[john12]

I’m assuming there are people out there that have tried, has anyone been successful?

Per my research you may receive unemployment if you have “good cause” to leave your job, amongst some other things.

For those of you who have tried this what have you said/ not said?

Any input is appreciated, thanks for your help!

a-pass
b-pass
r-pass
f-pass

[Guti]

john12, if they are giving you extra work, you should start complaining out loud. Managers do not like a trouble maker, and they might let you go with unemployment for 6 months. I think the maximum you can get is like 300.00 per week. Other taxpayers are not paying for your unemployment anyway, this is an insurance you and your employer are paying. It comes out of payroll's taxes.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[Guti]

john12, if they are giving you extra work, you should start complaining out loud. Managers do not like a trouble maker, and they might let you go with unemployment for 6 months. I think the maximum you can get is like 300.00 per week. Other taxpayers are not paying for your unemployment anyway, this is an insurance you and your employer are paying. It comes out of payroll's taxes.

FAR-84
AUD-
REG-
BEC-

[mla1169]

Just remember your employer can (and likely in this case would) contest your unemployment benefits. Their insurance rate is determined in part by the number of claims that reference them. You can get tied up for months in the red tape. Also it can take up to 8 weeks in some cases to see your first check (which will have the first week withheld).

Then when you're ready to go back to work, there's no guarantee you'll have something before your benefits expire. As mentioned above you're going to have to explain a gap in employment.

I'd really advise you to figure out a way to balance the job and exam if you have no other means of support. You're opening a bigger and much more stressful can of worms.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Just remember your employer can (and likely in this case would) contest your unemployment benefits. Their insurance rate is determined in part by the number of claims that reference them. You can get tied up for months in the red tape. Also it can take up to 8 weeks in some cases to see your first check (which will have the first week withheld).

Then when you're ready to go back to work, there's no guarantee you'll have something before your benefits expire. As mentioned above you're going to have to explain a gap in employment.

I'd really advise you to figure out a way to balance the job and exam if you have no other means of support. You're opening a bigger and much more stressful can of worms.

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[beeboywhoo]

Dont listen to some of these people in the thread…

Do what you think is best for yourself, and what can help you pass the exam. For me, i'm younger (>23), single, and was living at home while working at a regional firm 5 mins away from my parents house. I knew I wasnt going to stay there forever, so I did what worked for me

last nov, i had a meeting with management and told them i wanted to fully commit on studying for the exam (we are a small regional cpa firm >10 employees). we were losing clients and business was slow anyways, so they were a little joyous to cut some costs. anyways as a favor they “laid” me off so i could reap benefits.

since then ive been collecting benefits and studying for the exam…

as for the whole gap in resume argument, dont pay it any mind, ive had 3 interviews since(one ive just accepted an offer for a part time short term tax position during busy season at a top 10 CPA firm in socal). When they ask, about why I left or what I've done since ive just told them the truth.

[beeboywhoo]

Dont listen to some of these people in the thread…

Do what you think is best for yourself, and what can help you pass the exam. For me, i'm younger (>23), single, and was living at home while working at a regional firm 5 mins away from my parents house. I knew I wasnt going to stay there forever, so I did what worked for me

last nov, i had a meeting with management and told them i wanted to fully commit on studying for the exam (we are a small regional cpa firm >10 employees). we were losing clients and business was slow anyways, so they were a little joyous to cut some costs. anyways as a favor they “laid” me off so i could reap benefits.

since then ive been collecting benefits and studying for the exam…

as for the whole gap in resume argument, dont pay it any mind, ive had 3 interviews since(one ive just accepted an offer for a part time short term tax position during busy season at a top 10 CPA firm in socal). When they ask, about why I left or what I've done since ive just told them the truth.

[lleon]

@OP

I'd urge you to try and just work and study. Aside from the various points made about how it violates the spirit of why there's unemployment benefits, I think you'd find it much more fulfilling if you do both.

like many others, I worked/school/family while I passed the exam and it made it the feeling that much better. If you truly NEED it and its legal, then hey who are we to judge. But just for the sake of your own accomplishment and pride I say give it a try. The best testimonials from ppl on this board come from those that were up to their neck with stuff to do and still persevered. Good luck.

Licensed in Arizona

[lleon]

@OP

I'd urge you to try and just work and study. Aside from the various points made about how it violates the spirit of why there's unemployment benefits, I think you'd find it much more fulfilling if you do both.

like many others, I worked/school/family while I passed the exam and it made it the feeling that much better. If you truly NEED it and its legal, then hey who are we to judge. But just for the sake of your own accomplishment and pride I say give it a try. The best testimonials from ppl on this board come from those that were up to their neck with stuff to do and still persevered. Good luck.

