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What's holding you back is your GPA. There is no bones about it.
I don't mean to be too personal, but what is your GPA? The Big 4 won't even take a second look usually unless you have AT LEAST a 3.0 Accounting GPA. Keep in mind at a job fair recruiters talk to hundreds of recruits and read just as many resumes. They spend about 15 seconds scanning over it, and the first thing they look for is the GPA. If you don't have what they want you go into one pile, and you better have one hell of a personality to get you out of it and into the right one. The first thing a recruiter thinks when the see a low GPA is A) You didn't care and were lazy and slacked off. What does this say about your work ethic, and B) You just don't know your stuff. Your school really doesn't mean anything to them either. I attended a Big 4's Summer Leadership Program a few months ago and there were students from FSU, UF, UMiami, FIU, FAU, UCF, etc. On the application for the Summer Leadership Program it said the minimum GPA was a 3.4. That was just for the SLP!
Like I said, your school doesn't matter. So what if USC is a Top 20 school. FSU's undgrad Accounting program is ranked 25th among public institutions. FSU Accounting graduates also rank among the nation's best in passing the CPA examinations, and specifically are ranked fourth in passing the Financial Accounting and Reporting section and sixth in the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I'm not trying to shit on USC, but I'm trying to point out to you that just because you went to a top 20 school it doesn't guarantee you a job. Hell you could graduate from UPenn and you aren't guaranteed a job. Once you get within the top 50 the level of education is pretty much the same. Accounting is accounting, you can't change procedures. GPA's are what helps you stand out.
I'm looking at the info for each of the Big 4's and Grant Thorntons interviews on FSU's internal career site and the GPA requirements for AN INTERVIEW are as follows:
1) Grant Thornton- 3.0
2) PricewaterhouseCoopers- 3.2
3) Ernst&Young- 3.2
4) Deloitte- 3.2
5) KPMG- 3.2
Grades are not everything though, but they are what gets you in the door. Once you get the interviews the whole process is about finding out whether or not you are a fit for the company and if they are a fit for you.
Another thing, that is not so big is getting the 150. One of the questions I got asked by most of the firms was how I was planning on getting my 150. I'm planning on doing the Masters of Accounting program, and when I tell them this you can definitely tell they approve of this over the standard 150.
Also, when did you start to go to job fairs and talk with the firms? Regardless of your GPA you should start talking to them your sophomore year. Also getting involved in a group like Beta Alpha Psi is a great idea. The earlier and more often they see your faces the better. If your GPA isn't that hot, this is even more important. I know the recruiters from all the firms, and it really makes a difference when I walk into a job fair and they know me on a first name basis.
I'm sure it sucks, but maybe you shouldn't have slacked off as you admitted. The best thing to do if you have your heart set on a Big 4 and are unable to get a job with them is to go for a smaller local firm. Get some experience in there and then try to move on up to the larger firms. I've met people at all of the Big 4 who have gone that route.
Don't get discouraged. Apply to as many companies as you can and take the best offer you get.
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