[Anonymous]

I would not have believed this could happen if I hadn’t been there myself. Wow! That’s the only thing I can say.

This guy shows up at my office at 4:30pm on Friday, April 11th looking for a job. I introduced myself and then when I told him that he would have to come back at another time because we were swamped, he asked to speak to the “man in charge about setting up an appointment on Tuesday”. I played along thinking this has got to be a practical joke. I go tell my partner that someone wants to see him about a job and he laughed about the “man in charge” comment. He tells me to “let him stew for a few minutes”. So I did. While waiting on the “man in charge” this guy proceeds to tell me that he can do my job in 1/2 the time because he got 91% in Advanced Accounting so the CPA exam is going to be a “piece of cake” and shouldn’t take more than a “month to pass”. My license is hanging on the wall, literally right behind my head. My name is on the freaking building! And he never put two and two together. Finally, “the man in charge” comes out to my desk and introduces himself and then proceeds to introduce me as his partner and tells the guy that “She makes all of the hiring decisions” and points to me. This guy went from the deepest shade of red I have ever seen on a human being to white as a sheet in about 30 seconds. It took him that long to figure out that I was a CPA. I just smiled and said “Good luck with your job search.” When he walked out of the office, I looked at my partner and asked “Did that just happen?” WOW!

[jeff]

MOD is taking the CMA II in June according to their profile

AUD - 79
BEC - 80
FAR - 76
REG - 92

Jeff Elliott, CPA (KS)
NINJA CPA | NINJA CMA | NINJA CPE | Another71

[Kenada]

Oh. I see. I thought it was the CPA exams in May. Was wondering how he was doing and how his cpa prep was coming along

CA Candidate. 05/27/2014 ~ 786/110
I am done!!

[Kenada]

Oh. I see. I thought it was the CPA exams in May. Was wondering how he was doing and how his cpa prep was coming along

CA Candidate. 05/27/2014 ~ 786/110
I am done!!

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of the time when I was in my mid 20's and I went to buy a new car. I had a hefty cash down payment and excellent credit so financing was not a problem. I was so excited and I looked for several days and FINALLY picked the car I wanted. The sales folks (men) did not jump up and down to help me and I thought…that's weird. So, I asked for the sales manager whose name I was given by a male friend who had recently purchased a similar car from the same dealership and told me about how helpful this manager had been. The fella came around the corner with a big smile on his face, and as soon as he saw that I was a woman his smile fell off his face and crashed into the floor with a big THUD sound. I told him I wanted to purchase the car and…I kid you NOT.. he said… why don't you come back with your father or husband. That fella and I had a Sunday come to Jesus meeting right there and I drove 120 miles to purchase a car from a decent person. If I had encountered a joker like the one who came into Kricket's office, I would not have been as nice as she.

Some people work hard and have hurdle after hurdle thrown at them. Yeah…life sucks but for some it sucks WAY more than others. Anyone who really knows what Kricket has been through should have some serious respect and should give her the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who doesn't know Kricket should follow the old rule to “be nice to everyone, you don't know what battles they are fighting”.

And as long as we are quoting here how about this one… “Youth is wasted on the young!” ~George Bernard Shaw

There are no perfect people in this world and not everyone handles each situation perfectly. That's obvious by some of the posts written here today. The fella who ventured into Kricket's world learned a valuable lesson. That lesson will likely teach him something, mold his personality, shape his next job approach and help land him a groovy job. That's call Life Experience and it helps young folks become well rounded adults with compassion and integrity.

This forum is about supporting each other through this monster process and I would respectfully ask that if you don't have something nice to say, please refrain from posting. There really is no need for such negativity!

..and as Forrest Gump would say, “That's all I have to say about tha-at!”

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of the time when I was in my mid 20's and I went to buy a new car. I had a hefty cash down payment and excellent credit so financing was not a problem. I was so excited and I looked for several days and FINALLY picked the car I wanted. The sales folks (men) did not jump up and down to help me and I thought…that's weird. So, I asked for the sales manager whose name I was given by a male friend who had recently purchased a similar car from the same dealership and told me about how helpful this manager had been. The fella came around the corner with a big smile on his face, and as soon as he saw that I was a woman his smile fell off his face and crashed into the floor with a big THUD sound. I told him I wanted to purchase the car and…I kid you NOT.. he said… why don't you come back with your father or husband. That fella and I had a Sunday come to Jesus meeting right there and I drove 120 miles to purchase a car from a decent person. If I had encountered a joker like the one who came into Kricket's office, I would not have been as nice as she.

Some people work hard and have hurdle after hurdle thrown at them. Yeah…life sucks but for some it sucks WAY more than others. Anyone who really knows what Kricket has been through should have some serious respect and should give her the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who doesn't know Kricket should follow the old rule to “be nice to everyone, you don't know what battles they are fighting”.

And as long as we are quoting here how about this one… “Youth is wasted on the young!” ~George Bernard Shaw

There are no perfect people in this world and not everyone handles each situation perfectly. That's obvious by some of the posts written here today. The fella who ventured into Kricket's world learned a valuable lesson. That lesson will likely teach him something, mold his personality, shape his next job approach and help land him a groovy job. That's call Life Experience and it helps young folks become well rounded adults with compassion and integrity.

This forum is about supporting each other through this monster process and I would respectfully ask that if you don't have something nice to say, please refrain from posting. There really is no need for such negativity!

..and as Forrest Gump would say, “That's all I have to say about tha-at!”

[jnnthom]

It takes a lot of courage to attempt to walk into a firm, knowing that they are likely not hiring. I do not agree with young person's behavior as all people, whether they're a partner or the person that cleans the office, should be treated with respect.

