[wilbcham]

I was let go recently from a position because I sent an email to the wrong person (it was supposed to go to managers but went to executives). Before this I accidentally scanned in some invoices but caught them before they were processed. The system was setup as such that I could not delete them myself. I am halfway through the CPA exam and was wondering if this will hinder me too much from getting a job again. I am not looking for employment while I continue my exam because I want to relocate when I finish. Will this probably hurt me too much or will completing my certification make up for my termination?

[highlightnumb]

Mario Marcel, CPA

FAR. Feb 2014 76
REG. Jan 2015 79 half way there!!
BEC. Feb 2015 79 thank you God!!
AUD. Apr 20, 2015 and will be done. Hold that thought 65, 7/14/15 85!
Ok where was I? Oh thats right now I'm Done!!!!!!!!!
Ethics 92!!

"You down wit SEC?, yeah you know me!!!"

Cali Candidate

All Becker Materials, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja audio, Ninja MCQ, Ninja Notes

[law0915]

I guess the most important thing is that we all have the courage to undergo the journey or have already passed the exam and hiring managers will screen how they want. Actually committing to the process and deciding to sit is one of the hardest if not the hardest step for me personally and maybe for others that lack courage and self-confidence to do. I agree that how much you had to sacrifice doesn't matter to any employers except that for a job gaining accounting related experience. Then you bring to the table passed exams AND experience and that in itself is better than just an unemployed exam passer. So it is not my opinion that experience is better than none, I'd consider that fact. If you were already experienced and took time off to study for the exam then you will have a job gap and have to tell them why you couldn't do both while many others have. I guess if it were complicated like health issues that would be understandable, but other responsibilities…we all have them and it comes down to time management. Blah, I suppose the job isn't the only one in the world if they are discriminatory that someone took time off to pass. It was a good discussion 🙂

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[mla1169]

Oh well I was the moderator who said a CPA license doesn't make you invincible. Find it almost impossible to believe anyone would find that offensive. Ask around how many people with a CPA have a hard time finding a job, you'll be surprised that its not magic. People are shocked that employers aren't falling over themselves to make offers when they see those letters on a resume. Its not my opinion. Search this forum alone for people who are astounded that they have to really work hard to find a great job after they are licensed. Why would I make light of a credential that I hold, and that I sacrificed greatly for?

But when I read comments like “joe schmoe in the HR dept who probably doesn't work there anymore because they are indispensable” and “they worked for it instead of sitting on the couch all day and looking for hand me downs.” it makes me think that new CPA's put themselves on a major pedestal and that's fine but DON'T expect anybody else, even a measly unimportant HR person to see that pedestal. Trust me when I say nobody in other fields looks up to or worships us. You'll agree in a few years I promise.

Again, I AM a licensed CPA. I know very well what it takes to become one, I walked the walk my friend. At the end of the day its one of the more powerful tools in your toolbox and nothing more. What you do with that license is what matters. I gave so much for those three letters, but I'm not better or more important than the person who cleans my office at night. We all put on our pants one leg at a time. I also know a bit of humility goes a lot further in the real world than degrees, licenses, grades or scores.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

Last time we were hiring, we had 1 CPA candidate apply, 1 CPA apply, and several others that didn't have CPA anywhere on their resumes. (I live in a rural area so we only had around 20 applicants total.) We didn't interview the CPA candidate or the CPA, due to other things relative to their resumes. So, just validating that it's not a golden ticket. We interviewed people with nothing beyond a Bachelor's over those with a CPA because the rest of the “package” was better.

However, CPA is valuable, and I'm not disputing that. I'm glad I got mine, and would happily hire someone with one – maybe our next new hire will be, who knows. It's not a golden ticket, but it's a nice thing. Had either of the candidates with a reference to CPA on their resume been otherwise good candidates, we would've definitely interviewed them, but each had other issues.

“I gave so much for those three letters, but I'm not better or more important than the person who cleans my office at night. We all put on our pants one leg at a time. I also know a bit of humility goes a lot further in the real world than degrees, licenses, grades or scores.” This 100000%. My motto in life when I was working in the college cafeteria was “I won't say I'm no better than anybody else, but I'll be damned if I ain't just as good”, and that's still my motto as a Controller, and no matter what level I get to, it's still my motto. Every job I've had that had a janitor that came around while we were in the office, I've known their name and known them enough that I'd stop and chat if I saw them out in town or something. Everyone should know their janitor. When I was a dishwasher in the cafeteria, I believed I was as good as the CFO, and if I'm the CFO someday, I'll believe I'm as good as the dishwasher in the cafeteria. Being humble doesn't mean you have to take shit from people all day long, but being humble does mean you don't pass out shit all day long.

