[Anonymous]

I had a job interview yesterday. This morning, they emailed me and said “your skills were perfect, exactly on par with what we needed…but you said you were going after your CPA license and we need somebody who will be fully committed to the job.” Well DAMN…. Ok, I’m over it already. But is this a common thing? I think it’s common amongst hiring manager who don’t understand the process or that 95 percent of us who are studying also work 40+ hours a week. I think some firms just want “pure staff accountants”, they don’t want anything to do with CPAs. Fine. I did not include “Studying for CPA exam” on my resume but perhaps from now on, I will just avoid the topic. I’ve also talked to hiring managers who said “I usually try to find somebody who is going for their CPA or who has taken all the courses for the CPA qualification and now is just deciding what they want to do.”

[Missy]

What type of job is it? I don't think the concern is you managing to work 40 hours while studying, I think its more “this isn't a position someone with a cpa will hang around for after”. They don't want to hire and train you (lets say it takes 6 months to get someone FULLY trained) then have to start from scratch when you get a better job.

You can always get a feel for their impression of studying for the exam by just saying you've thought about taking the exam. That gives them the chance to either say “nah, don't do it” (you can pretend like its not on your radar currently) or yes when can you get started on that?

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

[ipadminihalf]

If you really want to work there, maybe you can respond to them, telling them you will be fully committed and plan to study in your off time and on weekends (like everyone else who works and takes their exams). Either way, if they don't want you for that reason, maybe it is better not working there in the first place. Also, they could be thinking that you will quit after getting the necessary experience.

REG - 2/19/16 - 77!
BEC - 4/16/16 - 79!!
AUD - 6/04/16 - 84!!!
FAR - 8/31/16

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, you don't want to work there anyways. Find an employer who wants to help you and see you grow. You wouldn't be happy long term in a place that doesn't care about your goals. There are firms out there who want to build up good CPAs. Keep looking and continue to be honest with your goals. You'll be a lot better off in the long run.

[Anonymous]

This was for a financial analyst position. I don't have a BS degree in Finance, just plain-o Accounting (and one in Chemistry too, earned long long ago in my early 20s.) The position sounded quite good, pay was decent, would have been a good job for experience. I don't think they have many/any CPAs around that company though. I went there yesterday for the interview and it looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie LOL… Nobody wore even business casual clothes, everyone I saw was casually dressed – although it coulda been a jeans day. There's always a reason why a “no” decision is made; usually they don't even contact you again to say “we don't want you” but this time they did and they gave me a reason (also rare that they do that.) I think that's true though, the position was not for a CPA-to-be or current CPA. They said it would have been 4-6 weeks training to get fully up to speed. I'm good with Excel and that's mainly what they wanted, although it wasn't just plugging/chugging numbers, it was also trend analysis and stuff. I just found it very curious that they didn't want me because of the CPA candidacy. But if they think I'm going to be studying during working hours, they're quite mistaken, as I don't think anybody does that. This hiring manager was quite obviously not a CPA and she didn't seem like much of an accountant either. I just chalked it up to that. But, I was curious if anyone else had run into this same situation before. I actually used to include a line on my resume about my CPA candidacy but I took it off because I did get some questions about it, along the same lines (“you sound like you're busy studying, do you have time to work a job?”)

[Pete]

Oddly, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I've had a few people question me about the CPA in private industry. While the exam gives the impression that you're smart to most people, especially most of those in private and a lot of HR people in public, it does give those hiring managers a few concerns.

For one thing, many of those hiring managers have not managed to pass the exam themselves, so it potentially might make them fear you. People don't like those, who are smarter than themselves. Even if the exam doesn't determine intelligence, it gives some the impression you're a genius; people aren't fond of hiring someone smarter than themselves. After all, you might one day take their job. Of course, this is more my theory and depends on the hiring manager.

A much more likely scenario than the hiring manager fearing your intelligence revolves around their fear that you will “jump ship,” once you pass the test, going into public accounting. A few hiring managers have actually brought this point up, during my interviews. At that point, you can attack their position with something along the lines of I passed the CPA for “personal satisfaction” (Headhunter advised that statement) or “I passed the exam because I know it is valued in both private and public” (i like this response better). Then, if you're state has a multi-tiered system, where you don't need the work experience, bring that point up. Basically, you want them to think that you only want the letters after your name; you don't actually care about practicing your license within a firm.