I also believe that the person hiring needs to have compassion and understanding. Having a CPA license or becoming a partner does not make them better than anyone else, nor does it make them a good accountant. It is the result of hard work, determination, and perhaps a bit of dumb luck. It places them in a position of responsibility and leadership.

When I was applying for jobs and showing up at interviews, my clothes were worn, did not fit correctly, and I barely had enough gas money to get to the interview. I had cuts and calluses on my hands from working in an orchard, because that was the only job I could find. I am incredibly thankful to be at a firm where the partners remember their own story and were willing to give this kid a shot.

[jnnthom]

It takes a lot of courage to attempt to walk into a firm, knowing that they are likely not hiring. I do not agree with young person's behavior as all people, whether they're a partner or the person that cleans the office, should be treated with respect.

I also believe that the person hiring needs to have compassion and understanding. Having a CPA license or becoming a partner does not make them better than anyone else, nor does it make them a good accountant. It is the result of hard work, determination, and perhaps a bit of dumb luck. It places them in a position of responsibility and leadership.

When I was applying for jobs and showing up at interviews, my clothes were worn, did not fit correctly, and I barely had enough gas money to get to the interview. I had cuts and calluses on my hands from working in an orchard, because that was the only job I could find. I am incredibly thankful to be at a firm where the partners remember their own story and were willing to give this kid a shot.

[Mayo]

People who act like the kid in the story should not be hired. In terms of him learning a valuable lesson; yes, I do agree with that.

However, with the amount of great talent out there, it's hard, as a hiring manager or business owner (hypothetically), for me to justify spending valuable attention and resources on teaching this kid basic manners.

Aint nobody got time for that.

We can debate on wether or not people like this can or should be given a chance to develop into a professional. Personally, I think with the right attitude and enough hard work even the biggest lost causes can.

But let's not pretend that a business is not better off 99% of the time hiring the more well developed candidate.

Edit: forgive any spelling errors as I'm in my iPhone. 🙂

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

People who act like the kid in the story should not be hired. In terms of him learning a valuable lesson; yes, I do agree with that.

However, with the amount of great talent out there, it's hard, as a hiring manager or business owner (hypothetically), for me to justify spending valuable attention and resources on teaching this kid basic manners.

Aint nobody got time for that.

We can debate on wether or not people like this can or should be given a chance to develop into a professional. Personally, I think with the right attitude and enough hard work even the biggest lost causes can.

But let's not pretend that a business is not better off 99% of the time hiring the more well developed candidate.

Edit: forgive any spelling errors as I'm in my iPhone. 🙂

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

@jnnthom, to your point about ripped clothes: you bring up a good point, and I think a lot of that is definitely dependent on context.

It reminds me of the movie “Pursuit of Happyness”, where Will Smith's character, due to various unfortunate events, shows up to an internship wearing swaety, dirty, and paint covered work clothes. But it was his professional demeanor and personality that impressed the interviewers enough to look past that.

It's an isolated incident for sure and a movie at that (regardless if it's “based on a true story”). But I think it illustrates the point that getting hired is not just about one thing. Be that your clothes, your skin color, what school you went to, your major, grades, etc.

Going back to the original story….if that kid was spit polished, had a professional resume, etc. all that would be worthless to many if his attitude is crappy. Of course it's dependent on what job they're applying to and who is interviewing them.

If Kricket was a secretary/receptionist and her boss was a sexist and macho, then the kid might have gotten the job. Like I said: context.

TL;DR The kid's atttude and behavior was not in line with the job he's applying to. It's not just because he's a dumb kid.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

@jnnthom, to your point about ripped clothes: you bring up a good point, and I think a lot of that is definitely dependent on context.

It reminds me of the movie “Pursuit of Happyness”, where Will Smith's character, due to various unfortunate events, shows up to an internship wearing swaety, dirty, and paint covered work clothes. But it was his professional demeanor and personality that impressed the interviewers enough to look past that.

It's an isolated incident for sure and a movie at that (regardless if it's “based on a true story”). But I think it illustrates the point that getting hired is not just about one thing. Be that your clothes, your skin color, what school you went to, your major, grades, etc.

Going back to the original story….if that kid was spit polished, had a professional resume, etc. all that would be worthless to many if his attitude is crappy. Of course it's dependent on what job they're applying to and who is interviewing them.

If Kricket was a secretary/receptionist and her boss was a sexist and macho, then the kid might have gotten the job. Like I said: context.

TL;DR The kid's atttude and behavior was not in line with the job he's applying to. It's not just because he's a dumb kid.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[jnnthom]

I don't know if it's an isolated incident. Just the people that have been through something like that don't generally talk about it.

There cannot be true success without failure and without struggle. I think I would have simply told that kid he needs to fail before he can succeed. Being disrespectful of others will cause him to fall short with his clients and coworkers.

As an accountant we are supposed to help our clients navigate through financial laws. At the firm I work at, we have many small businesses and many that have been in families for generations. This job isn't just about numbers, but about families. Whether just starting out or a 20 year CPA, egos need to be put aside and we need to focus on reality.

[jnnthom]

I don't know if it's an isolated incident. Just the people that have been through something like that don't generally talk about it.

There cannot be true success without failure and without struggle. I think I would have simply told that kid he needs to fail before he can succeed. Being disrespectful of others will cause him to fall short with his clients and coworkers.

As an accountant we are supposed to help our clients navigate through financial laws. At the firm I work at, we have many small businesses and many that have been in families for generations. This job isn't just about numbers, but about families. Whether just starting out or a 20 year CPA, egos need to be put aside and we need to focus on reality.

[Author]

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