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So, I'm a new hire at my firm. I won't mention the firm for obvious reasons as there is a lot I say here that a company would not want to be associated with. I keep loving up. Like, I really keep loving up. This isn't r/TIFU so I won't go crazy, but I keep loving up reports and the Senior's fix them. Like, a lot. hosed this up, hosed that up, and I really feel it's getting out of hand. Like, I just don't check enough and that is something I'm working on so I can stop loving up, but I really am starting to wonder if I'm just incompetent at my work. Like, seriously, so many careless mistakes being done constantly leading me to have to keep redoing reports and stuff of that nature. I can't imagine that those who work above me and with me aren't getting annoyed at this point. I keep saying "I won't let it happen again" and I keep taking notes and doing checks, but A LOT keeps getting through. My question is, how long do I have to finally stop loving up before this really starts loving me? Like, I realize that today would be the best day to stop and, trust me, I'm trying, but I'm just curious how long I got to stop being a loving moron, because shockingly five years of college apparently wasn't enough time to get that out of my system, before it bites me back hard?
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Feb 22, 2017 17:15
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Good Citizen posted:P sure you're my new staff. Please stop loving up my work papers thanks I know you're being facetious, but I did go "it's a non-zero chance people reading my freakout actually work with me" a little while ago. I've come down since this morning, when I was informed of another gently caress up of mine, and have been able to do a better job at work today. I hope it lasts and I continue not loving up.
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Feb 23, 2017 06:05
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Hurt Whitey Maybe posted:I got an associate who can't put PDF pages in the right order and he's been here since July, busy season will forge you into a better accountant. Tax. I haven't been here as long as that. This is my first busy season and, before it, I literally had no work, despite trying to keep up and get work sent to me. Kitchner posted:As long as you're improving thats the main thing. I personally have almost unlimited patience for someone who is legitimately trying to learn and taking in what I say. I'd happily sit next to them and teach them everything I know if I had the time. I usually don't except yesterday though that was a special circumstance. Basically, I broke something entirely and had to redo it quick. Long story short: misunderstood what someone wanted me to do on a propriety software to fix an issue with spacing and broke the entire thing and needed to start over. Not going to lie about how bad that sounds: thought he was telling me to do one thing when he actually wanted me to do the other so I kind of broke it. Since I copied a lot over from the essentially corrupted file, I thought it was good and assumed things checked like it did before...and didn't notice I missed two lines and one formula got pushed up thus breaking the whole thing. My senior's very chill, but I could tell there was some annoyance on bringing him something worse than the one I sent earlier and he sent me to fix. I should have done one final check and not just assumed the check before the corruption was fine because I copied everything over perfectly. Though, I swear I remember it working out before I sent it to print so I'm perplexed how it looked nothing like I remembered in the morning.
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Feb 23, 2017 15:52
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In the Big 4 and, frankly, if you're a no-life goon like me, you don't notice much of a difference. Sure, I'm working like 9 to 11pm right now and its only going to get worse, but, gently caress it, how is that different from my day-to-day? I'm still just behind my computer listening to youtube videos in the background while finking with stupid nerdy poo poo like math and crap. Not much different from my normal routine. And, when it's not tax season, you go in at 9, do nothing all day, and go home to collect a paycheck. Yeah, I know that changes after associate level, but still. Honestly, this job is a lot better than my old ones: don't got to lift nothing, don't got to deal with angry customers (yet), and I don't have a boss constantly hounding me because the productivity-deice they strapped to my wrist is saying I'm bellow quota for the day.
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Feb 24, 2017 18:08
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Hurt Whitey Maybe posted:To the person who couldn't stop screwing up, just start saying "well it wasn't as bad as the Oscars" Funny enough, I've actually started getting good at my job, relatively speaking, and haven't hosed up in an significant manner since I made that post. Can't say the same for PWC and La La Land.
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Feb 27, 2017 20:22
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Audax posted:Happy busy season! Little late, mate. Busy season starts like mid-February. At least for me. I've known a guy working 12 hour days since January and it won't let up till April. Glad I'm not him.
