You could find a government accounting job in development finance. USDA Foreign ag service, state department, I'm sure you can find something that would be complimentary to your education. Maybe an NGO. Even if it's just an accounting/budgeting job, I think the people you interact with in these kinds of institutions would appreciate a finance guy with IR knowledge.
I am sure there are also banks that do trade finance where this kind of background makes some sense.
If what you are looking for is a traditional FP&A role with no international bent whatsoever, then as others have mentioned you might just need to explain the gap in your resume.
Since you did the IR after the accounting, applying for accounting jobs makes you seem like a failed IR professional rather than a competent accountant.
I would recommend you leave the IR degree off your resume and add work experience as a “research assistant” at that university.
Could I suggest mixing the two and going into finance in the international development industry? I worked in pricing/FP&A for a large USAID contractor for 2.5 years and enjoyed the hell out of it. There are a lot of diverse backgrounds in the industry but I have no doubt that given your finance and international background, you could break into an FP&A-type role.
Companies like Chemonics, DAI, Palladium, etc. all hire finance people that would value that experience.
Don't fixate excessively on one company's feedback that you're overeducated that's just one person's opinion. The real concern is whether you have sufficient relevant experience and the attitude to get things done independently in a working environment as opposed to a more structured educational environment.
So really focus instead on how you highlight your relevant experience and attitude and less about how to downplay having irrelevant education. Control the message.
leave out IR school. if they ask say you went back to school and got a degree for something youve always wanted to learn but now that the fun is over its time to buckle down and go back to corporate life; not difficult
Frankly, do you want to work for a company that perceives your education and experience as being overqualified? Then you might end up being underemployed, and wanting to leave anyways
Remove it from your resume, it’s not relevant and clearly becoming a distraction.
Thanks! I would like to remove it but then the resume will show a 2 year blank gap. That might also look bad.
Change the two years to something vague like post graduate educational pursuit
You could find a government accounting job in development finance. USDA Foreign ag service, state department, I'm sure you can find something that would be complimentary to your education. Maybe an NGO. Even if it's just an accounting/budgeting job, I think the people you interact with in these kinds of institutions would appreciate a finance guy with IR knowledge. I am sure there are also banks that do trade finance where this kind of background makes some sense. If what you are looking for is a traditional FP&A role with no international bent whatsoever, then as others have mentioned you might just need to explain the gap in your resume.
Since you did the IR after the accounting, applying for accounting jobs makes you seem like a failed IR professional rather than a competent accountant. I would recommend you leave the IR degree off your resume and add work experience as a “research assistant” at that university.
Why do you want to go into FP&A? As a hiring manager, that's what I'd ask.
Could I suggest mixing the two and going into finance in the international development industry? I worked in pricing/FP&A for a large USAID contractor for 2.5 years and enjoyed the hell out of it. There are a lot of diverse backgrounds in the industry but I have no doubt that given your finance and international background, you could break into an FP&A-type role. Companies like Chemonics, DAI, Palladium, etc. all hire finance people that would value that experience.
Don't fixate excessively on one company's feedback that you're overeducated that's just one person's opinion. The real concern is whether you have sufficient relevant experience and the attitude to get things done independently in a working environment as opposed to a more structured educational environment. So really focus instead on how you highlight your relevant experience and attitude and less about how to downplay having irrelevant education. Control the message.
leave out IR school. if they ask say you went back to school and got a degree for something youve always wanted to learn but now that the fun is over its time to buckle down and go back to corporate life; not difficult
Frankly, do you want to work for a company that perceives your education and experience as being overqualified? Then you might end up being underemployed, and wanting to leave anyways