You might even try to get them to bring the license issue, so that you can attack it; however, there are positions, where the license can hurt your chances of employment in private, despite your best efforts. Regardless, you should include the license on your resume, since for most positions, it will only benefit you and you have no way of knowing for which positions it will hurt your application.

B=84 This exam was such a b**** that I thought I failed-don't know how these things work
A=76 Slacker I am, I'll happily take it
R=81 I LOVE taxes
F=80 I don't wanna get banned for an expletive I'm thinking with "yea" proceeding it

[DISLCPA]

Could be they didn't want to pay for a CPA. I have lost potential jobs because they thought I was going to want too much money.

BEC(8/12/16)
AUD
FAR
REG

[Anonymous]

@Ratfus good point about hiring somebody more intelligent than themselves (or not doing so.) Intelligent people can definitely be a threat to others who aren't on the same level and “CPA” indicates that a person went the extra few miles and got the license and did more than the average accountant out there. And yes, some people do have the impression that the exam is an IQ test – or if not that, then there is at least a “more than 50% chance” that if the person passed, they're a brain, and may grow tired of the job or demand more pay or jump ship in the not too distant future. As I say, I don't think they wanted a CPA-oriented person, or licensed CPA, for this job. It was probably a blessing in disguise because at this point I do need to get my required experience for the license itself. I have general accounting experience of like 18 months but no audit/tax experience yet and that's what I really need to do next.

[NeedsA75]

Or on the flip side you can experience what I did roughly a year ago. Have a great over the phone interview and be told that your KSA's are a great match for the position but because you weren't a CPA they wouldn't bring me in for an in person interview. This was in private industry and NOT even a management position..

[Anonymous]

The CPA credential seems to be a double-edged sword when it comes to jobs. Yes, CPAs are rarely unemployed. But, a lot of hiring managers do not want a CPA for their open positions for any number of reasons. Perhaps it's all a blessing in disguise though…if you're a CPA, you want a position that the company intends to hire a licensed CPA for, or if not licensed yet then somebody who is actively pursuing the CPA.

[NeedsA75]

honestly it seems to hard to break through into an management role (whether private or public) w/out your CPA license. My current boss doesn't have her CPA license but has over a decade of work experience as controller. So while not impossible, it seems that a CPA license helps break glass ceilings and definitely keep you from being unemployed for extended periods of time..

[tg7174]

I was told by a former boss not to go for my CPA. He said that “you never want to be smarter than you boss”. I don't work there anymore and my current boss loves the idea of my getting my CPA. As others have said, some people are so self conscious that they won't hire people who appear more competent than they are.

[Anonymous]

I say good riddance. I definitely would not be interested in working for a place that doesn't value the CPA. There are too many negative potential implications to that.

[Anonymous]

@tg7174 yes, at my last job, my boss was not at all supportive of my getting a CPA license UNTIL I gave my notice to quit.
And, had the same rotten attitude of “don't ever challenge your boss”/”Don't be smarter than your boss.” I wanted to say, “Fine, I'll leave this company and I'll BE the boss somewhere else. Why? Did you think I was going to work for you for the rest of my career?!!” Eventually, I left.

@CPA4birthdaypresent – yes indeed, good riddance. In light of the situation of them not wanting a CPA candidate, it was clearly not meant to be as far as my working there. I will not be stopping this until I pass, so they can take it or leave it. That's why we have job interviews – we decide if the relationship is to continue or not (or, why we go on a first date…to find out if there will be a second or third date!)

[Anonymous]

That's why we don't tell people we're taking the tests unless CPA licensure or preparing for tests is required/desired for the position.

[Anonymous]

@Amor D – well, “we don't tell people” is perhaps the best way to go after you've *been* hired already. If you're applying for jobs, they can very well be looking for a CPA candidate or CPA and not even put it in the job description.

[Author]

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