Elon Musk Thinks You’re a Douche If You Work From Home
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the glorious days of work anywhere and firms too scared to lose you to force you to return to the office may soon be behind us. Apparently KPMG is telling tax people they need to come in three days a week now and PwC announced a […]
Accounting Summer Camp is a Thing in New York
High school students in the state of New York have the chance to participate in the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession program this summer, the deadline to apply is Friday, June 23, 2023 at 11:59pm which you can do at this link. Let’s skip the unnecessary commentary and get straight to the details. From […]
Deferred Start Dates Are a Good Thing?
Staci Zaretsky wrote about deferred Biglaw start dates on Above the Law today and while law ≠ accounting, the sausage factory of the Professional Services Industrial Complex™ is pretty much the same thing. Let me add, we’re beginning to see delayed start dates in our little corner of the billable hour universe so this might […]
We’re Hearing PwC CRTs Will Be Rough This Year
The rumor mill has been worked into a lather about a reduction in force at Marcum (someone in the comments says that’s BS though we did get confirmation of some kind of private equity deal coming down the pipe), lots of performance discussions at Deloitte after promotions were unexpectedly delayed for many, and possible silent […]
While Other Industries Have Turned to the Stick, Accounting Firms Continue to Use the Carrot to Encourage RTO
PwC’s hybrid work policy was quite the big deal when it was announced in October 2021, it signaled perhaps a change in corporate mentality that meant employees would be allowed the discretion to determine on their own if they need to be in the office or not. Other firms took a similar approach, though their […]
Lying on Your Résumé Paid Off For This Laid-Off Accountant
Insider has published a first-hand account from a 37-year-old who lost their job at the beginning of the pandemic when the accounting firm they were working for went under (side note: had to be one tiny firm or we would have heard about that no?). They did what most people did in that situation, enjoyed […]
Researchers Shockingly Discover That If You Pay Low Level Grunts More, They Do Better Financial Reporting
A new working paper from Stanford Graduate School of Business professors Christopher Armstrong, John Kepler, and David Larcker, and Shawn Shi, Ph.D. ’23, of the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business has found a connection between how well low-ranking accountants are paid and the quality of their work. This is a new area for […]
ChatGPT Talks About AI Taking Accountants’ Jobs From the Perspective of an Accountant Losing Their Job to AI
Ed. note: I asked ChatGPT to write about automation in accounting from the perspective of an accountant losing his or her job to AI. Here’s what it said. Note: Going Concern does not publish AI-generated content unless it’s clearly labeled as in this case. Believe it or not, humans write most of this crap. As […]
Busy Season Problems: You Deducted What?, Dumbest Conference Idea Ever, Clients Taking Ls
It occurred to me the other day as I was setting up my bullet journal spreads for next month that it is almost April. How’d that happen? As I was casually drawing out colorful little calendar boxes, checklists, and doodles without a care in the world I remembered that there are a good number of […]
Robert Half Reports Finance and Accounting Talent is in High Demand (Duh)
According to the results of a recent Robert Half survey, companies across the U.S. are hungry for talent and of all professional roles, finance and accounting are nearly the most in-demand, second only to technology. The survey also shows that few respondents expect to freeze hiring or eliminate positions in the first half of this […]
Let’s Talk About Why ‘Musculoskeletal Issues’ Are on the Rise at This Accounting Firm
Although I am not a loyal reader of Human Resource Executive I did come across an article they just did on CLA — also known by their confirmation name CliftonLarsonAllen — and the benefits HRE outlined in said article sound awesome. Flexible PTO, a wellness stipend, access to cognitive behavioral therapy for the employee as […]
Advice on How to Get Hired at EY From the Vice Chair of Talent
Insider has published an ‘as-told-to- essay from EY Americas Vice Chair — Talent Ginnie Carlier in which she offers insight on what the firm is looking for from prospective hires. One takeaway: add a “personal purpose statement” to your résumé if it doesn’t already have one. This is not a bland objective — those have […]
Research: Working From Home Frees Up Two Hours a Week, Time Many People Spend Doing Work
The anti-WFH, pro-RTO propaganda has chilled out a bit in recent months as boomer and boomer-adjacent Gen X CEOs wait out the next big recession but even those pinstriped menaces in the C-suite who think all remote work is the domain of the lazy can appreciate this info we are about to share with you. […]
The Dumbest Thing You’ve Read Since ‘Women’s Brains Absorb Information Like Pancakes Soak Up Syrup’
It’s been three and a half years since we first found out about the sexist seminar in which women in leadership positions at EY were told that women’s brains are like pancakes and soak up information like syrup. The exact quote from that training to refresh your memory: Women’s brains absorb information like pancakes soak […]
