[testsz]

Hello everyone,

A few days ago I met with an accountant who a family member indirectly knows. He offered me a 6-month temp tax position to gain experience and essentially allow me to get some form of accounting experience on my resume.

The stipulations of his deal is that if I go through, I am obliged to work for him for the full 6-month period. From his perspective, it sounds fair to me considering he does not want to waste his time training me and then I just jump ship to a better opportunity as it arises.

He is not a CPA and thus I am not able to fulfill the one-year requirement. The main dilemma I have is if I should accept his offer, or continue looking for jobs for experience under a CPA. Currently, I have a few leads, but I am still waiting on answers.

What do you guys think I should do?

Thanks.

[foreseeableCPA]

I recommend taking it unless you have passed all four CPA exams already and just need the 1year experience. I am taking an internship starting January and was kind of disappointed with this offer since I was told by the recruiter that I was interviewing for a fulltime position. But I knew that after the internship was over, I would look more marketable and interviews/job offers will be ‘easier' to get. So I suggest taking it. OH and is it paid?

CPA - Class of 2013
CIA - Class of 2016

[acamp]

What's your long term goal? Audit? Tax? General Accounting? …and in what setting, public accounting, corporate/small business/etc.

I mean 6 months of some experience is better than zero, and if you were thinking public accounting they usually have fall start dates, so the six month commitment probably wouldnt get in the way. Not to mention if you're aiming for tax, getting hired at a professional firm (WITH CPAs) might be easier with some experience.

That said, what is your opportunity cost? What are you up to right now that you won't be doing anymore? Will you be in a binding contract with this company? Sure the “nice” thing is to repay his training with your uber cheap labor through tax season (and beyond apparently); but in reality you need to be able to grab a better opportunity if it presents itself. (and by presents, I mean you should continue actively seeking a real job while doing this temp gig)

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California CPA

[testsz]

I don't really have a long-term goal insofar as audit, tax, accounting is concerned. I don't have any experience in any of the fields and thus I don't have any real grasp on what I want to do.

Opportunity cost is just grabbing a better opportunity as it presents itself. Its not a binding contract with the company, its just through oral agreement (nothing he can sue me for). My aunt knows his wife (she works with her), so it would be more of a slap in the face to my aunt.

[jelly]

Does your state accept internship time as work experience? Are there other CPAs also in this shop? If the answer is yes to both, you may be able to get 6 months work experience from this for licensing purposes.

Couldn't pass again!

[Author]

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