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Mar 6, 2017 17:31
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gently caress me, after a good time without making any mistakes I've been blowing it big time this week. I can't say too many specifics because it will give away my company, but, basically, we needed to get some people to do work for us. We couldn't do it ourselves for specific reasons. I needed to send a form. I had done the form before somewhat, but before I had a senior review it and they had laid the initial ground work: it's a digital form thing. First time, the form I meant to delete got sent instead of the one I did right. Long story short on that: I did the form wrong in a manner that required closing and making a new one. I never saved it so I didn't realize it was on the system. Second time, we didn't hit a "keep working no matter how long it takes" option so they just quit after doing practically nothing. This is despite us telling them in e-mail and Skype messages that we absolutely needed this work done by that next morning. We sent it in right today...hopefully. This thing is due Monday, my boss can't work Saturday for religious reasons, and he knows this is my fault. We sent in the work again and got assurances from a manager there that they'll do it this time. I'll do initial reviews Saturday, he will go over my reviews on Sunday and hopefully we get it all out by EOD Monday. This was supposed to be done and reviewed literally by now. Like, by 4pm today. But, instead, this happened. As a double whammy, the guy heading this engagement is also the guy who does my review every quarter. He's a super chill awesome dude, but this must be testing his patience. This is also a two person engagement. God, I can't afford to lose my job. Covok fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Mar 10, 2017 |
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Mar 10, 2017 23:00
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Kitchner posted:Honestly, anyone reasonable would say sure you hosed up the form but you made a mistake and then sent all these emails or whatever that tells them what you need them to do. At no point did they say "Well we need you to send a form saying that otherwise we are going to quit". Yeah, you're probably right. I just have issue with anxiety and getting very little sleep and drinking a lot of coffee isn't helping.
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Mar 11, 2017 04:33
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Edited: Need to stop whinning.
Covok fucked around with this message at 04:04 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 14, 2017 21:44
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Put me on the list of idiots who drank too much at an office party and made an rear end of himself. loving St. Patrick's day.
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Mar 19, 2017 03:08
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chupacabraTERROR posted:You need to get your poo poo together dude. You're not wrong.
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Mar 19, 2017 05:07
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chupacabraTERROR posted:I think you spend way too much time deconstructing your mistakes and making effort posts ITT, rather than trying to fix your poo poo going forward. You should spend more time on double, triple checking everything you do. Your only focus should be attention to detail. Seriously, log off the forums for a while and see if it makes a difference. If I posted as many words per day as you do, I would gently caress up all the time at work too. That's a very good advice. I think I'll take it. I originally tried to avoid broswing the net when I started, but the dead oct-nov-dec made me comfortable doing it. Became a habit. Maybe I should just go back to doing that before and see what happens.
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Mar 19, 2017 05:42
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Kitchner posted:The second is a little lack of awareness here. If you genuinely think you've been loving up at work, why would you go to the work party and get super drunk? It wasn't intentional. I usually blow off drinking with my fellow associates because I'm afraid of drinking too much and making an rear end of myself, but I felt bad for blowing them off so much that I decided to go this one time. I only intended to have two drinks and leave, but someone convinced me to have some shots with them and I apparently couldn't handle it like they could so I ended up stupid drunk and needing to have a cab take me home. Really, if you think about it, this just confirms I've been right all those times for not going out with them.
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Mar 20, 2017 00:25
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Did you drink in college? Yes, but never at parties. I usually just had drinks with friends over dinner. I have gotten a little too drunk before and I have had whiskey before, but I never blacked out and they occured in my own apartment with people I know as friends and were accidents. I usually keep myself between 2-4 beers at most and while eating and I usually only drink about once or twice a month at most. I never went to a bar before that day, to be honest. Covok fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 20, 2017 04:17
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Yeah dude if you're not experienced in that setting, just stick to beer. To be frank, I think I'd rather not drink ever again. Probably better that way, frankly. Nasty habit.