[acamp]

Public accounting gives nice exposure to how “not special” you are as an individual to be a CPA. Nearly EVERYONE has a license; every partner, every manager, most seniors, and lots of staff. On the client side, most are former public accountants, and most have their CPAs. As mentioned, its an excellent tool to have in the toolbox, but if you're applying for positions that require a CPA, its really serves to clear the minimum requirements; thus the other points on your resume are very important.

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

[highlightnumb]

Ive worked in the accounting field for over 10 years and made great money without a cpa license so not for second am i saying the cpa license is the end all be all. The problem what youre doing mla1169 is that you keep generalizing your argument. Just because a bunch of people on this website say they are having difficulty finding a job after they get their CPA license doesn't mean the whole world is having a problem. This website is probably less than .000005% sample size so I'm sorry I'm not impressed when you use another71 as your backup. Your are throwing in a new argument about humbleness which is not even my argument so you can relax on making stuff up. All im saying is that if someone wants to feel invincible (as you put it) about getting their license, then let them be if thats what makes them feel happy. I personally would have used the word proud, happy to achieve, ready to take on the world, confident. Im just trying to figure out why you go negative and say “some cpa candidates think they are invincible”? Why even go there with the negativity? These are goals that people set out to better themselves. Wheres the positivity in this whole thing. Your argument is sour and negative. So do you sit in the away section at sporting events and route against your own school. Youre not the king of the world dude. We can do just fine without you speaking on how we can still get shit on as CPA's.

Mario Marcel, CPA

FAR. Feb 2014 76
REG. Jan 2015 79 half way there!!
BEC. Feb 2015 79 thank you God!!
AUD. Apr 20, 2015 and will be done. Hold that thought 65, 7/14/15 85!
Ok where was I? Oh thats right now I'm Done!!!!!!!!!
Ethics 92!!

"You down wit SEC?, yeah you know me!!!"

Cali Candidate

All Becker Materials, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja audio, Ninja MCQ, Ninja Notes

[mla1169]

OK highlights I'll leave the forum just for you. 10 WHOLE years in accounting? Wow.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[highlightnumb]

And im not looking for anyone to worship me but definitely respect the complexity of what it took to get there. I have much respect for the cleaning guy but i dont see you being that cleaning guy or girl right? Why? Because you are an achiever and you want whats best for you. I come from a blue collar family without a fancy education so i know about humility but at the same time, that doesnt mean i cant be proud of my accomplishments and hope for a little more in return than the next guy whos does have any credentials. We always look for that prize when we win thats why there lombardi trophies, championship rings and bonus salaries.

Mario Marcel, CPA

FAR. Feb 2014 76
REG. Jan 2015 79 half way there!!
BEC. Feb 2015 79 thank you God!!
AUD. Apr 20, 2015 and will be done. Hold that thought 65, 7/14/15 85!
Ok where was I? Oh thats right now I'm Done!!!!!!!!!
Ethics 92!!

"You down wit SEC?, yeah you know me!!!"

Cali Candidate

All Becker Materials, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja audio, Ninja MCQ, Ninja Notes

[highlightnumb]

Mla1169 im not saying leave the forum, just show a little team pride thats all.

Mario Marcel, CPA

FAR. Feb 2014 76
REG. Jan 2015 79 half way there!!
BEC. Feb 2015 79 thank you God!!
AUD. Apr 20, 2015 and will be done. Hold that thought 65, 7/14/15 85!
Ok where was I? Oh thats right now I'm Done!!!!!!!!!
Ethics 92!!

"You down wit SEC?, yeah you know me!!!"

Cali Candidate

All Becker Materials, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja audio, Ninja MCQ, Ninja Notes

[Martin]

mla1169, I dont know you,but I have to agree with highlightnumb, you always make very negative comments. Let your colleagues feel accomplished about passing the exam. Maybe it was not a difficult task for you,but everyone is different. Come on man, how can that hurt you?

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[law0915]

I agree with what MLA is saying. Not sure about the unemployed CPAs though. From what I hear from our controller who's been a CPA for 10 years is that it shows that you rose to the “highest level you could in the profession” and became a certified and licensed by the statues of the state. As far as who's impressed I have maybe it is just CPAs that are impressed by other CPAs?…however I have a friend that's a pilot and completely discounted it and said it meant nothing to him. After being a bit irritated and assured him he's nothing more than a glorified taxi driver that transports people, explained it is highly recognized in the accounting/finance profession. He had asked some of his pilot friends and he assured him the difficulty of the CPA exam makes the pilot exam look like pre-school. My mother would tell random people about it and even they'd reply with “wow I hear that's so hard”. It is it recognized by people not in finance/accounting through word of mouth about difficultly. As I have been looking at other positions most requirements state CPA/CMA/CIA certification preferred (implying having one) and, of course, normally the controller position requires that you're licensed aka meeting minimum license requirements. There's nothing wrong with being humble (as am I) but the CPA is a big deal and there is a certain prestige about it. Also, I would think experienced HR should be familiar with the pedestal regarding certified professionals.

