[WantCPA30]

I’m feeling defeated and unmotivated. It’s becoming very difficult to focus on studying when I was laid off from a small accounting firm where I thought I was going to get more exposure in different areas in accounting but that was not the case and was let go with no explanation after busy season. Prior to working in the small accounting firm I was working in one of the big 4 accounting firms in which I’m thinking of going back but one of the big reasons I left was because I did not have CPA and was doing all the manager work without the title or pay.

Now I’m trying to focus on studying but looking for another job is a full time job in itself and I feel defeated when I talk to recruiters and they say I don’t have many options without CPA.

Ughhh didn’t think I would be in such a position so late in my career all because I didn’t get my CPA early on in my career.

[10keyLeah]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time right now. Have you tried other methods of finding a job besides using recruiters?

Ninja Combo, Yaeger, Wiley -- Licensed CPA, May 2015

[EuroAddict]

Sorry to hear. I have recently beed laid off twice and I am early into my career, but older. I am 34 and didn't go back to school till I was 30 to finish my undergrad and grad.

The first time I was like “Oh f*ck. What am I going to do?”. So I started studying and unfortunately failed FAR by 2 pts. Two months after my lay off I got another job. By that time I was already into BEC. I took that test in Feb. and passed. Woohoo!. I started restudying FAR and BAM, got laid off after tax season.

I took that as a sign to just study. I passed FAR in May and now I'm onto reg. My wife and I also decided to take this opportunity to move from NY to TX.

Basically; roll with the punches as best you can. If you can afford to not work and study FT, do it! If not, you will find a job. It might not be what you want (pay wise or work wise) but you will be fine. It sounds like you know a lot and have a lot of experience, just not the CPA title. Don't let your head get the best of you. Easier said than done I know.

-----------------------------
BEC - 77, 03/2015 (first try)
FAR - 79, 05/2015 (second try)
REG - 83, 12/2015 (first try)
AUD - 84, 03/2015 (first try)

I got 99 problems but the CPA ain't one.

[win2bet]

Don't be so hard on yourself & just keep moving forward everyday. Keep studying hard & let as many people now as possible your goals & what you are doing. I myself was laid off from my job in April & was very very upset, cried on the ride home on the bus at 1pm. & just recently got an interview from the big4, even if i don't get the job I will keep pushing & networking

Here is a quote from jim carey at a graduation i really love

“and as far as I can tell, it’s just about letting the universe know what you want and working toward it while letting go of how it might come to pass. (applause)

Your job is not to figure out how it’s going to happen for you, but to open the door in your head and when the doors open in real life, just walk through it. Don’t worry if you miss your cue. There will always be another door opening. They keep opening.”

Good luck man, all will be well just don't give up.

REG 68,87
BEC 85
FAR 75
AUD 64,64, 86!

[payaza2000]

Hey man sorry to hear about you losing the job. The best recommendation I can make is to use it as motivation to start studying and passing the exam.

FAR 5/6/2015- 84
REG 8/3/2015 - 87
AUD 10/25/2015- 69 1/20/2016 -75
BEC 2/26/2016- 80

Thank you God

[WantCPA30]

@10key – Yes, I'm currently using other methods..applying myself and networking with all my friends.

@EuroAddict @win2betmore @payaza2000 – Thank you very much for the encouraging advice. I can do this trying to stay on track and study while I also apply to jobs but I'm trying to focus more on studying now than looking for a job since I was thinking that maybe using July/Aug to take exams will help me.

[Missy]

Lets take a very careful inventory. You've managed (without a CPA) to get hired at both a big 4 (which you chose to leave) and a smaller accounting firm (that laid you off AFTER busy season, sounds like a legit lay off of the newer person when the work cuts back). So you know you are hireable as is.

You left big 4, where you were apparently well regarded and given more responsibility because without a CPA you were paid less. You feel there is a great chance they would take you back and you're on your way to being licensed which would bridge that wage gap.

Explain to me why you feel defeated? Even if returning to the Big 4 is only your plan B if nothing else comes along, its phenomenal that you HAVE a plan B.

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

[Anonymous]

Nothing will feel better than letting your old firm find out they let go a future CPA! I was laid off from a really crappy CPA firm. They were two firms that merged, then split back, and the work was not evenly distributed after that and the firm I stayed with ended up with almost all the employees and hardly any clients. Even though they insisted a million times there would be no layoffs, I was laid off 2 days after the last team meeting where they insisted it would not happen. I had to call them last week to get their firm registration # for my certificate of experience and that felt awesome…. Especially because my old boss, who is not a CPA, picked up.

Also, I'm sticking around on this board because everyone has helped me so much that I'd like to pay it back, but looking at some of these questions that get posted, I feel overwhelmed and think ‘I could never do that', but then I remember that I did, and I passed all four. Even after completing the tests, they feel impossible! Hang in there!

To my experience, recruiters are either 100% AWESOME or 100% USELESS, with very little in between. I've had good luck with Robert Half but I also had RH offices ignore me. Don't listen to the recruiters that say it looks bad if you use multiple recruiters; they just don't want the competition. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

PS, this is from a Robert Half recruiter in 2009. It may have changed since then, but if the numbers still tie to job postings, I bet it's still accurate. The recruiter completely denied telling me this when I brought it up, but he forgot he put it in writing in an email. They don't like this stuff getting out. This is copied and pasted from a RH email I got:

Robert Half has certain postings out there as a recruiting tool that do not tie to a specific job. The way you can tell is if the first digit after the dash is a “9”. If the first digit after the dash is any other number (usually a “1”) then the posting is an actual position we are recruiting for. It is best if you email or call me with the reference code for any jobs you see that are of interest.

00620-9509773 – not tied to an actual posting

00610-1155061 – this is an actual posting

[Author]

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