Job Market in Birmingham (Huntsville, Auburn: home, schools, universities)

[matt8325]

I'm about to graduate from college with a degree in accounting and I was wondering what the market is like in Birmingham right now ? I live near Atlanta and the market is horrible here right now.

[MadHaus]

It's not so hot in B'ham, either, unless you have 2 - 3 yrs. experience, preferably with Big 4. One of my kids is job hunting in central & northern AL and is having no luck, despite being an honors grad. Sorry.

[Guntersville Boomer]

Tax season will be coming up the beginning of 2009, if you don't have anything by then bet you can get on doing taxes with someone and build some experience and maybe things will improve, you are in an excellent field, hang in there.

[cpg35223]

It's tough all over but, relatively speaking, it's better in Birmingham. Unemployment rates are a good 1.5% lower than the rest of the country, and markedly lower than Atlanta. Good luck.

[Back Again]

Matt

Try www.AL.COM

Good luck!

[3am green coffee]

The accounting firms in Birmingham are circling the wagons right now and are being cautious about hiring because of the uncertainty in the economy. Somebody above mentioned tax season, but most of them have already hired for 2009. This is typically the time of year when accountants move around in search of other opportunities (to create the openings you're seeking), but a lot of them are staying put this year because they don't want to be at the bottom of the totem pole at a new firm if layoffs come.

As for new graduates, the local offices typically hire through their university recruiting at the state and local universities. In Birmingham alone you have three universities (UAB, Samford and Birmingham Southern) with reputable accounting programs cranking out graduates, plus students coming back home from Auburn, Alabama and the various other state schools. That's not to say you're completely shut out, but you need to understand that you'll be competing with people who have already been participating in the recruiting process at least since August, and in some cases since the spring.

Also, are you aware that the requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Alabama are more stringent than those in Georgia? You specifically must have 9 hours of financial accounting, 6 hours of audit, 6 hours of tax, 3 hours of cost accounting, 3 hours of governmental/non-profit accounting (yes, governmental is required) and six hours of electives. In addition, you must have 3 hours of business law and 27 hours of general business classes. Extra accounting classes do not apply toward that general business total, so if you take three accounting electives the state only recognizes two. Quite a few kids from Alabama go to school out of state, then move back thinking they're going to work in Birmingham, only to discover that they don't qualify for the CPA exam and, as a result, aren't attractive candidates for the local offices of the accounting firms who want you working 60 hour weeks instead of sitting in class. When I took governmental accounting, at least a third of the class were transient students from other universities trying to finish up their CPA requirements.

You probably have more opportunities in Atlanta. But then, it never hurts to try anyway. The worst that could happen is that nobody hires you.

[tamelao]

I work for Compass Bank and we are always hiring. However, you may not get a job as an accountant but it will be in the financial arena. Private message me if you are interested.

[oscarbrough]

If your grades are good (GPA 3.5+), you have a good resume, and interview well, there are opportunites for you in Birmingham. If you haven't already gotten feedback on your resume through career services at your university, do that. Your resume is very important; perfect it. Send a resume and cover letter out to all of the accounting firms in the phone directory. You may be able to get a list from the AICPA or PCAOB websites also. Follow up with a call a week later and ask for an interview. Finding a job is a job within itself and requires work and dedication. You probably know that, but some people don't. (FYI: Don't tell them you want to move to B'ham because you can't find a job in Atlanta. You want them to think you are a great catch and can get a job anywhere.) Consider applying for the Master of Accounting program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB); it is a great program that will open doors for you.

[phyzzydud]

I'm graduating in the summer with a Master's in Physics from UAB, and I'm concerned about job prospects as well. Does anyone know of a company I might find work at either in Birmingham, or the Southeast in general?

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by phyzzydud

I'm graduating in the summer with a Master's in Physics from UAB, and I'm concerned about job prospects as well. Does anyone know of a company I might find work at either in Birmingham, or the Southeast in general?

Go to Huntsville. Birmingham just isn't a physics kind of town, unless you go to Southern Research Institute.