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Mar 20, 2017 04:34
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apatheticman posted:Some of the most hardcore alcoholics I have met were in big 4 accounting firms. Youth? I mean, despite blacking out, I was fine by 12pm and I neither puked or pissed myself. Both of which were the first things I checked for after waking up to make sure I didn't ruin my clothes.
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Mar 20, 2017 05:02
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chupacabraTERROR posted:I blacked out at my big4 going away party and called my manager a "micromanaging motherfucker". Luckily I changed careers and that one never bit me in the rear end. It was a learning experience. I didn't know I couldn't control myself in those situations because I never been in them before. Going to avoid them going forward.
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Mar 20, 2017 05:05
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Kitchner posted:Let me teach you a phrase that will be super important in life, not just accounting: I socialize. I just don't go out. When we don't have work or low on work, I chat up with a lot of the associates around the office and know a lot of them from college anyway. Most people at my level in the office know me on name basis and I share a lot of interests with people around the office. Some for good reasons, others maybe not the best. Just finished talking Star Wars with someone who I often play video games with online. Trying to see if, when busy season is over, if my senior manager would want to play Overwatch with me as we are both really into it. The guy I sit next do I actually met on Grindr before joining the office and almost hosed (total accident; neither of us knew we were going to start working at the same company or who each other worked for). Don't know if it'd be more awkward or less if we actually hosed that night. Strangely, it's not that awkward at all between us so maybe that's moot.' The list could go on, but I know and am friends with a lot of people around the office. Just recently got added to a senior manager's list of people to game with because I saw his copy of a popular board game on his desk and nerded out over it. So, now, I'm invited to play it with him and his friends during lunch when it isn't busy season. I just often don't go out because it takes me about 2hrs to get to the office and 2 hrs to get back so getting drunk or staying out late and missing the trains back is really detrimental to me. Covok fucked around with this message at 17:07 on Mar 22, 2017 |
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Mar 22, 2017 16:56
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Kitchner posted:That's all cool and good then, I guess my only advice is next time someone suggests shots or anything crazy you just say no. It was a little at first, but shockingly has not been an issue. I mean, all we did was go on a date where we walked along a boardwalk and talked. I mean, I wanted to gently caress, but that ended up not happening. Edit: I mean, don't take me as a perv or a hornball, but I mean it is grindr. Just saying. Wasn't too pushy or weird about it, just the kind of normal, classic walking him back to his house, talking to him at the door, seeing if this lead to a kiss or I'd be invited in kind of thing. Wasn't pushy about it. Meant that "I wanted to gently caress" more in a "internal" sense, not an "external" sense. Covok fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Mar 22, 2017 |
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Mar 22, 2017 17:17
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Kitchner posted:Wait until you're on an audit together late at night and left in a hit stuffy meeting room alone because you senior has something better to do. That's when it will get really awkward. I know you work in audit, but I don't think you get how tax works. There isn't a lot of meeting rooms. You usually just work at your desk.
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Mar 22, 2017 17:36
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To make it even funnier, we were both assigned for the same client. Literally working with the dude that, only a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to stick my dick in. It's funnier in hindsight and it's more and more surprising that it didn't turn out awkward.
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Mar 22, 2017 23:35
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Maybe you're making a lot of mistakes at work because you've been a little.. distracted? Trust me, when I say I ain't. Dude turned out to be a dunce of the highest order and sitting next to him makes that more and more obvious.
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Mar 22, 2017 23:49
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I once tried to talk to the guy about a show on the British Broadcasting Company and he got nervous and weirded out because he thought I meant the other kind of BBC. Like, that kind of dunce. Or the time I had to explain the concept of a remainder to him in math.
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Mar 22, 2017 23:59
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Kitchner posted:This is why you shouldn't work with people you met on grindr. I bet if he had never met you before he would assume you meant the BBC TV producers I don't know. This guy is as dense as bricks sometimes. I mean, I really had to sit there and explain once "See, 10 is a symbol that stands for 1 set of integers and 0 additional integers with the set of integers in this case being defined as 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 because we use a base 10 system of mathematics. So, when you're subtracting a number and the 'top' integer is smaller than the 'bottom' integer, you take one value from the place 'before' it to make up the missing values. Thus, turning 7, in this case, into 17 because you took 1 away from the place 'before' it which is 10 times stronger than it or, in other words, one additional set of integers. This allows you to minus the 8 in the ones place of the bottom number from 7 in the ones place of the top number and get the proper answer." He literally didn't know how to do subtractions without excel.