If Your Parents Were Poor, It Takes Longer to Climb the Ladder at KPMG (No Really)
Big 4 firms spit out all kinds of research — very little of which rates a mention beyond maybe somewhere in a linkwrap if that — but this research from KPMG we’re about to share with you (which we did bury in a linkwrap some weeks back) deserves a callout of its own. Not because […]
The Five Benefits Employees Want Most (Other Than Money) in 2023 According to ‘Experts’
The following article was in a recent CPA Letter Daily sandwiched between a JofA piece on how Latino CPAs found strength in numbers (pun intended?) through the ALPFA and BPM transformation officer Lindsay Stevenson talking about remote work and change fatigue on the JofA podcast. Like many articles in this vein, this Bloomberg piece encourages […]
Somehow Accounting Ended Up on This List of the Highest-Paying College Majors in 2022
CBS News crunched some Payscale data and by some miracle, accounting ranked #52 on this list of the 60 highest-paying majors. Because we anticipate people might ask for proof of this, we have screenshotted accounting’s entry on said list. Text: Accounting isn’t just accounting anymore. Experts must perform multiple functions at once — and that’s […]
Apparently Interns Are Flocking to PwC to Learn More About … HR
Getting an internship at PwC is a pretty big deal for college students looking to pursue a career in accounting or consulting. But in human resources? Apparently so, according to the latest ranking of the best HR internships for 2023 by Vault and Firsthand. Only five companies’ internship programs made the list for 2023. Coming […]
Are You Ready For the BUSY SEASON FUN Calendar??
I have just been made aware of the existence of this Busy Season Fun calendar by way of the Journal of Accountancy podcast in which host Jeff Drew mentions “it’s about time for PCPS to publish their annual busy season fun calendar.” The what now? You can find it on this Private Companies Practice Section […]
How Do Big 4 Consulting Internships Stack Up Against MBB?
McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting Group—the Nos. 2, 1, and 3 best consulting firms to work for, respectively, in 2022, according to Vault and Firsthand—either have really crappy internship programs or didn’t want to participate in Firsthand’s internship survey because MBB is not among the top 15 consulting firms that provide the best experiences for […]
Hey Tax People, You’ll Be Thankful For This Remote Job That Promises No More Than 40 Hours a Week EVER
Those of you dreading the idea of yet another busy season (so, all of you) will be interested in this gig: how’s 30 to 40 fully remote hours a week sound to you? So not only will you never have to go into the office, you won’t have to sacrifice all your evenings at weekends […]
Maybe 2023 Will Be the Year You Get That Big Promotion
If 2023 is anything like 2022, the odds are stacked in your favor if you work in public accounting, according to a recent LinkedIn analysis. Professional services was among the five industries that doled out the most promotions this year: And at the top seven largest public accounting firms in the U.S., that big promotion […]
At Least We Aren’t in Tech, Boast Smug Accountants Who Didn’t Get Laid Off Today
Accountants, your moment has finally come. From the moment you chose accounting as a major you have been relentlessly teased and taunted. “Why not law?” screeched your mother. “Haha BORING,” said your little brother. “So does this mean you can do my taxes?” teased your uncle who continues to ask you to do his taxes […]
Begging for a Signing Bonus *After* Accepting an Offer is Not How This Works
A disappointed new Deloitte hire must have gotten wind that the firm offers signing bonuses if it’s desperate for warm bodies, but this person wasn’t presented with one when they accepted their job offer. So they went on r/Deloitte to ask for advice. And the responses this person got back are about what you’d expect […]
The Accounting Talent Shortage is Not New, You Guys
Although the accounting talent shortage seems like something that just popped out of nowhere and couldn’t possibly have been predicted, oh, a decade ago, I feel compelled to remind everyone that we here at Going Concern saw this coming. I don’t say that in a “hurr durr I’ve been talking about this for ten years […]
2023 Accounting Internship Programs, Ranked
A Palo Alto, CA-based CPA firm that most of you guys have never heard of has the top accounting internship program in the U.S. and the second-best overall internship program in the country, according to Vault-Firsthand’s ranking of the top internship programs in the U.S. for 2023. Vault-Firsthand said this about the summer internship program […]
Another Deloitte Survey Says ‘Purpose’ is Just as Important as Pay (Yeah Right)
Deloitte pushed out some survey results this week that confirm what leaders have been telling themselves ever since the first Millennials entered the workplace at the turn of the century: ‘purpose’ is just as important as pay. Sure, guys. Sure. A Deloitte survey of over 4,000 respondents* found that over half of employees (62%) consider […]
Quote of the Day: “The War For Talent Is Over. Talent Won.”