REG 77 Feb14
BEC 13*, 79 Aug14
FAR 64**, 76 Nov14
AUD 89 Feb15

*Exited exam after first testlet
**Only studied F1-F6 out of 10 Becker chapters

Licensed Arizona CPA

[highlightnumb]

@martin exactly, positivity goes a long way.

Mario Marcel, CPA

FAR. Feb 2014 76
REG. Jan 2015 79 half way there!!
BEC. Feb 2015 79 thank you God!!
AUD. Apr 20, 2015 and will be done. Hold that thought 65, 7/14/15 85!
Ok where was I? Oh thats right now I'm Done!!!!!!!!!
Ethics 92!!

"You down wit SEC?, yeah you know me!!!"

Cali Candidate

All Becker Materials, Wiley Test Bank, Ninja audio, Ninja MCQ, Ninja Notes

[Anonymous]

I too agree with @mla. Positivity goes a long way but it doesn't get a hiring manager to extend interviews.

Really consider a fact here: I've had a job since I was 15. I had to put myself through my bachelors and masters. Starting from 18 year's old I've been a lead back teller for wells Fargo, office manager/bookkeeper, bookkeeper at non-CPA accounting firm where I learned accounting, accounting manager for non-profit, auditor, and now senior accountant and am in the running for pretty big promotion. Now I'm adding my CPA (license pending).

The ONLY reason I'm posing my resume here is to drive the point that I've had consistent, applicable employment since 2001. I do have a 1 year gap as I was laid off two weeks before stock market crash. With all that said, who's getting the interview? Me or someone with significant gaps in their employment history?

I feel like the people who make the decision to not work during college then take time off for the CPA are also the ones who just cannot understand why they can't get a job. I understand we all learn differently but I really struggle with the entitlement. It must be this generation. All my friends had jobs in college.

With the exception of 2009 when finding a job was extremely difficult, I've never had a problem advancing my career. I make $22k more now than I did in 2012. It's worth it to keep working and figure out the balance.

[mw798]

I would like to add that in a large metropolitan area, a large portion of candidates applying for jobs will already have their CPA. Like I said before, I may get 300 applicants for one job posting. If only 15% of those applicants have their CPA, that's 45 applicants with their CPA and HR will only screen to send me 10-15 resumes of those 45.

[trish_1234]

There is some great advice in this thread. Unfortunately, people got defensive and offensive which resulted in negative advice/opinion/discussion. When reading and writing in an environment like this we all should be careful not to offend one another. People have joined this forum for support to pass an exam that is not your typical college class. We have all come from different walks in life that results in different opinions and experiences which can be a beautiful thing. I only took time to write this because I don’t what someone who has a goal and is going through a difficult time in life to come along and read this thread and become discouraged.

Someone got offended by highlight’s comment “especially Joe Schmoe in the HR dept etc” which led to discussions on respecting the Janitor, I know highlight was merely suggesting that I should not worry about what people think, I should do what is best for me. I was not offended even though many of my friends including me (I am an immigrant a well travelled experienced multicultural young woman who have been working since the age of 14) had/has position with less status than a janitor.

It is always inspiring to hear peoples’ life experiences/journeys to success (heard so many). How hard they worked, how sick they were and how much they attained. But some of the stories here were shared in a negative tone which made them distasteful, (from how I understood maybe I am wrong) some posts implied that I am incompetent and a slacker because people in this forum with a lot busier or problematic life than mine (you do not know me) have attained the CPA while working full-time. Others share their journey to showoff and imply they are better than others.

I would like to share for those worried about gaps or just looking for some inspiration, I worked as a nanny while in college sue me it paid a lot more than a bookkeeper…anyways, my boss (who is soooo successful, competent, respectful, and someone one who can definitely multitask) shared with me recently that when he was 30 he quit his job and moved back in with his parents to get a masters. Today, he is a multimillionaire who can afford to pay a nanny a lot of money. Another beautiful story, Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa neurosurgeon ☺ who ate meals once a week came to this Country illegal and worked as a farmer. He began his journey in a community college and ended in Harvard he wrote a book “becoming Dr. Q”. Gosh the list is long and success comes in all different shapes and forms.

True experience is important and it is better to work in accounting while studying for CPA. Much love to the people who posted positive posts above, you will go far in life. Peace!

AUD 69, 92 7/15 Gleim and Ninja test bank
FAR sometime in 10/15 Gleim
BEC not taken
REG not taken

[Author]

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