[wannabeCPA123]

I was really thrilled to go into accounting, but after my first 2 weeks with a firm (big 4). I don’t know about this anymore.

**I never worked 9-5 hours before. I have only worked retail hours (3pm-12midnight or 5am-2pm). The commute sucks. Traffic is just ridiculous.

*All of my co-workers are weird, quiet, and non-confrontational. I feel like they are all back-stabbers, and I have already witnessed sickening politics.

*there are endless technical issues with the equipment that has been issued to me, and the IT department not quick at fixing any issues.

*but the absolute worse part is: I never have any work. I just sit around asking for work to do. The answer is usually, “nothing for you”. yesterday, I was given a task that I couldn’t complete without some more information from the client. The senior told me to ask the client, but then the manager vetoed that decision and told me to wait. So I just waited hours on end. Staring at my computer, and staying busy by completing these NON-Required online learning modules (i completed all the required ones already)

There was no senior last week, and the new one is pretty lost. The Staff 2 has been on the client for only a week. The entire team attached to this engagement months ago quit, so everyone is lost. We ask for information, and the client says, “how many times do you guys need this stuff?”.

I try to complete this Open items list, and every item requires some document or test procedure that I have no idea how to preform or obtain. I send my manager emails regarding this list, and he never responds. He is the only one that has been on this engagement for the whole time.

Then I am always on time, and everyone is is always late! my manager is usually 1 hour to 2 hours late if he even shows up.

If this is accounting, then I don’t want any part of this crap.

FAR 78
REG 87
BEC 78
AUD 78
Passed all exams on first try! Good luck to everyone!

[UCMCPA]

Sounds like you got stuck in a bad office.

I loved my internship and the people I worked with.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[UCMCPA]

Sounds like you got stuck in a bad office.

I loved my internship and the people I worked with.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[finne]

Wow, that sounds like a pretty bad experience. If I could offer my thoughts, I'd say that you shouldn't give up on accounting or becoming a CPA altogether just based on this job. From what I've experienced and what I've heard from accounting friends at other firms, you're having an unusually bad time. My suggestion would be to start looking for new places to work. Try moving to a different office since not all offices within a firm have the same culture. Or you could look into switching to a different firm. There can be a big difference between working for a Big 4 company vs. a smaller national, regional, or local firm. It all depends on the kind of experience you're looking for.

As for the 9am-5pm work, you'll get used to that. It just takes time to get adjusted. Until busy season hits.

REG - 85
AUD - 99
FAR - 89 - w/ NINJA Audio and Blitz
BEC - 91

Using Wiley - books and test bank - 6 months - all 4 first time

[finne]

Wow, that sounds like a pretty bad experience. If I could offer my thoughts, I'd say that you shouldn't give up on accounting or becoming a CPA altogether just based on this job. From what I've experienced and what I've heard from accounting friends at other firms, you're having an unusually bad time. My suggestion would be to start looking for new places to work. Try moving to a different office since not all offices within a firm have the same culture. Or you could look into switching to a different firm. There can be a big difference between working for a Big 4 company vs. a smaller national, regional, or local firm. It all depends on the kind of experience you're looking for.

As for the 9am-5pm work, you'll get used to that. It just takes time to get adjusted. Until busy season hits.

REG - 85
AUD - 99
FAR - 89 - w/ NINJA Audio and Blitz
BEC - 91

Using Wiley - books and test bank - 6 months - all 4 first time

[evesocal]

Hey, it sounds like you just got stuck in a bad place at the wrong time!

Don't judge all of public accounting by your current job. In a smaller, non-Big 4 I expect your starting days would be very different. In any job, it takes some time to get into it and know what “your” work is and how to proceed without having to ask someone for every little thing. I've never worked in Big 4. Maybe someone who has can say if these crappy early days are normal.

As far as the working hours, though – in accounting you're kind of stuck with daytime hours, although many firms do offer some flexibility. I'm in L.A. and the commuting traffic is horrendous. Everyone understands this and we have a lot of leeway with our hours.

