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Efiled a moderately complex individual return on 10/15 (the Fed-only client copy is ~1200 pages) and got the refund check today, proving that nobody, not even revenue agents, wants to comb through 700 pages of statements and attachments
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Nov 9, 2021 19:54
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Anyone have experience with grant accounting? I'm doing local government fund accounting right now in theory, but in practice as an assistant accountant I'm mostly doing data entry so I'm rusty as gently caress. There's a job opening at a small tribal college, and the majority of the job description seems focused on grant accounting, which I know gently caress-all about.
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Nov 18, 2021 15:37
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Hi goons. I was in college for accounting from like 2017 to summer 2020 and took a break. Going back next semester and only have a few classes left but I'm at a loss as to where to start looking for jobs or a internship. I'm non traditional (i.e 32 years old) so I guess that puts me out of getting a actual good internship. So I dunno what to do. I do also feel like I know nothing but I did really enjoy my two tax classes. I like following a structure I guess. Ironically Coviks situation sounds like a dream .I love being thrown into the deep end and figuring it out and would welcome that challenge. Although I have 0 experience instead of 3 years lol. I'm in New Hampshire for the record. Thanks
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Nov 24, 2021 20:16
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I got an internship at 30.
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Nov 24, 2021 20:25
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aperfectcirclefan posted:Hi goons. I was in college for accounting from like 2017 to summer 2020 and took a break. Going back next semester and only have a few classes left but I'm at a loss as to where to start looking for jobs or a internship. I'm non traditional (i.e 32 years old) so I guess that puts me out of getting a actual good internship. So I dunno what to do. I do also feel like I know nothing but I did really enjoy my two tax classes. I like following a structure I guess. Reach out to your school, like, immediately. Get their recruiting event calendar now. Accounting firms start recruiting about a year in advance so people interviewing this fall will usually start next summer. If you're going to graduate next semester then you'll probably only be considered for internships at the major firms if you plan to transition into a masters on a CPA route. Good luck and I hope you didn't just miss the events for this year. e: I was also a non-standard returning student and it didn't hold me back in any way
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Nov 24, 2021 20:29
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I'll do that thank you. It's a new school (I was doing online but transferred to in person at a different school for this last semester as I'm sure it looks better).
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Nov 24, 2021 21:21
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We have an assistant bookkeeper who just gave me their resignation this week to go intern at KPMG and they're 29. Don't assume your age precludes you from anything, just get the credits/degree done and be super super proactive with applying to jobs/internships.
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Nov 25, 2021 03:18
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If anything the Big 4 are desperate right now, turns out a period where workers feel empowered to get new jobs with better conditions is not what the Big 4 was hoping for.
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Nov 25, 2021 09:12
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Well that's good news then! I sent a email out to my colleges career services so we'll see what happens from there 
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Nov 25, 2021 12:28
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Hey thread, can y'all recommend a free solution for opening/parsing XBRL files? e: specifically for opening financial reports, it would be a plus if it recognized them and did some formatting instead of just dumping a bunch of raw data onto the screen. Fruits of the sea fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Nov 27, 2021 |
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Nov 27, 2021 12:02
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How much would you expect a non-CPA tax preparer on Long Island, NY to make after after 4 years?
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Nov 29, 2021 21:53
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IDK, like 85k-95k? You would make a lot more with a credential (EA is fine) and working in Midtown if you want to stay in public.
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Nov 30, 2021 02:46
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How are you accounting for PPP Forgiveness on the balance sheet?
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Dec 1, 2021 17:36
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Forgiveness is non-taxable other income.
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Dec 1, 2021 18:06
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lol i passed my last exam i dont think ill ever have motivation to do anything ever again
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Dec 20, 2021 11:47
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black.lion posted:lol i passed my last exam i dont think ill ever have motivation to do anything ever again Congrats! Massive achievement. I've just got REG left next month, and I'm hoping to breeze it since I work in tax currently.
