CPA Credentials and Experience Don't Increase Employment Opportunties

Today, my recruiter called me that this job that I applied and went interview twice for a total of 4 hours, selected another candidate who is more suitable.  If this is my first failure in a job application, I won't feel this defeated.  Since this is my 4th rejections after a series of job applications during the last month, I am beginning to worry that my years' experience as a CPA plus my other 3-letter credentials will never give me another job opportunity and I am forever stuck with this small firm that not only offers me no more upward opportunity, but pays me less than others who are less experienced, have no management responsibility, and even no CPA credential or any credential at all.

So for those of you who think that getting a CPA license will give you advantages in job search,  think twice because from my experience, I can tell you this is a myth.  No CPA license or any credentials can give you a better pay job if you don't compromise your professional standards, if you have your own opinion and if you are a real good auditor who can find accounting misstatements and identify significant weakness in internal controls.  This is because if you are a good auditor or if you are a really good tax accountant who really knows the tax laws, then you will see your clients are doing a gazillion things that are grossly wrong and unacceptable, and then you are creating problems for your boss in the firm and putting your firm in a very difficulty position with the clients.  In addition, clients don't want to hear from you that they have this weakness and that weakness. They also don't want to hear from you they can't take this deduction or they can't take that deduction.   The clients want you to give them approval of whatever they do.  My current bosses don't like me and they see my strength as something that costs the firm extra time and even a discount in fees when they resolve my findings with the clients.


They always told me if only I didn't bring the significant issues up, they wouldn't spend time to resolve with clients and they wouldn't have to cut the fees to soothe the upset clients for whatever honest opinions I present.  And this reflects in my annual salary review in lower than average annual raise compared to my co-workers and even the associates under me. The partners never appreciated the fact that I keep them out of potential trouble that can cost them licenses and legal fees.  I guess in the big 4 they can't  pay my position lower than the people who are less qualified, and experienced than me , particularly no less than those whom I supervise. But in small firms, there is no pay scale, the partners can pay whatever they like.  This is another reason that you shouldn't work for small firms at all.

So if you are really serious about accounting, and if you are serious about doing a good job, don't work in accounting. Unless you can bear to see your salary being lower than your colleagues who quietly and obligingly give the good news the accounting firm and the clients want to get.  Or, you have no problem working under partners who are incredibly incompetent and out-dated. This is just what I learn from my decade long practice as a CPA.

Sad puppy $12.87.