[Anonymous]

i am starting to feel that diversity is not appreciated in the world of accounting, aside from the big 4, i don’t think smaller firms even care. from what i’ve seen, probably 95% of firms i’ve interviewed with (probably about 20 different firms large and small) all promote a homogenous culture. every firm i see the same kind of half dead, robotic, soulless eyes and fragile, unathletic, unhealthy groups of accountants and i wonder what the hell. accounting is not an industry to be proud working in.

they hire people who they think they can manipulate into working longer hours and performing more work for less pay. they hire people who aren’t necessarily the best, but people they think they can use up and spit out if they feel like it. people who are friends of the current employees to promote yet an even further office of second-hand individuals who think they are special in life just because they can come to work and perform the work of a highly trained monkey.

accountants are not much but tools, implemented to carry out mechanical, lower-level tasks, and may receive a promotion in the future if they are well behaved. i am close to my boiling point, luckily i still plan on finishing this exam and more actively pursue my dreams of entrepreneurship which is already underway. this is exactly why the accounting industry flies under the radar and is not in the public spotlight, because they have unorthodox hiring practices and are unethical in nature.

sorry but as an active cpa candidate who has a substantial amount of relevant experience as well as operative business experience and a number of other accomplishments socially, academically, and professionally, i have seen much behind the scenes of a lot of firms to put the pieces together myself and expose what i’ve described here. i am not arrogant nor am i stressed out, accounting is and always will be a field for second hand individuals who are extremely sheltered and never could make much out of life except reading books and pursuing a career that would earn a higher average salary than others and in turn give the false impression that they are elite and a better human being.

of course there are a few exceptions to the norm, but very few. no need to counter my arguments here, more than likely if you feel the need, you probably have been offended that you fall into this category which has already been thoroughly verified by my own firsthand scientific reasoning and observations.

/end truth

[littlenumberrobot]

“they hire people who they think they can manipulate into working longer hours and performing more work for less pay. they hire people who aren't necessarily the best, but people they think they can use up and spit out if they feel like it. people who are friends of the current employees to promote yet an even further office of second-hand individuals who think they are special in life just because they can come to work and perform the work of a highly trained monkey. ”

That about describes my first firm I worked for out of college. They made us all feel special for staying late. They gave us free concert tickets and yummy food(I gained 25lbs working there a 1.5 years).Not going to lie I fell for it right out of college, thinking to myself well they told me I would work long hours in school(but NOT 80 hrs week in summer!!!). I thankfully left before they starting firing people for silly reasons(and I MEAN silly). I now work for a small firm, and it is completely opposite and I feel like a real accountant. My boss encourages us to be real accountants, but robots. He knows the value of not working his employees to death.

It's sad there are places like that, though.

PS: of the 12 people my old company took on a company trip last year, 7 are no longer employed with them…. that should give you another look at the place.

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[HFinn]

Let me hit you with some knowledge: Big 4 don't really “care” about diversity either.

Yah, they might promote it in their marketing materials and even hire people from “underrepresented” backgrounds, but it's all a show. To them “diversity” means hiring candidates tat don't look like them, but act like them. In that case, diversity doesn't have much meaning.

I'm speaking as a minority hire who has had to try and fit in a certain mold in a Big 4 firm.

[Anonymous]

and i think every accountant should pass a physical abilities and mental stability test, i'm tired of little sensitive wimpy people who are easily intimidated and offended. i am more of an alpha male myself but probably not as much as i seem in these posts. all you wimpy little nerdballs have a little dignity in yourselves, grow some balls! we are a masculine society, it is very un-American to be such ass-kissers!

[littlenumberrobot]

@dumguy_cpa

LOL! I have to show your last post to my former co-worker. We had daily conversations about such. They will get a kick out of it.

Thanks for the post.

CA CPA - All because of the journey listed below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FAR - 53('10), 8/25/12 79 PASSED!
REG - 66('11), 69('12), 12/06/12 77 PASSED!!
BEC - 58('10), 74('12), 01/05/13 77 PASSED!!!
AUD - 43('11), 66('12), 69('13), 74('13) 7/29/13 85 PASSED!!!!!

(Combinations of Roger, Yaeger, Wiley Book, Wiley TB, & NINJA Notes)

Ethics 90%

[Anonymous]

That's why I'm seriously thinking about learning Chinese after passing this exam and moving to China…lol…

[Marivy22]

“they hire people who they think they can manipulate into working longer hours and performing more work for less pay..”