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Dec 20, 2021 18:10
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black.lion posted:lol i passed my last exam i dont think ill ever have motivation to do anything ever again Hell yeah bud get ready to coast on that glorious achievement for the rest of your career
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Dec 20, 2021 18:25
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Ungratek posted:Congrats! Massive achievement. Thanks m8, and hell yes you got this! I also work in tax and REG was def less work than the others - sending you all my passing majiks and vibes!!! GET EM! Good Citizen posted:Hell yeah bud get ready to coast on that glorious achievement for the rest of your career Haha I'm ready, except now I have to pass an arguably more difficult test - social anxiety woooooo - my state wants me to get 3x CPAs' signatures saying I'm probably ethical; difficulty being I only know 1x CPA irl, my boss, so I have to somehow go out into the world and meet 2x other CPAs who will sign my thingie. Bonus is they have to check a box saying they're aware that I got a misdemeanor for smoking weed in college lmaooooo Honestly have no idea how I'm going to pull that off, I guess go volunteer for stuff after tax season and try to meet CPAs that way? Idk I'm trying to enjoy the feeling of victory as long as possible before I start letting this new, different, exciting flavor of anxiety start building Anyway thanks much friends, it was a loving journey and i'm glad i never have to do it again
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Dec 20, 2021 19:52
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Me, now, anytime the auditor has a question
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Jan 26, 2022 01:37
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Hurt Whitey Maybe posted:If anything the Big 4 are desperate right now, turns out a period where workers feel empowered to get new jobs with better conditions is not what the Big 4 was hoping for. Does anyone have recent experience negotiating a pay raise at a big 4 outside of annual evaluations? I am wondering the odds of me successfully negotiating a significant raise rather than having to jump firms to get it. I'm a manager in tax with specific niche industry knowledge that my current firm specifically head hunted me for so I know I am not easily replaceable. I have two other big 4's reaching out to me now, and they are still progressing on interviews after I said my salary expectations are a $25k raise over my current salary. I don't want to have to leave, but I am seeing lots of turnover so I wondering if that means they won't budge on salary to keep people.
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Jan 29, 2022 16:22
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Check the negotiation thread. Since they’re still progressing in interviews, you may have anchored low with a $25k increase.
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Jan 29, 2022 17:08
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I am considering leaving my job after this busy season. I didn't care before but something came to my attention that really spooked me. My base salary is only 60,000 on Long Island. I was getting sizeable bonuses every year to get me much higher in final payout. Essentially, my base was low but every year my boss was paying out a large % based on our performance and it gave me a big push. It varied but I felt I wasn't doing too bad. That plus a decent benefits package made me fine, especially since we were still getting raises here and there. Last year, I pushed hard and got that % raised so I didn't consider quitting. Today, I found out from my boss the new owners have set new criterion effective immediately. Unless we grow 10% every year, we will no longer get a bonus. I do not find this an attainable goal. That likely shoots my pay back down to just 60k. I worked 1 year at KPMG. I was fired. I worked 6 months contract. I have been at my current job for 3 years and 9 months. It will be 4 years in May, when I plan to look for new work. I have no license because my old employer did not care. I believe I will get one since this happened. I live on Long Island. What are my chances? My experiences mainly are: Payroll Tax Sales Tax Bookkeeping Individual Tax Business Tax (1065 and 1120/S) Bookkeeping IRS Letter Resolution Entity Structure Advisement Covok fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jan 31, 2022 |
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Jan 31, 2022 16:41
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Covok posted:Today, I found out from my boss the new owners have set new criterion effective immediately. Unless we grow 10% every year, we will no longer get a bonus. I do not find this an attainable goal. That likely shoots my pay back down to just 60k. Today, your boss will find out that unless your base rate matches market, there will be a job opening. Credentials help the job search but are not controlling. Eventually you will want your EA or a CPA but that is long term. Moving forward, remember that the value of a bonus in your comp equals $0. No ifs, ands, or buts.
