I entered a master's program when I was 26, finished the master's program at age 28, and got my first public accounting job when I was 28. I'm 29 now.

I only worked part-time when I was in the master's program, so I had the time to attend career fairs and midday events, but I'm introverted and I don't thrive in crowded environments. So, long story short, I applied for a ton of jobs online -- government jobs, public accounting jobs, staff accountant jobs in industry, whatever I thought I was qualified for at the time. It was a grueling process, but I finally found a full-time job the summer after I graduated.

In your case, passing one or more sections of the CPA exam will give you leverage if you're interested in working for a public accounting firm. I only had a couple of interviewers ask me about my "extracurricular activities," but the most common topic that was brought up was my CPA eligibility and whether I had plans to take the CPA exam. I mean, your interviewers aren't dumb. They know that you're an older career changer, and they won't expect you to have the same life experiences as a 22-year-old.