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Mar 23, 2017 16:05
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Kitchner posted:I mean not being able to subtract without Excel is pretty dumb but I'll be honest that's the most convuluted way of explaining subtraction I've seen. I'm an accountant, not a teacher.
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Mar 23, 2017 17:12
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Ainsley McTree posted:Can you really become an accountant without knowing what a remainder is? I've vastly overestimated the amount of math skill this profession requires. Or, I guess, the current state of our education system. I'm not sure how either. I mean, a lot of my college professors allowed calculators, but that couldn't be it.
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Mar 23, 2017 17:24
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Kontradaz posted:You need to chill and stop obsessing I mean, that's reasonable. I'll consider what you said... quote:And maybe stop trying to make friends by nerding out over star wars NEVER
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Mar 23, 2017 17:43
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On hold on the phone to get assistance with tax software. I expect my waiting time to be between the heat death of the universe and infinity.
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Mar 23, 2017 23:08
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Hurt Whitey Maybe posted:How about you grow some hair on your chest and get back to us when you've gotten a courtesy disconnect after being on hold with the IRS for two hours. Sounds like a nightmare. Most of my calls to the IRS so far haven't been that bad. Expect that trend to change.
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Mar 24, 2017 02:20
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Your A grade work is what enables them to work at C and still get promoted like an A or B. Your job is to make them look good, and nothing else. Ain't that a bitch, but you're right.
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Mar 28, 2017 20:51
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Kitchner posted:To be fair this pretty much applies to every job ever and every degree ever unless you're going to be a teacher in which case you're just part of the cycle of being taught important but not entirely practical things. 2:2 is worse than 2:1...?
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Apr 27, 2017 08:49
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I work at a Big 4. My plan was to stick around to senior or maybe even manager then hasta la vista, but some are telling me it just isn't worth it. What are y'alls feelings? Currently, my first busy season was pretty easy, but I understand they go easy on first years. 70 hour weeks weren't so bad because I have no life and liked the free diners and cabs home (beat my normal commute), but I understand it gets worse. What is y'all experiences? Currently, I like my bosses, co-workers, and the company culture. The place is actually pretty chill and their programs make my life easier, currently. So, I'm not in a rush, frankly, but I'm curious if its worth it to go that far.
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May 3, 2017 02:26
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Makes sense and, yeah, got the vibe senior years suck. One of my first seniors was a hyper loving cool dude and I loved working for the dude and he would mention how his life was hell. What would be a good offer when I blow this Popsicle stand? What would y'all consider a good step up? Like % of salary, junk like that?