Licensed in Arizona

[kahtwoloo]

I actually did this, I wish I hadn't though. My last job was a seasonal city job that lays everyone off at certain time of the year. You're allowed to claim unemployment in that case. I didn't go back to job because I had my 150 credits by then so my plan was to stay on unemployment and hopefully knock the exam out in six months and gst a job. Well it turned out I needed six months just to get to a point where I could study efficiently. I don't recommend it. I would have gotten two parts out of the way and maybe take time off and nag the last two then find your ‘real' job.

BEC-51,71,70,77
AUD-50,62,68 (retake july)
REG-55
FAR-15(didnt study)

[kahtwoloo]

I actually did this, I wish I hadn't though. My last job was a seasonal city job that lays everyone off at certain time of the year. You're allowed to claim unemployment in that case. I didn't go back to job because I had my 150 credits by then so my plan was to stay on unemployment and hopefully knock the exam out in six months and gst a job. Well it turned out I needed six months just to get to a point where I could study efficiently. I don't recommend it. I would have gotten two parts out of the way and maybe take time off and nag the last two then find your ‘real' job.

BEC-51,71,70,77
AUD-50,62,68 (retake july)
REG-55
FAR-15(didnt study)

[samdiegoCPA]

How do people not understand that unemployment is for people who got LAID OFF or can't GET a job for any type of reason (IE: I went to 20 interviews last year to get a job and I had 3 yrs accounting experience AND two degrees, so not lack of skills, just in a weird spot because I was doing CPA route so can't be hired at a place with no need for future CPA, etc) and NOT for people who QUIT their job just to take professional exams. Should I get to collect unemployment for quitting my job to search for a new apartment, move in, and decorate because it's so stressful? Should I get unemployment for quitting my job to travel for a month because my boss wouldn't let me take off that much work and I needed to relax? I don't mean to sound rude, but it's just ridiculous that anyone would back this up!

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[samdiegoCPA]

How do people not understand that unemployment is for people who got LAID OFF or can't GET a job for any type of reason (IE: I went to 20 interviews last year to get a job and I had 3 yrs accounting experience AND two degrees, so not lack of skills, just in a weird spot because I was doing CPA route so can't be hired at a place with no need for future CPA, etc) and NOT for people who QUIT their job just to take professional exams. Should I get to collect unemployment for quitting my job to search for a new apartment, move in, and decorate because it's so stressful? Should I get unemployment for quitting my job to travel for a month because my boss wouldn't let me take off that much work and I needed to relax? I don't mean to sound rude, but it's just ridiculous that anyone would back this up!

AUD: 84
REG: 84
BEC: 79
FAR: 83

[fiona87]

I'm just throwing my hat in the “unemployment benefits are there for people who are laid off or legitimately unemployed” ring. I think it would be cheating the system to quit and claim unemployment while you study, and I think your employer would certainly fight your claim (and probably win).

FAR - 79 (11/27/13)
AUD - 76 (2/1/14)
REG - 77 (5/30/14)
BEC - 88 (7/18/14)

MN Ethics - 100% (3/9/14)

AND DONE! 8/1/14

[fiona87]

I'm just throwing my hat in the “unemployment benefits are there for people who are laid off or legitimately unemployed” ring. I think it would be cheating the system to quit and claim unemployment while you study, and I think your employer would certainly fight your claim (and probably win).

FAR - 79 (11/27/13)
AUD - 76 (2/1/14)
REG - 77 (5/30/14)
BEC - 88 (7/18/14)

MN Ethics - 100% (3/9/14)

AND DONE! 8/1/14

[fsugirl2005]

Back in 2010, it would have been great to study with no job. You know what? That's exactly what kind of happened. One week before I took FAR, I was laid off from my job. I did get one month's severance which was nice of them. Unfortunately, by the time I finished FAR, I was stressed to the max. I tried to study for REG and took the exam even though I wasn't ready and of course failed. Burned out! Three and a half years later I'm back to studying. This time I have a full time job, a bookkeeping business, and an 18 month-old who is high energy. I'm psyched and ready to go this time around and I will finish.

I think you should study and work and the same time. If you thrive on challenges, then this would work for you. If not, then maybe you need to do what you want to do. That's if you are living off your own money. Frankly, I think studying with no job will leave too much time to doddle. I think it will be hard to study 8-10 hours per day and then you'll spend the rest of the time sleeping and vegetating in front of the TV watching talk shows and eating tubs of ice cream. At the end, your brain will be soft and you'll be 10 pounds heavier with no CPA license to call your own.

Keep your day job and study. It's not as hard as you think.

AUD - 10/21/16 (75----07/2010 expired)
FAR - 10/28/16
BEC - 11/2016
REG - 01/2017

Using Gleim CPA Review, Ninja Audio, Ninja Book

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