Prior work experience may be a requisite for college grads getting a foot in the door with employers for accounting/finance positions, according to a survey by Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI).

Twenty-six percent of chief financial officers felt it was “very important” for entry-level accounting and finance professionals to have gained work experience in the field while in college, while 65 percent felt it was “somewhat important.” Only a combined 9 percent of respondents felt previous work experience was either “somewhat unimportant” or “not important at all.”

“It’s the age-old catch-22: it’s hard to land a job without experience or gain experience without a job,” said Harold “Max” Messmer Jr., chairman and CEO of Robert Half. “One advantage for students is the availability of internships and temporary work in their fields, which can provide a taste of the working world, help them build their resumes and expand their networks.”

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with 1,400 CFOs across the United States.