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Jan 31, 2022 17:49
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Missing Donut posted:Today, your boss will find out that unless your base rate matches market, there will be a job opening. What is market? That is the biggest problem.I always get. For a tax preparer, I make fine for the area. For an accountant, I do not. No one has ever adequately explained this problem to me.
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Jan 31, 2022 17:53
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Covok posted:What is market? That is the biggest problem.I always get. For a tax preparer, I make fine for the area. For an accountant, I do not. No one has ever adequately explained this problem to me. I don't know the nitty-gritty specifics of the Long Island market, but I would wager a bet that it's a lot higher than a lot of other places. I'm in Wisconsin and would consider $60k to be insulting pay given what you do. Tax usually pays more than accounting. Honestly, your boss should be grateful that you haven't burnt down their office given that they communicated your pay cut on 1/31.
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Jan 31, 2022 23:48
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Missing Donut posted:I don't know the nitty-gritty specifics of the Long Island market, but I would wager a bet that it's a lot higher than a lot of other places. I'm in Wisconsin and would consider $60k to be insulting pay given what you do. Tax usually pays more than accounting. Sometimes, I feel like I'm in topsy turvy world, to be honest. I ask my friends and family and they tell me not to do anything now because I still get my bonus if I hit these metrics. I express my concerns to my boss thrice and she says that getting the office top line revenue up by 10% is really obtainable and she is gonna help me by raising her fees too and says I am worrying more than I should. They say I should wait and see how things go and not rush anything but this really has me upset. It's all very frustrating. Edit: It doesn't help that when I google online and look around, I am fairly compensated for a tax preparer but not for an accountant and I seriously do not know the difference. And I never know, you know? Back at KPMG they had me work a lot harder. At KPMG, I'd work 7 days a week and put in 80 hours. Now, I work 40 hours every week. Sometimes less. During busy season, I work more but not consistently. Last year was rough, but most years I'm only doing 45-54 during busy season. And they give me 31 days off a year. So, is this a light workload? Covok fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Feb 1, 2022 |
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Feb 1, 2022 01:02
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Hey Covok maybe don’t quit your current job until you secure a new one and are really sure it’s a good fit for you. Your posts about your various jobs in this thread have raised a few questions about your soft skills and I’d hate to see you unemployed or posting daily about how you’re sure you’re about to get fired again Good news is recruiters/companies are thirsty as hell right now. Bad news is they’re just trying to get their commission and will dazzle you with big numbers and then jam you into positions you’re not well suited for. So, uh, be careful out there
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Feb 1, 2022 01:10
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Good Citizen posted:Hey Covok maybe don’t quit your current job until you secure a new one and are really sure it’s a good fit for you. Your posts about your various jobs in this thread have raised a few questions about your soft skills and I’d hate to see you unemployed or posting daily about how you’re sure you’re about to get fired again I wasn't planning to start looking until May.
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Feb 1, 2022 01:15
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That’s cool. Assume looking for a good position is gonna take like 2-3 months and be ready to take time off for interviews. Remember that if you don’t want to use your current supervisor as a reference (since you probably don’t want them to know you’re planning to leave), you’re going to need some way to plan for professional references which is always tough if you’re leaving a small firm. Good luck on the market and keep us updated.
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Feb 1, 2022 01:23
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To be honest, I had been silently seething on the thought my base pay was too low for a while and planned to bring it up this year that I wanted more of my bonus as base pay. Then this happened. It really set me off.
