[Elaine]

I graduated college with Economics degree and have been in an accounting certificate program in another 4 year university since last September. I currently got my second interview with a midtier accounting firm in 2 weeks, and if I get the job, it will start in fall. I have a pretty good feeling about this.

I decided to look for a job/internship to gain experience (I have none so far) in the mean time and applied for a part-time office/bookkeeper assistant position at a small financial services firm. The description said I will be doing data entry, office work and using accounting software for basic accounting duties. I was not expecting much and was looking at other postings, but I got a response 10 minutes after I applied. The owner of the company said it was 2 weeks trial with no pay and then $10/hr, asking if I could come in tomorrow for interview and training. I was surprised since the reply was so quick and he expected me to get trained on the same day of the interview, which tells me that I will be hired right away?

I know it is extremely hard to get a single job in this economy, but do you guys think the duties and the pay are worth it? I am wondering because I have worked for higher wages as an administrative assistant before, and it is possible that I will find another part time job that is more involved with accounting. Thank you! 🙂

[Anonymous]

…For 2 wks???? i say give it a try…if after 2-3 days u dont like it…tell him to go find slaves somewhere else…if u really need the money, y not?

[oneFREAKINGpoint]

I'd say be careful. Any work with no pay sounds suspicious. What if you work your butt off (and do really well) for two weeks and after the “trial” they say, “OK, thanks, but this isn't working out…” They've just gotten two free weeks out of you. Maybe it's a scam.

I'd ask a bit more before jumping in. If they don't want to give you the time to consider their offer (or don't want to give you full details), then they're probably not a company you want to work for (even if only for a little while).

[heatmiser]

No way I would go “work for” a company that didn't pay me. No way.

Tell him to either front you some cash or kiss your ash!

2011 CPA Exam Graduate

[Elaine]

He said to come on Thursday before my evening class and see if this is the right fit for me. That sounds good, right? Then i can see if I will like it or not, considering two weeks of no pay.

How do you guys feel about unpaid internships, then? I'm curious!

[Keely]

I'm just going to throw my two cents in…from what you described, it sounds suspicious. I applied for a paid internship, only to go to the interview and find out they wanted to hire me permanently for $7.25 an hour. There are many reputable unpaid (and paid) internships, but this wasn't what it was billed as. I've heard of a probationary period, where you'll be paid a lower wage for 90 days or so then given a significant raise, but working for two weeks without pay? That's just odd. And the 10 minute response time is kind of strange too. It could all be completely legit, but I'd have to wonder about an employer that is paying you nothing for the work you're doing.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Minimorty]

It depends on the situation. If they are hands on with you and are teaching you things you havent seen before, then it could be a win/win. If they throw you in a cube and say “have this done by 5pm” with no direction whatsoever, then they are using you. My company had unpaid summer internships a few years back, but changed it to paid internships because of possible legal complications. I would tread lightly and continue to look for other opportunities.

[rezaking]

unpaid internships are better.. you can get credit for those and sometimes get paid. I did a few internships during school.. I wouldnt take this job if i were you tho.. you can find 10 bucks an hr for an office clerk position anywhere.. dont think the economy is that bad for this fella to be making you work without pay for 2 weeks. negotiate with him on the phone and if he still says no, you should say no too 🙂

BEC - Passed
REG - 7/21/2012
AUD - 8/18/2012
FAR - 11/10/2012

[jenuno01]

Unpaid internships are for Art, Music, Photography, Geography, and History majors. Us Accountants are superior.

Class of 2012

[Elaine]

I googled the company before applying, and it has a website and looks legit. I also google-mapped the address and it's a small, 1-story building in a residential area of Los Angeles. Very small office. I guess I will have to see on Thursday but I am looking for other positions too!

[Anonymous]

@OP. This sounds very fishy to me. If the owner is not even willing to pay 2-week of salary, that means he is very cheap and you will become a slave for him. 2 weeks of pay means something to you, but not to the company. If the employer nickle and dime on this kind of things, no one is going to work for them. That is the reason you got call right away. They are cheap bastards! I don't even think it's legal in this country to no paying someone for work they have performed! we have miminum salary requirement here. If I was you, I would tell him I will be there for work and never show up. Better to use these two weeks to look for other opportunities.

[Minimorty]

@convertible – What would be the point of committing to the job and then just not showing up? Your post deserves a Facepalm AND a SMH.

[Tux]

What does your gut tell you? It sounds like you're interested, so I say go ahead and check it out. Continue looking for other jobs even after you get started with this one. They are making no commitment to you, and you do not have to make a commitment to them, either. I think you'll know pretty quickly if it's worth your time.

It sounds like if you don't check it out, you'll wonder if it was a decent opportunity. It if turns into nothing, just consider it a learning experience.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[sdgh1826]

Say no, this is a scam! Save yourself the time and effort. If they can't follow basic employment/hiring laws, don't expect them to have any ethics.

Becker 2012, NINJA notes

[Anonymous]

Those penny pinchers deserve it…again, just my opinion. I had friends who fell into those tricks, and after a week or two, they will say something…well, thanks for coming, but I can pay you for $8/hr.

Thanks for the Facepalm and the SMH. I got those alot! 🙂

[Tebowwwww]

Sounds illegal, especially if it's not specifically an internship. Unpaid internships don't have trial periods like this, and they have to meet a couple requirements to merit the ‘unpaid' status. This sounds like legitimate employment, especially because he's offering to pay you after a certain period, and it's illegal to hire an hourly employee without any pay (except for training hours). I'd stay away unless you really need the money.

REG (7/7/11) 75
FAR (7/28/11) 76
BEC (8/27/11) 81
AUD (10/15/11, 1/20/12) 63, 91

DONE!!!

[Author]

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