Recent Accounting Grad: pursue CPA or chase MO roles?

Hi everyone,

I'm an accounting grad (non-target, non-impressive GPA) and have two years' experience - 1.5 in BO (fund accounting) and presently 5 months in a small CPA firm (contract ends in 1 month). I only gained exposure to the world of finance and banking during my BO job. After working in a CPA firm, I've realized accounting isn't nearly as exciting as I thought. Given that my education has little background in finance, I'm learning about it daily but I recognize there's still more to learn.

At this point, I realize FO opportunities are slim to none given my profile.

I can go for my CPA designation (assuming I will work in a small/mid-level firm) and leverage that to move into finance - but this requires a 1-3 year commitment to obtain my designation.

I'd love to get into jump right into MO roles now and avoid accounting, though CPA won't hurt. I've been trying to add people on Linkedin but so far, no one has responded.

How can I position myself to improve my chances here? Should I push for MO roles or is it better to focus on getting a job in a CPA firm right now?