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Feb 1, 2022 01:46
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Covok posted:To be honest, I had been silently seething on the thought my base pay was too low for a while and planned to bring it up this year that I wanted more of my bonus as base pay. Then this happened. It really set me off. Totally understandable and your base pay does seem quite low. Just plan well and make calculated moves so you don't end up in a worse position because you got pissed off. A $10-20k boost probably isn't worth being on a lovely team, working long super long hours again, and/or losing job security
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Feb 1, 2022 01:59
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Covok posted:Sometimes, I feel like I'm in topsy turvy world, to be honest. I ask my friends and family and they tell me not to do anything now because I still get my bonus if I hit these metrics. I express my concerns to my boss thrice and she says that getting the office top line revenue up by 10% is really obtainable and she is gonna help me by raising her fees too and says I am worrying more than I should. They say I should wait and see how things go and not rush anything but this really has me upset. A 10% growth rate this year is attainable even without large price hikes. A lot of firms are culling the herd and raising prices 20, 30, 40% so there are a lot of potential new clients out there. So it's very possible you'll still get your bonus, and you'll be financially okay this year, but it's still a completely lovely thing to do at a time when your employer knows you "can't" quit. Over the years, I've gotten the feeling that your firm is not a traditional firm owned by CPAs/EAs -- is that right? quote:It doesn't help that when I google online and look around, I am fairly compensated for a tax preparer but not for an accountant and I seriously do not know the difference. Are you are searching for "tax preparer" on salary comps or are you looking for a "tax senior"? I can't see a job title as generic as accountant being better paid than a specialized arena, all else equal. quote:And I never know, you know? Back at KPMG they had me work a lot harder. At KPMG, I'd work 7 days a week and put in 80 hours. Now, I work 40 hours every week. Sometimes less. During busy season, I work more but not consistently. Last year was rough, but most years I'm only doing 45-54 during busy season. And they give me 31 days off a year. So, is this a light workload? That helps offset the lower pay; I'll give it that. That helps a lot.
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Feb 1, 2022 04:14
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Missing Donut posted:A 10% growth rate this year is attainable even without large price hikes. A lot of firms are culling the herd and raising prices 20, 30, 40% so there are a lot of potential new clients out there. So it's very possible you'll still get your bonus, and you'll be financially okay this year, but it's still a completely lovely thing to do at a time when your employer knows you "can't" quit. It originally was one. My boss is an EA. She was one of the founders. One of the other founders died. The other left. They were all EAs. But the firm was sold to a major financial company. They were actually nice and worked with us well. They were recently acquired and the new owners are ticking everyone off. quote:Are you are searching for "tax preparer" on salary comps or are you looking for a "tax senior"? I can't see a job title as generic as accountant being better paid than a specialized arena, all else equal. I didn't know tax senior was a title. quote:That helps offset the lower pay; I'll give it that. That helps a lot. Yeah, I honestly didn't care until last year. Without my junior, last year was so rough. 7 meetings a day. Working to 8pm or 9pm many weekdays. Sometimes even 10pm. Staying past 5pm on Saturday. It was awful. I still managed to never work Sunday. I couldn't mentally stand it if I did. In 2019 and 2020 this didn't happen, it was usually just 6pm or 7pm most nights. 5pm Saturday. Maybe later in mid-March but not intense. Thankfully, my boss told me right after tax season that I could just come as go as I like from now on to make up the extra time and didn't have to report it. I came in 20-30 minutes late basically the rest of the year and got 31 days off from my holiday, sick, and vacation. Still, a lot of the point of the lower pay was a lighter workload. Last year that didn't happen so I really felt lovely. Hopefully the CPA with 6 years experience we hired makes things easier for us this year. Edit: we also only have one busy season. If tax season gets extended, we don't do extended hours either. Covok fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Feb 1, 2022 |
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Feb 1, 2022 04:26
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Covok posted:It originally was one. My boss is an EA. She was one of the founders. One of the other founders died. The other left. They were all EAs. But the firm was sold to a major financial company. They were actually nice and worked with us well. They were recently acquired and the new owners are ticking everyone off. Ok, that really explains how this all went down. quote:I didn't know tax senior was a title. "Senior" is a standard title for a professional with around 3-6 years' experience, before they get called a "Manager."