This one happens in every industry, not only at big 4. Thankfully, I have never worked at a big 4, even though I have been tempted to apply……… I have always worked on the distribution industry, and have had 4 different employers until now. You will find some of those “ass-kissers” everywhere. My experience with all of them, the more you kiss the sooner you will be walking out empty handed. So I guess there is nothing to be worry for people like that own there our stuff and know what we are doing.

Not sure about the benefits of working like a robot now, and then wake up from that dream/nightmare with great professional experience on your resume…

Done 😉
Class of 2012!!!!
Lots of prayers and hard work....

[KGC111210]

@dumguy_CPA – Guess what, your last statement isn't going to deter me from commenting. So what makes you soo special. You are no different or better than the rest of us. We've all worked hard but we have to put in the time. I didn't go to school to be better than anyone else; I went to better support my family. What makes me sick is all the well to do wanna be elites that think the are better than others and yes I mean you. By the way you spell dumb with a “b”.

FAR 69, 74, 78
REG 69, 69, 69, 82
BEC 75
AUD 76

[mla1169]

Job search isn't going well, I take it!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

tldr

[jeff]

What kind of diversity are we talking about here … freedom to have green hair, tear-drop tats below your eyes and gold teeth to go audit a client?

[Anonymous]

KGC – congratulations, you're probably part of the general submissive crowd of accountants that don't want much out of life except to get by.

there are those of us who have a higher drive and capacity to do much more than just our JOB. good for you to be able to support your family. more and more offices are settling for people like you to create a more “pleasant” working environment where they know just who to abuse to squeeze more work out of and make upper management's lives just that tiny bit more easier.

thats the reality of it, and i'm not claiming i'm better than anyone else. but i bet i am more qualified. fortunately i've seen enough office cultures to understand that my problem is not one of technical or interpersonal matters, but just a matter of fitting in with you submissive nonchalant type of people.

mla1169 – at the current moment no, several interviews with large public accounting firms and no offers yet, but imagine trying to explain why you only worked at your previous employer for a few months because you did not want to associate with your group of new hires who goofed around at clients, clueless as to how to use the excel software, and outright disrespectful to one another. yet you are the one who lost your job because you did not fit in. and how about on top of that, they were all bilingual in spanish except for myself and the HR director was also Spanish, so go figure.

Sorry but its bullshit if you ask me. Coming from someone who worked internships concurrently during my undergrad and put my ass on the line relocating to work for a Top 10 firm, only to have to deal with this bs and lose my job thanks to a bunch of goofballs.

In my opinion, its no wonder this country is struggling in nearly every economic and social aspect, because people can't tell the difference between what is true value and what is not. its not about what you know, its who you know….probably one of the biggest faults in recruitment practices. although it may create a more cohesive work environment, it also in some circumstances probably predominantly leads to scandals, collusion and being less productive in the workplace.

All of this just rolled off the tip of my tongue, and I don't even want to get started. Bottom line is, the accounting industry (in the REAL world, if you have yet to experience it) is bullshit from my perspective and many of those people in the industry need to step off their high horse and re-evaluate themselves. i haven't seen a group of people more ELITEST without a cause than a group of Type B personality accountants.

PS…and for the record, my opinion about most of the people I went to school with during my undergrad (and it was one of the top 3 largest in the nation) were mostly a bunch of losers (sorry is that too harsh, how about sheltered anti-socials) whose only friends were their peers in Beta Alpha Psi and Student Accounting Society. give them a job and some money…what kind of people do you expect they will become?

/end reality check

[Anonymous]

diversity as in different personality types, not necessarily how you look, although if you are a minority, you would have to be THAT token asian guy or THAT token black guy in most cases to make it through the hiring process.

in my case, i may come off as assertive and hard to work with, but that is only in relation to the type b personalities aforementioned, as you can see my dilemma.

[jeff]

Not sure I'm tracking…help a brotha out …

You graduated from a good program … worked a few months and bailed because your co-workers were petty?

[HFinn]

Sour grapes much?

[Whatdidyou]

Just because you're bitter (rightfully so, looks like), doesn't meean you should lash out at the rest of us.

Office poltics can suck, and do in most corporate america. I think you're right, that starting your own business or also working for a small company with a good boss (who quit for similar reasons and started his own business with a better culture) would have a better work environment for you.

REG - Passed!!
BEC - Passed
FAR - Passed
AUD - Passed

Study Materials: Becker basic course

[Author]

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