[wilbcham]

I was let go recently from a position because I sent an email to the wrong person (it was supposed to go to managers but went to executives). Before this I accidentally scanned in some invoices but caught them before they were processed. The system was setup as such that I could not delete them myself. I am halfway through the CPA exam and was wondering if this will hinder me too much from getting a job again. I am not looking for employment while I continue my exam because I want to relocate when I finish. Will this probably hurt me too much or will completing my certification make up for my termination?

[Anonymous]

Obviously you are leaving a lot out of your story and even if you weren't, no one can really answer this question. It's super subjective and depends on how you attack your job search, what is revealed and the person/companies that interview you.

The logical answer is – this will probably hurt you but it's not the end of the world you will be employed again and completing the certification (whether before or after you get a new job) can only help but isn't necessarily going to wipe the termination off your record. So don't expect any miracles but don't think the sky is falling either.

[needhelpnow]

in HR terms, if they call your now ex-employer, only thing they can reveal is your total time of employment there. they can't ask other questions..for example if you were fired or just quit.

[Future Ninja]

accounting career is like a rubber ball, it will bounce back. no worries.

AUD - 79 (expired) retaking July 28,2016
FAR - 76 expiring July 31, 2016
BEC - 85
REG - 74,74,74,74,59,70,

[mla1169]

I just want to disspell the myth that HR can only say this or that. While it's true that most companies have self imposed policies that they will only verify dates and title, it's not a legal requirement. The only thing the law prohibits an employee from is saying things that are untrue. (I.e. If you were always late and time records would back that up, they can but rarely do say so).

You should know or find out what your former employer's policy is about references.

It may hurt you a bit to be unemployed but it doesn't make you completely unmarketable. You might just have to work a little harder at finding something.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Herbieherb]

Try to finish your exams asap. Employers discriminate against the long term unemployed. Maybe try and get a job part time at a bank or something so you have no gaps.

NEW YORK- DONE

[Mamabear]

I am always surprised when people say employers discriminate against those that aren't working. The last two people I hired weren't working at the time. One had quit her job 2 years prior to take care of her sick mother until she died and the other had quit her job to move to another state. They have both stayed for 1+ years now and been great staff accountants. I guess it just depends on the companies/managers you apply to. Your situation will be a little different because you didn't quit on your own terms, but you just need to come up with a way that it doesn't look as bad for you in an interview. I would be concerned about hiring someone that was let go for making mistakes because that would typically mean they made a lot of mistakes or at least material mistakes. It's company policy as to whether or not your old job discloses the terms of your departure. My company is only allowed to discuss pay and dates of service and whether or not the person is allowed to be rehired, but they cannot discuss whether the person was let go or quit and they can't make any comments on their work performance. However, if I left on good terms I could ask my manager to give a personal reference that includes my time as her employee. You could always say that they aren't allowed to contact your old employer, but that is usually done when you're still working with the excuse that they don't know you are looking for a job. If you can come up with a reason they can't contact an old employer that you aren't working for without making yourself look bad AND without lying then I would suggest doing that.

CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!

[How many letters do you need]

Mla: that isn't entirely true, it is highly state dependant as each states labor law can create restrictions on what an employer is allowed to say in that state.

With that, employers usually err on the side of caution with their company policies since much of it is subjective. Without proof they can be sued for defamation and rather than deal with tons of lawsuits from angry ex employees its safer (and cheaper) to just say nothing.