There are plenty of firms out there where you will have more work than you know what to do with and coworkers who will become lifelong friends.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

B: 75
R: 80
A: 77
F: 81
Ethics: 84, 92 and done!
Licensed in California

[evesocal]

Hey, it sounds like you just got stuck in a bad place at the wrong time!

Don't judge all of public accounting by your current job. In a smaller, non-Big 4 I expect your starting days would be very different. In any job, it takes some time to get into it and know what “your” work is and how to proceed without having to ask someone for every little thing. I've never worked in Big 4. Maybe someone who has can say if these crappy early days are normal.

As far as the working hours, though – in accounting you're kind of stuck with daytime hours, although many firms do offer some flexibility. I'm in L.A. and the commuting traffic is horrendous. Everyone understands this and we have a lot of leeway with our hours.

There are plenty of firms out there where you will have more work than you know what to do with and coworkers who will become lifelong friends.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

B: 75
R: 80
A: 77
F: 81
Ethics: 84, 92 and done!
Licensed in California

[nbad311]

Can you study? If so….. getting paid to study 8 hours a day seems like a freakin dream and you should be excited. Make the best of your down time. You're going to struggle in big 4 busy season if you are already thinking about quitting because it's ‘too slow' and you don't have enough work.

Even if your office situation is less than optimal, it's not like you're stuck there forever. Lots of accoutants dont stay but 2-3 years at their first gig due to the crapiness of it (long hours, bad bosses, bad co-workers, etc). The 9-5, traffic, dealing with clients, being the only punctual one…. that's just life. Best of luck to you. Hopefully you're just venting. I hate traffic too.

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[nbad311]

Can you study? If so….. getting paid to study 8 hours a day seems like a freakin dream and you should be excited. Make the best of your down time. You're going to struggle in big 4 busy season if you are already thinking about quitting because it's ‘too slow' and you don't have enough work.

Even if your office situation is less than optimal, it's not like you're stuck there forever. Lots of accoutants dont stay but 2-3 years at their first gig due to the crapiness of it (long hours, bad bosses, bad co-workers, etc). The 9-5, traffic, dealing with clients, being the only punctual one…. that's just life. Best of luck to you. Hopefully you're just venting. I hate traffic too.

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[tough_kitty]

Wow, that sounds insane! Thanks for sharing. It must be really bad if people quit so fast as you are saying….but hey, it's BIG4….something everybody desires to see on your resume (for some weird reason), so I say try to stick with this job for about a year, at least….you are doing your best. Maybe others will give you more advice on what to do – I work for the state, so not of much help here….but I say, try to study for the 2 parts of the CPA exam if you can and then you could easily find a job in some corporation with a big raise – that happened to my friend. He left big 4 after a year and a half, already had CPA exams passed, and he got a 45% raise!

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[tough_kitty]

Wow, that sounds insane! Thanks for sharing. It must be really bad if people quit so fast as you are saying….but hey, it's BIG4….something everybody desires to see on your resume (for some weird reason), so I say try to stick with this job for about a year, at least….you are doing your best. Maybe others will give you more advice on what to do – I work for the state, so not of much help here….but I say, try to study for the 2 parts of the CPA exam if you can and then you could easily find a job in some corporation with a big raise – that happened to my friend. He left big 4 after a year and a half, already had CPA exams passed, and he got a 45% raise!

FAR: 81 (May 2013)
BEC: 81 (July 2013)
REG: 83 (August 2013)
AUD: 82 (November 2013)
California CPA since 1/30/14

[Kenada]

I had a similar experience as you when I first started my work experience. There was just so much politics, the seniors where too busy to explain anything and I was expected to do some audit work without any guidance.

It took me 3 months before I started feeling like I was able to get some work and finally getting my head around what they wanted me to do.

If you can at the moment use some of your hours to study and just keep asking for work. Everyday keep asking that is my Number 1 advice to you. The more you keep asking, the more likely you will get work. Also if you can look at some prior year Audit working files and just go through the notes/workings to get your self familiar with the work that was done. Go for small companies working papers / Audits then on to bigger ones. This will show them that okay you are taking an interest and not just sitting there staring at your screen waiting for someone to come to you.