Fresh off the presses from CNBC, PwC US Chair Tim Ryan just dropped the mic on the talent shortage: In the headlines, the war for talent is still taking place on two fronts, with a hot labor market still tilted to job seekers even in a cooler economy, and companies testing the power they have […]
PSA: Even in This Market, It’s Still Uncool to Quit Your Big 4 Job Without Notice
I was a bit surprised by the responses to this question on r/Big4 about quitting without notice. It seems even in this market we are in agreement that the least you can do is give the customary two weeks. Best case scenario they cut you loose immediately so you don’t drag your team down, steal […]
According to This List, Deloitte is the Best Big 4 Firm For Women
Fortune has come out with their 100 Best Large Workplaces for Women list and while no accounting firms made the top ten, Deloitte managed to claw their way up to #16 from #51 in 2021 thus making them the highest-ranked Big 4 firm on the list. To determine the Best Workplaces for Women, Fortune research […]
Here’s Your Sign From the Universe to Find a Better Opportunity
From the moment you choose accounting as your major, the one thing you consistently hear from peers and professors is “go into public accounting when you graduate.” Many professors, being Big 4 alum themselves, urge you to take a traditional path: internship, graduate, full-time role, CPA exam, and then put in your mandatory two years […]
How Do You Sign Off Your Emails?
The Journal of Accountancy published an article about how CPAs should end their emails for maximum professionalism a few days ago and it got me thinking about an old article my former colleague Caleb Newquist wrote about email pet peeves many years back. Actually it got me thinking about a rant on how “best” is […]
These Twelve Questions Will Help You Figure Out If You’re Happy at Work
I’m positive none of you need a list to know whether or not you are happy at work but you’re getting one anyway. The Well+Being newsletter from The Washington Post recently shared this simple 12-step quiz, a proprietary survey created by Gallup and based on research from 2.7 million workers across 50 industries worldwide. The […]
Do You Regret Quitting Your Job During the Great Resignation?
We’ve written about the Great Resignation ad nauseam over the past two years, but one topic we really haven’t talked about is Great Resignation regrets, or the Great Regret. The grass hasn’t been greener for many people who quit their jobs recently, like this senior associate: There’s actually quite a few people in similar situations. […]
CPA Who Gave Up Public Accounting to Drive an 18-Wheeler Says He Made More Money Driving a Truck
*post image is not Steve, just some guy from iStock Letters to the editor are great because they clue you in to how a reader identifies with what you’ve written and often the writer will share their own experience viewed through the lens of your story. In this case, the reader-submitted letter we’re about to […]
In 2019, Academic Researchers Tried to Answer the Question ‘Is Accounting a Miserable Job?’