Back to the OPs question though. It will hurt you in the short term but will be nothing more than a blip in a long accounting career in the long term. Now is a great time to look inward and, as hard as it can be, be brutally honest with yourself. What really caused your termination? More often than you think the reasons written on paper are just the excuse the company uses and not the real cause. If you think back you will figure it out. Once you do, fix it; because it could just be an Ahole employer (plenty of those) but it could also be you and you DONT want multiple terms on your record…

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[How many letters do you need]

Mama: I agree with you, people who were unemployed are usually just thrilled to work and work crazy hard because they appreciate their paycheck. Still, many HR people frown on it. Sadly hiring managers will often never even see those resumes if the HR screeners are too restrictive. Yet another reason I prefer to work with a good external recruiter. How to find a good one though is a whole different post and the bad ones are a bigger time drain than Netflix…;)

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[super.senpai]

@mla: i wish more people were empathetic towards those that have unemployment gap(s) with spotty work history due to family members with long-term illnesses that require specific care. I from NYC and I hate explaining my personal family situation because I feel like its a cop out for sympathy, which i am in no need for. The one and only time I did explain to the interviewer the reason for my gap, he told me that I should go and continue tending for that person. The stories I have from my employment journeys. Its good to know that someone like yourself, MLA, is in a position to hire.

BEC: 72,72, 77
AUD: 47, 63

[mla1169]

Either way how many it is still important for those currently employed to take a look at their employee handbook (which in most cases they had to sign and acknowledge) and find out what their employees policy is. Some employers flat out refuse to provide any information. In some states they're entitled to refuse. When I had a gap in employment and my current employer couldn't get info from my previous employee I actually brought a copy of that handbook when I signed my offer to show it was not a reflection on me personally. Was fine.

Excluding people because of gaps in employment stinks but obviously people eventually find something. There's a lot about the filters that employers use that have no rhyme or reason best we can do is just keep looking.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[openthebooks71]

How long are you going to be studying? If I were you, I would just relocate now and try to find a job. Change your test center location if you can. Don't take months to study for the exam. HR don't like hiring people who are unemployed. They don't like seeing gaps in the resume. It's not right, but they really think that anybody who hasn't been working has something wrong with them. You can move right now and when your old job comes up you can say you left to move to a new city and it will be fine. Unless you have other qualities, like being a star student, it will be harder the longer you're not working. Really, look for work because if you don't months can stretch into years.

[fuzyfro89]

Personally, I would pack up now and move ASAP. Assuming you finish school in December, or something like that, then go whenever you can.

I'd focus first on job hunting and second on studying. Very doable to spend 3-5 hours a day studying and 2-4 hours a day researching companies, jobs, looking for networking opportunities, cold emailing/calling, informational meetings, etc.

At the end of the day, my opinion is that the CPA is really only valuable when you have the experience to validate the credential. By itself, it's not much more than a test. It really helps to level the field when comparing people with different experience to at least have an opinion that they can learn the basics of accounting/econ/law/tax/etc.

It's easier to do one thing at a time, no doubt, but having an increasingly longer gap on your resume will hurt your career more than passing the CPA without any experience (at this time) will help your career prospects right now.

Wishing you the best of luck!

[Anonymous]

I saw a little back-and-forth regarding how state laws and policies govern what employers can and cannot say. I think it's important to remember that an employer can say quite a bit about a former employee without saying much. Tone, inflection, etc can all be modified to convey a negative overall opinion of the employee in question.

For example:

Potential employer: “Hi, I'm looking to Hire Bill Brasskey. He used you as a reference. What can you tell us about him?”

Former employer: “You want to hire Bill Brasskey?!?! I have a WHOLE LOT I could tell you about that guy, but my state law restricts my answer to the following….”

Insert an awkward silence at the end to just to let the sarcasm really soak in.

Any future employer that doesn't have raging Aspergers will pick up on what just happened there.

[Isostasy]

Is it public accounting? If it is then don't worry you'll find something soon since the turnover is so high I don't think employers care much. I was let to go from my first public accounting job after less than 2 months and found another job the following week.

[wilbcham]

Thank you all for the replies. I was let go from a private industry that I was recruited to join. I prefer public accounting and hope that I can get back into it. I've only been out of college for 2 years and I am currently winging it. I take my BEC exam on saturday and I've already passed AUD and REG. I think I'll look for some part-time tax work after thanksgiving because I still have plans to move within the Next 9 months.

I plan to be done with the exam if I pass my next to portions by January.

[Author]

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