That's what i did in the first 3 months and then started getting work. Once they saw I was pretty good at my work, I had partners arguing on who can give me work, since they all wanted me for themselves. 🙂

Hang in there!

FAR 05/27/14; 786/110 - Done !

[Kenada]

I had a similar experience as you when I first started my work experience. There was just so much politics, the seniors where too busy to explain anything and I was expected to do some audit work without any guidance.

It took me 3 months before I started feeling like I was able to get some work and finally getting my head around what they wanted me to do.

If you can at the moment use some of your hours to study and just keep asking for work. Everyday keep asking that is my Number 1 advice to you. The more you keep asking, the more likely you will get work. Also if you can look at some prior year Audit working files and just go through the notes/workings to get your self familiar with the work that was done. Go for small companies working papers / Audits then on to bigger ones. This will show them that okay you are taking an interest and not just sitting there staring at your screen waiting for someone to come to you.

That's what i did in the first 3 months and then started getting work. Once they saw I was pretty good at my work, I had partners arguing on who can give me work, since they all wanted me for themselves. 🙂

Hang in there!

FAR 05/27/14; 786/110 - Done !

[Anonymous]

Oh man, your job sounds like part of the movie Office Space. You landed a coveted Big 4 position and it will look awesome on your resume. Stick with it and keep asking for work knowing that this will be short-term. Once you pass your exams, you will have your experience and can jump to a much better position at just about any where you want.

Some times, co-workers suck and office politics are ridiculous. During miserable jobs or projects, I mark days off on a calendar so that I have some tiny feeling of success towards a bigger goal.

[Anonymous]

Oh man, your job sounds like part of the movie Office Space. You landed a coveted Big 4 position and it will look awesome on your resume. Stick with it and keep asking for work knowing that this will be short-term. Once you pass your exams, you will have your experience and can jump to a much better position at just about any where you want.

Some times, co-workers suck and office politics are ridiculous. During miserable jobs or projects, I mark days off on a calendar so that I have some tiny feeling of success towards a bigger goal.

[Keely]

I know exactly where you're coming from. I could have written this post. My first experience with public accounting, I lasted three weeks before I quit. It wasn't Big 4, but it was still big enough to have the same kinds of issues.

I never wanted to get a job at a Big 4 company because of all the things you just mentioned. I don't think it's specific to Big 4, but to larger companies in general. I traded in my large firm and went to an office with 8 people total. I learned more there than I ever could have somewhere else because I could walk into the partner's office 30 times a day and ask him to explain something to me. They let me contact clients, and I did both tax and audit work. But the best part about it, was that I ENJOYED MY JOB. Everyone got along, was nice to one another, helped one another. Tradeoff: salary was $45,000 entry level. For me, though, that did me just fine.

I did leave that job because I moved across the country. I now work at a big firm again, and it does bum me out that only managers and partners seem to have client contact, and that there's a lot of red tape, but I do like the team I work with, and I am solely tax now, which makes me happy. Two weeks into this job, though, I wanted to quit again. It was so awkward. I knew nothing about the software, I didn't know who to even ask for help, etc. But now that I've been here a few months, I am much happier.

My point is, give your job enough time to make an informed decision as to whether you hate it or not. Most of your frustrations will be repeated at any new place, because you just don't know what's going on. But if you aren't the big corporate type, find a smaller firm. Yeah, it may not be as cool as Big 4 on your resume, but you'll still learn just as much, and maybe more because you won't be pigeon-holed into one thing. Especially in public accounting, you need to at least be able to stand your job, since the hours are insane.

After all that, I get to the point of your post: really think about what you're saying. That you're going to let two weeks at a Big 4 job that you hate ruin your entire career potential for the rest of your life? That sounds really silly, IMHO. I know what it's like to be frustrated, but you've passed two sections. Don't let something so menial beat you down so much. If you want to find another job, go for it. But finish the exam! It can always be a backup plan (as I hope mine will be one day), and a good one at that.

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

VA CPA #42010

[Author]

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