[luyiqing]

I am very upset. Here’s the situation. I graduated in 2013 with a master of science in taxation. I have worked at an online tax preparation company for a year mainly doing customer service and tax processing work. I passed all of my CPA exams during my work and then I started looking for new opportunities. I got an offer as a tax associate from a local CPA firm so I gave notice to the tax preparation company and then quit. Here comes the most important part. The new firm and new job is a nightmare. All the client files they have are all messed up and there are no even financial statements. They told me to prepare the tax return independently and they don’t want to provide any training or help. I looked at the previous years’ workpaper they did and they were all done manually(by hand). The employees there don’t even know how to use computer properly although they have like over 30 year experiences. It’s very hard and confusing for me to understand what they did and they said they did something very arbitrarily.

After three days on my new job, boss talked with me and I agreed that the work at his firm is very different than what I did before. The work he wanted me to do for his clients requires compilation, review, and audit the financial statements first and then prepare tax return. I am still a junior person and it’s just confusing for me without help or training. So I am not going to work there anymore.

So I am now unemployed and need to find a new job…what a joke…I know it’s not their fault either every firm wants more experienced employees so they can hit the ground running once they are on board…I wish I could have that much experiences but I don’t have now…all I have are basic and working knowledge and I really need practical skills of working at a cpa firm or private company to get me started…All right…so I am back in the market looking for a job…

[WelpCPA2014]

I'm confused. Did you get laid off or did you quit?

B-79
A-79
R-76
F-77

FINALLY DONE!!!!!

[luyiqing]

The boss talked with me last night and we agreed that I am not going to work there anymore.

[s2sylvir]

Hmmm… If he understands that your background so far has nothing to do with the current job expectations, then he should be more understanding that you'd be willing to learn, instead of letting you go so quickly. (Unless you didn't want to do comps/financials/audits, either).

Otherwise, how are you supposed to learn?

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[ruggercpa2b]

I remember at one of my very first jobs in audit my supervisor literally laughing in my face when I asked about training and she told me that most jobs you almost have to figure things out on your own. I thought she was being mean and hateful but after 7 years in audit I have learned that every company is different and I think it also depends on how you sell yourself in the interview. I just started a new job and I remember in my interview being asked if I had done some SOX work and part of me wanted to say sure considering I have been in audit for 7 years. But I was truthful and said no but I was ready to research and learn. Needless to say, my first day on the job SOX work was top priority and had to be done. I was handed a stack of balance sheet recs and had to figure it out.

I would have explained to him that you have never done comps/reviews but are willing to learn. I have learned to just be enthusiastic about everything. And also, try to figure things out on your own and then when you go and ask for help, you are not asking without even having done anything. Some people get annoyed if you ask a question and at times their first question is “What have you done so far?”

Maybe this place was just not the right place for you. And not to sound cliche, things happen for a reason and you may bot see it now but later on when you are at a different job you will be so glad this one did not work out. Keep your head up and good luck!

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BEC - NINJA in Training
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AUD - 1/6/18
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[mla1169]

You have a MST and Tax experience, should have no problem at this time of year finding something even if its temporary. Might lead to something more long term.

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

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[luyiqing]

Thank you for the comments. No they don't even want to give me opportunity to train me or help me out. They basically want someone who can do the work independently once onboard. My two managers handed me the work and the boss told me to finish them in three hours and don't ask questions. During the interview they didn't tell me I need to do compilation and review too. I was hired as a tax associate so I thought it should be mainly tax work. Because all the clients they have are messed and they don't have their own accountants or bookkeepers in house. So the accounting files we need to review are not complete and messy. I am a junior level person although I understand the principles behind a tax return but that's based on the complete and accurate financial statements. I will keep looking. Hopefull something better will come along!

[acamp]

I would call up the old company, provided you left on good terms and see if you can get your job back. They may not like that you left, but going into tax season they would probably be happy to have someone who already knows their systems and is ready to work.

From there I would start applying for tax positions at larger public firms (Top10 or so) where they have training programs and the expectations are somewhat lower initially–seems like the small firm you were at wanted a more experienced person (although they probably didn't want to pay for one, ha).

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[luyiqing]

Thank you for the comment. Last night I google chatted my old boss and told him I want to come back. He just replied “thanks”. Yes I would like to apply for junior level positions. Sometimes I looked at the website of those big cpa firms and the openings are all senior or manager level position. I think they might recruit entry level positions right from the school.

[Anonymous]

are you a US citizen?

[Herbieherb]

Sorry to hear about your situation. The only way you can kinda tell if the job sucks is if you keep seeing the same job posting come up. A friend of mine warned me about this one position I took, that he saw that position constantly being open over several years show up in the newspaper (ya the old days) …it was a running joke when the other employees in the firm took bets on how long I would last

NEW YORK- DONE

[luyiqing]

Updates!

The boss at the CPA firm wants me back but as a non-paid full time intern for initial 2 months and then determine whether to keep me or put me on payroll.

My old boss said I could come back but the job was still tax processing/customer service and there is nothing more I could learn. They pay me 18 an hour.

[acamp]

Take the paid job, continue to look for work with a larger public accounting firm.

Small firm, who clearly lacks the resources to provide proper training wants to bring you on for free during their busy season, ya, no thanks!

Self proclaimed: Highest ratio of Replies to Others v. Posts Created on A71

California CPA - Big4 Aud Manager Alum - Private Accounting at Startups

FAR, REG and BEC with Ninja Notes + WTB Only

Ninja + Wiley Test Bank: [FAR - 81] [REG - 76] [BEC - 88] [AUD - 73](doh!)

Becker Videos: [AUD - 82]

California CPA

[needhelpnow]

@luyiqing You have passed all your CPA exams with experience getting offers like 18/hr and unpaid intern? Either you are not marketing yourself well, or you are not in a busy city.

[luyiqing]

I am in NYC. I recently passed all four CPA exams (found out the last score in Nov). The 18 per hour job was not accounting related. It's a tax preparation company and the job is like customer service/tax processing so it's not a very technical job.

I started looking after I passed all the CPA exams. I did interview with some large companies but haven't heard back from them yet. The only offer I got was from the small CPA firm. The initial offer looks great (tax associate at 55k annually). But then they said I cannot do the work independently (all the client files they have are messed up and people need to create journal entries and financial statements first and then prepare tax returns) so if I need help, there would be internship and nonpaid. They said it would be good learning experience and they would determine whether to keep me or pay me after two months.

I don't think the nonpaid internship is good either. I know that my old boss might be a little upset because I left and asked to come back although he agreed me to come back. It's hard to get entry-level/junior level positions after graduation and I need sponsorship.

[s2sylvir]

@luyiqing

Which boss might be “upset”? But regardless, I highly doubt it matters if your boss is upset as long as you're getting paid… But that's just my view.

You're obviously capable — like someone else said, the small firm doesn't seem to have the resources to properly train you (or they're greedy bastards who don't want to pay you). Either way, I wouldn't waste my time in a firm that doesn't seem to value the understanding that growth of employees = growth of a firm.

On the other hand, maybe you want the experience from the small firm… It doesn't seem like you feel fulfilled with the tax processing job. If money isn't an issue, then perhaps go for the small firm. You would definitely have more “opportunities” at a public firm, but in this case, I don't know… Are they really going to teach you this time around? Or just waste more of your time?

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AUD - PASS (63, 71, 74, 74, 83)
REG - PASS (88)
FAR - PASS (58, 89)

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[Author]

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