[Anonymous]

Curious if you had an arrest on your record say for protesting the Dakota Pipeline, do you think it will affect your chances at obtaining or keeping a job in our profession?

[Track55]

I agree with everything above. Everyone at my company gets the same background check, whether you have a college degree or not. The marketing dept goes through the same process as the cafeteria staff. An arrest is an arrest. Remember, they are hiring you based on whether they like you or not, since there's 1000 applicants with the exact same degree as you.

I actually took off all the stickers off my car my last semester of college. I was tipped off the top place I wanted to work at really does go out and check.

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[Anonymous]

I agree with what you guys are saying for bigger firms, but not necessarily smaller firms. And by smaller firms I mean about 50 people or less. Everything at the larger firms and companies is of course standardized.

[Reverie]

Yes, its a small stain on your record. If you were charged, its even worse. But if you weren't that its not so bad but it'll still be a red flag.

[Missy]

I'm not even sure what the size of a firm has to do with HR practices outside of regulatory requirements.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Well smaller firms generally don't even have HR and have a different culture than the larger firms. Smaller firms are usually “family” firms and have a different relationship with their clients.

[Missy]

Again, you change gears too fast to even converse with(not even sure if you're talking public or industry) so I'll leave it at this without any further comment:

Your misconceptions about how business works (small or large, public or private) likely are the root cause of statements you've made in the past like:

Can they fire you in public accounting for no reason? Or can they hold little things against you and base their decision off of that without warning?

I do not last longer than one year at a firm because management becomes unnecessarily aggressive with me to the point I feel in danger.

Ok ok, there must be confusion on the confidentiality/disclosure of exam content.

Other than the “initiation bullying”, I believe some firms use these techniques for training purposes and to learn more about their employees and how they handle certain situations.

I've tried to provide useful helpful (non judgemental) feedback on ALL of the above but you're adament about fitting a square peg into a round hole so I won't waste any more time responding but can almost predict the same struggles mentioned above will continue since you aren't seeking feedback or advice just a bit of reassurance from your peers that you are on the right track.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[leglock]

Any one know of companies they use and would recommend that can perform national criminal background checks. It's a service we want but have always been relegated to only specific county searches, not a national search.

[Anonymous]

Well thanks anyway mla.

Sorry about your perspective. To me I am having a normal conversation. To you it must be tough to consider that smaller firms and different locations may manage and operate their businesses differently. Any entry level auditor would know this considering they travel to many different clients and experience all the different types of office cultures.

I appreciate your willingness to respond and provide feedback but your responses are standard textbook. The truth of the matter is, organizations can be much more dynamic than that. Most of your experience must have probably been at larger firms where everything is laid out nice and neat for you, standardized, rinsed, washed, and repeat.

Like I said earlier smaller firms tend to have different cultures. I have been trying to respectfully explain this to you, but you prefer to have your blinders on. Which is fine.

[Missy]

Lol on where most of my experience has been. That's your entire problem. I never said for a second that ALL small firms this or ALL large firms that, just that it's a mistake to assume the person who has HR as one of their functions in a 9 person company doesn't check your car for bumper stickers or look at your Facebook when you apply for a job. They very well might, at least I do.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[leglock]

Would anyone read anything positive or negative into a person not having a facebook page?

[Missy]

I'd read it as positive I'd assume they did have one and were smart enough to keep it under very tight wraps.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Track55]

I agree with MLA. I'm done with this post. Go get arrested and do whatever you want …

You missed my points. I lean Republican, so if I saw you on the news getting arrested for protesting the pipeline, then you walked in for an interview, I'd give you a 5-minute interview and walk you out. I got other applicants to talk to that day.

Also here in CA there's tons of people for each position and they use any excuse to weed you out. The other people applying for the position probably have clean records.

I'm out

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[Missy]

Track it would actually be funny if I didn't think brickell was serious that I've said in several different ways don't assume all large companies do something and all small companies do it differently just because of their size and yet I'm the one who isn't entertaining the difference in companies and cultures. I think it's wise to always conduct yourself as if an employer is looking regardless of whether they actually do or not. But then again I'm not the one asking for input.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Track55]

Yeah no kidding MLA. One place I applied to flat out told me they'd be looking at my Facebook. One of my friends deleted hers when she graduated nursing school.

I was tipped off a place I was interviewing at counts stickers on your car, since the more stickers, the less flexible you are. So I took them all off.

Employers look. Any university career center could tell you that!

AUD - 74, 99 !!
REG - 74, 92
BEC - 83
FAR - 73, 86

Studying for Ethics exam

California candidate
Business and Industry

[Missy]

And I've never seen a textbook mention any of the things I've said here, from bumper sticker snooping to reading between the lines on responses to reference questions but yeah it's easier to dismiss my input and label my experience as rinse and repeat. I've worked at huge companies that couldn't care less what you do on your own time and tiny companies that can tell you when you last peed, and vice versa. Not sure why the desperate need to justify that it's not going to haunt someone who participated in a protest, maybe it never will.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Author]

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