[Anonymous]

Is it fair that someone with greater credentials and interviewing skills than a minority should lose out at a Big 4 chance simply due to diversity reasons? I feel that this happens a lot, and it specifically has happened to me.

[How many letters do you need]

How do you know you have better interviewing skills? I don't understand how you can know for sure you were the best candidate and in fact were passed up solely because you aren't a minority. Sounds to me a little bit like a bruised ago looking for any reason you weren't hired except what is the most likely: you simply weren't the best. Doesn't mean you aren't good enough but this time you weren't the best. I say start with accepting THAT.

With that said, I'm not saying it doesn't happen to some degree…but I think it more than likely happens when selecting candidates for interview. Something like “we should interview a wide range of backgrounds”. So in that case there is potential to miss out on opportunity to get in front of somebody because somebody else was selected for interview. Even then…doesnt mean you were any better. In reality…Most hiring managers want the employee who's most likely going to work their ass off, learn quick, apply that learning and cause no problems. For most hiring managers…If that person was a purple people eater than so be it.

Tl; Dr…get over it.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[How many letters do you need]

Oh ya one more thing. I'm white.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[Anonymous]

Hmm.. Interesting that you seem to be making judgments about me already. I was not saying that I definitely was a better candidate in terms of interviewing skills; rather, I was just asking if, all things being equal, the job would go to the minority.

That said, my credentials were MUCH stronger, and I believe my interview skills were comparable.

I don't make excuses. I just want to know if diversity makes a big difference in Big 4 hiring or not, that's all. Everyone can take it easy please… 🙂 Sheesh

[Anonymous]

Your two posts are asking two very different questions. Your first one is asking if it is fair to hire a minority over an equally qualified candidate over the issue of race and your second one is if diversity makes a big difference in Big 4 hiring. The answer to your second question is you can never know the reasons why your interviewer(s) hired you or dismissed you for. It could be completely irrational: maybe he didn't like the color of your shirt.

Based on my experience with 2 Big 4 firms, I do not think diversity plays a big role in whether you get the position. It might sound cliche but it really is all about fit. If they like you, they like you.

[nicole2035]

as far as I know it doesn't matter for CPA firms or finance related jobs especially. They don't get extra points by having minorities, when most of the companies they do work with, will have majority white management almost always. I don't mean to say this as in these people are racist, but you usually try to match your base clients in terms of your employees. You'll notice business in more urban centers tend to have more minority employees, but that's just because they hire that way with their client in mind. Again, doesn't mean that the best person didn't get the job, when applying to CPA firms majority of resumes I imagine look VERY similar.

It's all subjective, there is your prospective, someone else, and then there is the truth. Sadly the interviewer will always trump. For example if an Asian interviewer pick an Asian candidate many would cry out racism. But if a white interviewer accepted a white candidate, well that would just be the norm, wouldn't it? Lower the ego, man.

Also ‘reverse racism' isn't real, the phrase within itself assumes that whites perpetrate racism only and are inherently racist. This isn't true, but using the phrase I think goes to show how our minds are warped by society and we don't even know it

[mena je twa]

Confused –

At the end of the day, it doesnt come down, to black, white, purple, blue.

It comes to how good your resume reads, how good your qualifications are, how good you talk and what does the interviewer think about you.

if he feels highly of you, you will be hired.

Licensed CPA, Texas - 2012

[How many letters do you need]

I'm not making judgements, just expressing my thoughts.

And the statement “is it fair that somebody with greater interviewing skills” usually means you are referencing you have greater interview skills…no? You made no reference to “all else equal”.

All else equal is a different question entirely. If all else is equal somebody has to lose and more than likely it won't be the minority. Do I think it's fair? Perhaps not. But then again I wouldn't rely on a tie breaker to get a job.

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[h0wdyus]

I think you could be any race or color. If you have the following you should be good to go

1) Qualified

2) A GOOD ATTITUDE. If the interviewer senses attitude, you are not getting selected

3) good communication skills.

4) Presentable and respectful but confident.

5) Do you actually fit the job, he is hiring for. Of course it his opinion and not yours that counts.

In the end, I believe whatever happens, happens for the good, AS long as you are doing your due diligence.

FAR - 81 29th Aug 2013
AUD - 84
REG - 82
BEC - 89 29th Aug 2014
Using Yager

FROM NJ

[M.O.D.]

@ letters,

This is off thread topic, but where did you get your MBA? Any other good schools you might recommend?

I am not happy with the schools I tried so far…

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[Anonymous]

lets put it this way, if confused said what his first message was in this thread in a conversation to a person. The person recorded the conversation and released it to the media, and confused owned the clippers. He would be forced to sell the clippers.

[How many letters do you need]

Hey MOD. I actually went to University of Phoenix…but years ago when they had pretty decent classroom programs. I wouldn't recommend them nowadays….not that they are awful but I think their classroom program used to be on par with a reasonable state school and I just don't think it's there anymore.

I've actually considered going back to get a technical masters at a solid brand name school but just can't bring myself to write a check for 100k at this point.

If I were you I would either go brand name but only if you are really going to make use of the connections. If you aren't a super solid networker I say go to a solid state school and save some cash. What part of the world are you in?

MBA,CMA,CPA, CFF?, ABV?

[Anonymous]

Just out of curiosity, did anyone know what happened to that other thread about a racist partner at a Big 4 firm?

[Skynet]

@eliasm6 – You had just had to throw in Sterling and the Clippers did you? LOL! 🙂

[Anonymous]

What are these qualifications you speak of? You know they mean nothing right? The Big 4 can fill their hiring class with a bunch of 4.0, CPA, big name school <insert your other qualifications here> etc.

The following pertains to hiring in most places:

1) Are you a hot chick? Somebody's got to sell the business. Partner – I'm a bad ass accountant and since I'm a partner, you know I know my stuff. Btw, Jennifer and Alyssa will be the staffs on this engagement.

2) Do you personally know someone at the firm that will recommend you?

3) Are you someone that the team can have a beer with and someone they can work with with 15 hours a day for months on end?

If you have all of the above, you got the job. If you have two out of three from the above, you have a decent shot of getting hired.

Everything else is just icing on the cake. They can train you to do the job. I hope this helps. GL

[mla1169]

Sometimes (depending on the position) what you consider stronger credentials can work against you. They may want someone TRULY entry level, when you have experience. They may mistakenly assume that you will not accept the same salary as what someone who's more inexperienced would accept.

All things being equal, the job may well go to a minority, but if you're saying all things are not equal from the get go there are a lot more factors involved in a hiring decision.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Author]

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