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What a beauty! ❤️
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And the rest is history 😅
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I have an initial recruiter phone interview with Square Thursday. Is it it just a phone call or is it a video call and they didn’t specify. If it’s a video call what’s the dress code like? I’m coming from consulting so all my interviews were in suits. Any tips to get past the recruiter phone screen?
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Made it through another day of the Hunger Games!
I am WAY TOO nice to be in public accounting….
Third year associate salary ranges for NY?
Anyone do tax accounting at BDO? How is it?
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Have u considered ceasing to be a bum and just get it already? In 6 months you prolly could have passed 7 sections by now and still had that fun
Correct! I did the exams in one summer by treating it like a full time job - spend 6-8 hours a days working and studying. And I still had fun after hours and did a bit of travelling! A couple of weeks of productive study is good for each section.
The fun’s over. Make studying for the CPA exam and looking for a new job your 9-5 job right now.
Lets cut through the spin and fluff.
Don't make up an untrue story/excuse. The possible new firm knows, or at least assumes, that you didn't make your career a priority and this could work against you. Just be honest. I value honesty more than spin and as much as people think their spin has credibility, it's doesn't.
It really comes down to a combination of how you present in your interview, your past experience, and most important, how desperate the new firm is. In 2022 and 2023, firms were hiring people with all kinds of red flags (including a lack of CPA and employment gaps). Currently, the market has slowed. Although not a desperate frenzy, many firm still need seniors (tax usually a little more than audit). So it may be relatively tougher in this environment, but decent chance to get hired. Given the environment there will be more weight on how you present yourself. Your ability to find a new role may also depend on your criteria and expectation for what kind of firm you seek. There is nearly always a firms of some kind who is eager to hire (just might be below thr threshold of the kind of firm you really desire).
Good luck (and stop screwing around and get your act together....there are plenty of others who are driven and focused who will always be in the front of the line ahead of you if you don't step up....unless you have independent financial stability, time to get going).
Thanks for the honesty. My career is not really my main focus but I do want to seem like I am career driven. I am financially independent but I think after 6 months, life is starting to feel boring/depression is kicking in.
Just be honest and tell them you got laid off. Then, be able to explain why and how you can use your prior experiences to help the next organization you work for.
Yeah hopefully they won't dig into it. 2025 is way worse than post covid to get a job.
I did my cpa in 4.5 months as a new senior during busy season surely you can do it faster without those limitations. There are even scholarships to help with the expenses
Check your state website.
It’s all about how you frame it. You can say you were laid off and decided to take the time to focus on getting your CPA. The gap will be a lot easier to explain away if you can show you kept up your accounting skills during it so it’s less of a red flag to employers
Glad that you got the great severance. It's advisable to really hit job hunting hard. To fill the gap on your resume ( I revamp resumes but I am an accts rcvble person), make sure you list something like: the example below..of course these dates are not accurate and whatnot but this is the general thing to do, this is only to cover your unemployment time. Example...
7-3-24 - Present
Intentional Time off - CPA coursework
Utilizing my time to reaccess my career focus and target leading to my next great career move. Welcoming excellent career invitations which will allow for professional growth. You are guaranteed that I will provide your organization with a high level of skill, reliability peer support and strong knowledge base.
If you have 6 months before you need a job, pass the CPA exam now. That way no one has to know about about the last 6 months and you spent the year off passing the CPA exam.
And how can I explain the gap....
Spend a few bucks on a domain with no website behind it. That is your consulting business you were working on.
I think it depends on a few things.. for the resume gap: you can make things up and say you needed personal time to reflect (being laid off is a risk factor to employers so be careful stating this especially in this market - I personally wouldn’t say that) and get some personal things in order and now are ready to get back into the grind. You can say a lot of things to explain the gap which should all pass - just make sure they don’t cause you to provide proof lol
For the CPA: Are you trying to still obtain that CPA or is that not on the horizon? If it’s not on the horizon, you shouldn’t look to join a firm / practice where you will require it to move up to the manager level given you were already an experienced senior. If you’re still going to go for it, just state it as such and you can say after taking some time to reflect you have been studying for the CPA and plan to pass all parts by x and have a game plan for it.
Personally, I started in audit at big 4, moved to FDD (both of which required a CPA to move to manager) and knew that’s not th route I wanted so then I moved to deal/data analytics where you don’t need a CPA and currently doing that at a big 4. So at the end of the day it’s all about your future and what’s your plan for it, be truthful to yourself and if you don’t want to stay in accounting and know you don’t want your CPA then spend this time to really go after your next career job. Good luck!
I wouldn’t mention the traveling. More hiring managers will see a gap on your resume as a red flag if its obvious that you were just having fun and enjoying life than if it sounds like you had family or personal things to take care of.
Don’t- start a business. You will be laid off again in a year or two due to AI
Please tell me this is satirical trolling. You are not a serious professional. Find another vocation.
Having a career break isn’t bad at all, tell the truth
half year is not enough .. take full year. I had 3 yrs unemployed and took care of my life , others I care, and my place cleaned up. when I came back I thought I 'd be " strange " but guess what the job I had is much easier than the ones I had before and pays the same . however, I can't see sunlight anymore sitting in office 10 hrs daily shit
Is the SIE worth it these days? I’m about to go back to school and finish my first degree in Mass Comm then go to grad school for MBA. Is that a ding dong move? I’m just trying to get in the door somewhere maybe as an AP/PR specialist and I have some experience but not 3 full years so how can I get a job that will pay me enough to afford rent and still have time finish my degrees?