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May 3, 2017 03:14
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Kitchner posted:Oh, they changed in the 70s apprently, my lack of oxbridge experience is really showing. Looks like it won't be my decision...  Yesterday, I was called in to a partner's office and told that I was going to be likely laid-off at my next review. I am a first year whose only been working for about 6-7 months. He said he was at the last hearing for me and the other associates and the vibe was not good. Didn't give me a definite when I asked if I was being fired, but said he was pretty sure I was going to be put on the chopping block. He said it wasn't my attitude or work ethic. From his perspective, he knows I was always checking in, asking for work, being available, and being willing to do what was needed. He started to give me a lot of advice. He said, for example, I would get two options: either go on a performance improvement plan or I would be allowed to ghost for about two months so I could apply for jobs while still saying I was employed at the company. From his standpoint, I should absolutely avoid the PIP since he has almost never seen it work out, even if they improve performance, and felt I was best off taking this time to setup my resume, do interviews, and have a job setup before I officially leave so everything looks to future employers like I left of my own circumstances. He went into ways of how to spin this at my interview so it sounds better (I didn't fit in with the culture, I was looking for a smaller firm feel, etc).. And just stuff like that. My timer hasn't started yet because he told me in advance of my hearing. I also don't have to make a choice yet. My main question is if there was anything he was leaving out. He has a different vantage point than me and, though he was very nice and polite, I have a policy of never trusting anyone I haven't known for a good few years. It's safe to say my time at the company is done. It's no secret the office is overstaffed, for example, and people of all levels have been complaining about this for quite some time. They even started to walk back things like Senior in three years as a guarantee because work was being split too thin among associates. Their actual growth was half of their projected growth and it's no secret they hired on their projected. No one could make minimum hours during busy season below senior this year or the last year and everyone's metrics were low due to a lack of work for associates. People were getting offers to move to different departments because ours was too full. I knew that that was going to put pressure on us to stand-out or get cut-off since a month after being hired, but, despite my efforts, looks like I'm still in the later category. In many ways, I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor in why he said not to do the PIP plan: "We don't have enough work for everyone and we need to let people go so improving your performance will do little." So, I believe him on that. Or maybe I was just an underperformer and this is a "post-busy season firing" thing and just didn't want to say. Guess I'll found out at the review. Regardless, considering how PIPs work, if the partner is saying it won't work, it probably won't work. gently caress, I don't know and I ain't in the best headspace right now. Regardless, my main issue is if he was giving me advice that was to the company's benefit but my detriment? Also, I'm thinking of going into Industry, but I don't know if that's too soon. I know two other of the Big 4 are having the same problems right now from chatter I've heard in other accounting circles online so I feel like I'll be walking into another layoff. Any advice on that?
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May 11, 2017 17:13
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Kitchner posted:Performance improvement plan aren't there to help staff, they are there to help you justify why you fired them. Well, that's probably why he told me not to take it and that it never works and to just look for a new job. Guess he was giving me honest advice then. It did seem sincere. Also, I never hosed him, it was accident as neither of us knew we were accountants, and I think you guys somewhat overestimate how awkward it was.
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May 11, 2017 19:37
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Kitchner posted:The partner wasn't doing you a favour, a PIP is hassle for them and their managers too. I mean he was being honest when he said it doesn't work out, because they aren't really designed to, but he's just trying to save hassle. Definetly just look for a new job. Yeah, I know. It just sucks having to update my resume and start looking again. I didn't expect to have to do this for another two years.
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May 11, 2017 19:58
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Edited
Covok fucked around with this message at 12:28 on Dec 11, 2019 |
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May 11, 2017 23:03
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TBeats posted:Do accounting firms look at your social media when hiring or evaluating? I don't have any shameful pics on mine. Mine is mostly picture's of my dog (so maybe a little shameful). But I'm just curious about it in general. Probably. It's pretty standard practice to weed out the PR disasters in most office jobs nowadays. If they are stupid enough to post pics of them deep throating a bong or hitler saluting a Nazi flag, they will likely get your company in deep doo doo.
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May 15, 2017 17:24
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Been having some trouble finding a new place. Applied to quite a few staff accounting positions, other public firms, banks, the FBI, and the IRS. Anyone got any advice for an accountant with 1 year of Big 4 experience looking for a new job?
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Jun 29, 2017 02:28
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Why do you think you are failing at finding a new job? I'm not particularly sure, really. I got a good resume. My old company offered to look it over and gave it a good review. As for the jobs, I found them all through job boards like indeed and ziprecruiter as well as applying to target companies. I've been applying to them either through their own sites or the job board, if they're too small. A big issue I've noticed is there are few entry level postions available. With only 1 Big 4 year, can't really do senior positions. Not that I haven't tried, but still. I wonder if I'm getting screened out due to a lack of experience. All I've gotten so far is either rejections or silence. The only acceptance I received turned out to be commission only insurance salesman position at New York Life. They called it "financial advisor." Glad I researched it before trying to do an interview or anything. I've mostly gone after staff accounting positions, tax associate positions, and relevant positions in Banks and the FBI. The IRS is currently not hiring. Covok fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jun 29, 2017 |
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Jun 29, 2017 04:02
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