RESUME

1. The visual impact

The look of your two-page resume is noticed before the content. The look of the resume is what creates a first impression for the reviewer and either compels them, repels them or possibly even confuses them. Be sure your header, margins, fonts and layout model the layout of your cover letter so that you have an overall professional presentation. The order of your sections, the headings and the text treatments should be both consistent  and modest. When a reviewer can simply review the content instead of trying to figure out what is going on, the chances of making a good impression and increasing their interest is much higher.

2. Sections

Your resume should model where you are in your approach to your new field. For most DAP students the section order should be: Profile or Highlights, Education, Work Experience, Volunteer and/or Extracurricular and then Interests. This of course, may vary if a candidate has significant accounting experience, technical skills and awards worthy of display. Talk to a career coach if you are not sure how to lay out your sections.

3. Profile/Highlights

This is the word picture that you are holding up for the reviewer to see what you are bringing to the position,  the firm and your newly chosen profession. What you place here should be relevant to your new field and the skills required to be successful in it. Although, the entire resume does not need changing for every firm, this section may need some tweaking to showcase your demonstration of what you have identified as the core competencies of each firm you are applying to.

4. Education

This section should reveal all your post secondary education and should reveal when you will complete your current education program. There are opportunities here to showcase your GPA, exceptional marks in certain courses, academic awards, projects where relevant skills were demonstrated as well as any relevant professional development you have done to prepare yourself for your new field.

5. Work Experience

You certainly won’t have the time to say it all, but you can have three to five bullets under each position that clearly demonstrates the results, skills and scope of the areas that model “accounting-relevant” tasks. This kind of bullet is called an “accomplishment statement” and can be created effectively with some work. All of our tasks benefit someone or something. It could be your own work flow, your teams success, your manager’s needs, your company’s business or the needs of your clients. A result is the best context to elevate your skills set to a level of “past performance” that will help a reviewer believe you will repeat this success in your “future behaviour. Be sure to look for a document called “Creating Accomplishment Statements” in the Sauder Career Success Cycle – Step 4.

6. Volunteer or Extracurricular Experience

This experience needs to be treated with the same respect as the work experience section. The employer is largely unconcerned with the fact that your were not paid for the work your performed. But they are very interested in your involvement, your skills, your leadership and any successes you have had in these roles.

7. Interests

This section to many seem unimportant. To firms and employers in general, this section gives them a sense on who the applicant is, how they live life, move stress, stay active, connect with people and live out a work/life balance. Having two-three interests with some context to add value makes this section a place of interest for the reviewer and can form a basis for conversation and as a point of reference for remembering a candidate.

E. TRANSCRIPTS

Although firms are not going to make hiring decisions on academic success alone, they do require transcripts to help them assess a candidates overall academic strength which translates to other important things. Are they a good student? Have they displayed competency in the core materials? Are they capable of completing the PEP process? Is there integrity between what they say and what they have actually done? Firms are looking for official transcripts, but will accept unofficial transcripts if necessary. Be sure to provide transcripts for any and all pos-secondary education.

Well, that is enough for now! Be sure to keep in mind that you must be able to complete you education program and be ready to start work and the PEP process at the same time as the start date listed on the posting to be eligible to apply for any posting.

Good Luck!

Russell Garrett is the Owner of Protocol Business Solutions, a Certified Career Consultant and the DAP Career Coach. He also collaborates with the Business Career Center to support BCom career initiatives from time to time. Be sure to attend all the CPA Summer Pre Series Workshops which are posted on COOL for registration and on Connect for post-workshop viewing. Russell will be delivering the CPA Preparation Workshops for DAP and BCom students in collaboration with the Business
Career Centre staff. Russell is also available to DAP students for online coaching appointments set up through email requests and for in-person coaching appointments posted in COOL. Your can contact Russell at dapcareersupport@sauder.ubc.ca.