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Feb 1, 2022 04:32
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Missing Donut posted:Ok, that really explains how this all went down. Yeah, it does. I expressed concern when we were acquired. If nothing else, this is the second name change in two years. Major headache. Our previous owners let us wait three years to use their name so we were able to change gradually. The guys who acquired them required it immediately. My boss had a panic attack when all the other executives got removed for redundancy. She lost a lot of people she leaned on for support and who would rubber stamp a lot of stuff for her. She got so intimidated she made a new firm nearby where she lived to prove herself to them. She's actually doing well witg the new office and already has 40 new high net worth clients and it's only the first week of February but I can tell managing two offices is killing her. She is like 70+ and I am convinced she will die at work since she can't even allow herself to just stop. Covok fucked around with this message at 04:39 on Feb 1, 2022 |
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Feb 1, 2022 04:35
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Out of curiosity, how many less hours does it sound I work compared to other people here? Part of the decision making process. To be honest, my boyfriend said if I do look for a new job, maybe consider one without a busy season.
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Feb 1, 2022 04:44
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Covok posted:Out of curiosity, how many less hours does it sound I work compared to other people here? Part of the decision making process. To be honest, my boyfriend said if I do look for a new job, maybe consider one without a busy season. I’m in financial reporting and research at a public company and if I’m working a full 40 without a reasonable amount of gently caress around time and it isn’t quarter close week youre gonna find me in a very bad mood
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Feb 1, 2022 04:50
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Good Citizen posted:I’m in financial reporting and research at a public company and if I’m working a full 40 without a reasonable amount of gently caress around time and it isn’t quarter close week youre gonna find me in a very bad mood Do you work more than 40? Or is it a consistency thing. Like you're always working. We don't get a lot of gently caress around time in busy season. A few days I work through lunch to keep pace. And it can be really stressful. But off season we get a lot of time to gently caress around, especially since the boss manages two offices and is never around to keep an eye on us. Hell, today I was so depressed and I already did all the returns that dropped off (my first appointment is Wednesday) that I spent most of today on my phone and then finished the last of my payroll in the last two hours. But that's not normal though. And during sales tax and payroll tax months I am busy. I never have to stay late but it is like consistent work until that month's deadline. Edit: I do payroll and sales tax so the only dead months are May, August, and November. Or the week after the 20th for a sales tax month. Those days I usually just come in, warm a seat, and leave. But busy season is pretty bad though so I don't know Covok fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Feb 1, 2022 |
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Feb 1, 2022 04:54
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Covok posted:Do you work more than 40? Or is it a consistency thing. We don't get a lot of gently caress around time in busy season. A few days I work through lunch to keep pace. But off season we get a lot of time to gently caress around, especially since the boss manages two offices and is never around. Hell, today I was so depressed and I already did all the returns that dropped off (my first appointment is Wednesday) that I spent most of today on my phone and then finished the last of my payroll in the last two hours. I work from home and do a 40 about 4 weeks out of the year, once for each quarter close. Most weeks I can get all my poo poo done in 15-25 hours of real work, but I'm very efficient and have automated large portions of my job. The hours I do focused work require pretty specialized technical knowledge and experience, along with a lot of soft skills interacting with our team and the auditors, though. I've had scouts from other higher profile companies reach out to me dangling a decent amount more money but I love my work life balance and flexibility and my team is super chill so ehhhhhh, I'm happy where I'm at.
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Feb 1, 2022 05:13
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| # ? May 11, 2024 05:47 |
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Good Citizen posted:I work from home and do a 40 about 4 weeks out of the year, once for each quarter close. Most weeks I can get all my poo poo done in 15-25 hours of real work, but I'm very efficient and have automated large portions of my job. The hours I do focused work require pretty specialized technical knowledge and experience, along with a lot of soft skills interacting with our team and the auditors, though. I'm jealous as hell, especially since you make more than me.
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Feb 1, 2022 06:04
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