[Tom]

Hi guys,

I just found out today that I was let go by a Big 4 firm in Boston.

I only started in August 2016.

I have no idea what to do now.

Any advice?

AUD - 91
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I'm done!

FAR - 87!!!
AUD - TBD (8/15/16)
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[Anonymous]

Let go = fired? Laid off?

[jbergmann1]

His title says fired…

TX CPA

Passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam!
License application in progress

[Tom]

I was let go because they said I wasn't on track with my peers.

It seems odd, because I have received positive reviews from all except one manager…and the entire team disliked that manager.

AUD - 91
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I'm done!

FAR - 87!!!
AUD - TBD (8/15/16)
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[thebigguy1992]

Didn't you say before you were at PWC? That's crazy. I'm a first year at big 4 and there was only one person that got fired because they pretty much didn't know how to use excel. We're there any warnings signs or anything? This seems very odd, especially considering you had all positive reviews

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[Tom]

@thebigguy1992

No other warning signs.

I had time booked for next week for a client. I had just been in a meeting regarding next week's work.

This was completely by surprise. My current senior was very happy with my work and so was my last senior. The manager on the most recent audit said that I was doing a great job.

I am not hiding anything. There really was nothing else.

I don't understand it at all. I just want to bounce back from this. It hurts.

AUD - 91
BEC - 86
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REG - 79

I'm done!

FAR - 87!!!
AUD - TBD (8/15/16)
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BEC - TBD

[Missy]

Take the weekend to wallow in pity then bright and early Monday snap out of it and start your search. You can collect unemployment in most cases so log into MA DUA and get a claim started ASAP because it can take up to six weeks before you see your first check. Get up at your normal time, shower, dress as if you're going to work and get as many resumes out as possible every day. If you're near Burlington I highly recommend complete staffing solutions as a recruiting agency.

Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

Finance manager/HR manager

 

 

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Moeshow]

I mean, you do have one year experience working at a big four so I would definitely try applying to the internal side of accounting. I'd definitely try applying to the private accounting side if you're not set on public.

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Roger CPA review

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Purely Roger CPA Review, for now!

[A]

One of the partners in my firm told us he was fired from four (!) firms (two were Big 4) within his first 15 months after graduation. It's definitely not the end of the world, although it probably feels that way at the moment.

Give yourself the weekend to come to terms with this change, and then plan on going into full recruitment mode on Monday. You were hired once, so you can definitely do it again.

Good luck to you.

B A R F

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Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[Anonymous]

I wonder if any others were let go? Maybe they are downsizing?

@tomsmall I'm curious, would you say you are more of an introvert or extrovert? Could it be possible you weren't outgoing enough compared to your co-workers and were considered the odd-man out?

[Anonymous]

I was once let go after 90 days from a job for no good reason, but the reason was the same as yours – that my performance wasn't as good as everyone else's. It was total B.S.
The manager was hated, and a very trashy person. Educated, but incompetent, and everybody knew it. She knew nobody respected her, and that's how she took it out on everyone. She fired a lot of people. I walked out of there relieved actually, but at the same time, I was thinking “What a glorified waste of time.” I accepted it and moved on though because that's all you can do.

Look at it as a blessing, if you can. Obviously, it ended for a reason. And whatever the reason is, you just have to accept it for good or bad.
Your right place was obviously not at that company even if it felt right and things were going fine. So, it's just a matter of finding your right place. There are any number
of reasons that an employer will let somebody go and just FYI, in like 47 or 48 out of the 50 states, they do not have to tell you why. Or, they can lie to you and get away with the lie. It's that whole “at-will employment” thing….you can quit for no reason or they can fire you for no reason, with no repercussion or obligation.

Best of wishes for your new and better next job. In the meantime, do something nice for yourself – take yourself out to eat or buy yourself something nice.

[Reverie]

Just a question, what should you put on your resume or what should u say to the interviewer when you're looking for a new job if you're laid off like that?

[Anonymous]

@tomsmall3

What did the snapshots look like? Any performance differentiators?

Anything that catches a person off guard like that…ouch…

[Tom]

@BrickellCPA I am definitely an extrovert.

@cjsoccer3 My snapshots looked great. I didn't have performance differentiators. But that was expected as they didn't want them handed out like candy anymore.

AUD - 91
BEC - 86
FAR - 87
REG - 79

I'm done!

FAR - 87!!!
AUD - TBD (8/15/16)
REG - TBD (10/01/16)
BEC - TBD

[Anonymous]

@tomsmall3 thats odd there's nothing to point to. I wish you the best though. :/

[M123]

I think you owe it to yourself and they owe to you a debt of professional courtesy the explanation of what led them to the decision. In a situation like that, it's best to ask, be vulnerable, consider the merit of their observations and learn from them. They may hold back due to legal issues but you at least should ask.

There could be a lot of reasons but it's best not to burn cycles on “what if” – ask and find out (call beats email in this case). Else reflect, learn, grow, repeat. In that next role, be a differentiator – be someone who tries harder, looks for better methods, excels. Some companies hate that too! Things like this can be a blessing in disguise. Don't ask “what if I fail” – ask “what if I succeed”.

I'm much later in my career and just getting to the cpa world but have seen much of this first hand.

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[Author]

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