Stumbled across this interesting paper by authors Paul Madsen and Jeffrey Piao today and thought it worth sharing despite its age (2019). Misery in accounting is timeless after all. Plus it’s relevant given the ongoing accounting pipeline problem and concerns about accountant shortages as the paper talks about how the stereotype of “the miserable accountant” […]
Returning to the Office? Don’t Get Fat! (Again)
Creating the perfect mom/dad bod takes time. My dad bod developed after years of slouching in an office chair, ignoring exercise, and eating and drinking pretty much everything in sight. By the ripe-old age of 35, my once bulging biceps migrated to my backside and my powerful pecs placidly plunged to meet and merge with […]
A Word on the Persistent Low Morale of the Audit Profession
We received the following email from a distraught and burnt out Big 4 auditor in the Southeast: The level of morale in the [XYZ] office is at an all time low. Discussion with low level staff, through managers, have yielded the same opinion of overwhelming expectations without the needed support from the firm. They want […]
How Do You Know When It’s Time to GTFO of Big 4? One Manager’s Opinion
Came across this on r/big4 this morning, let’s remember half of what you see on Reddit is just someone’s creative writing exercise and people who claim to make $200k/yr are often 14-year-old larpers but hey what kind of weirdo would pretend to be a Big 4 manager on the internet. Read on. I don’t think […]
Why You Need to Stop Typing ‘Hello’ in Chat Immediately
Hey What’s up Hi Hello Do you hate it when a colleague messages “hello” and then leaves you hanging while they type out the next thing they have to say? ME TOO. And we’re not alone. Instead of silently building resentment, send them this link. You don’t even have to say anything, just hit ’em […]
Is It Time To Break Up With Your Big 4 Firm? A Quiz
Some of you are familiar with the ubiquitous Cosmopolitan Magazine quiz and for those of you who aren’t, well, sorry you’ve never quantified your sex life using a five question quiz developed by some sassy intern. Today we’ve got one of our own. Is It Time To Break Up With Your Big 4 Firm? Pick […]
PSA: Do NOT Take a Pay Cut For the ‘Privilege’ of Working Remotely
In the coming weeks and months, you’re going to see lots of headlines warning that the workers’ market we are blessed to experience today is shifting back to one that favors employers as the economy starts circling the toilet. You already have seen these headlines, I’m sure. Here’s one: some HR clown who works for […]
Blind Item: California Firms Are Paying California Salaries to Poach Midwestern Public Accountants (UPDATE)
Are you a public accountant in a LCOL or MCOL Midwestern city? Put down the beer, open your ears, and whip out your wallet for this one. A source tells us California firms are setting their sights on comparatively lower cost of living Midwest cities to fill their vacancies. And they’re doing it not to […]
Are ‘Strong Leadership, Agile Working, and a People-Centric Value Proposition’ on Your List of Must Haves at Work?
UK businesses within the accounting industry are understaffed by 22% and leaders everywhere are busy telling each other the things accounting professionals — particularly the younger generation — are hungry for at work. Fewer hours? Better money? Not getting scammed out of accrued PTO with a switch to “unlimited” vacation? NAH. What we really need […]
Deloitte Survey: C-suite Execs are Burned Out, Delusional, and Lack Empathy (And Also Want to Quit)
There’s some new Deloitte research out this week and it is hi-lar-ious. It seems executives have absolutely no clue what their underlings are going through, mistakenly think they’re doing a good job of making said underlings think they care, oh and they too are stressed AF and thinking about quitting their jobs. Man, things are […]
PwC UK is Being Very Picky About Who They Hire (Yes, Even in This Market)
PwC has whipped out their prestige and is wagging it around in everyone’s faces. eFinancialCareers reports that despite accounting firms everywhere struggling to recruit and retain any talent not just the best and brightest PwC is being picky about who it brings in: There’s been no shortage of applications for PWC’s student jobs this year. […]
Top 5 Reasons Why Employers Want You Back In the Office
The debate over employee work preferences continues to explode. Many employers actively ignore employee preferences, particularly when employees favor fully remote work. In recent weeks, even more companies demanded that employees return to offices, immediately, or else. Employee preferences aside, why do companies want everyone back in the office? 1. Companies are losing grasp on […]
The Audit Profession’s Inability to Retain Talent Poses a Serious Threat to Audit Quality
Just about every employer in corporate America is singing the blues about talent shortages caused by the Great Reset and the Great Resignation. However, these effects are not being felt uniformly across all businesses. Those employers with a history of mismanaging their human capital, like the largest audit firms, are being hit the hardest. The […]
10 Lucrative Side Hustle Ideas for Big 4 Accountants
Things are getting pretty bad financially for all of us right now; grocery trips are digging deeper into our pockets every time we pick up a few things, rents are rising, and gas is up to $37 a gallon ($40 by the time I finish this sentence probably). Inflation is expected to remain high through […]
If You’re Quitting Public Accounting Try Not to Burn Bridges on Your Way Out In Case You Need to Come Crawling Back
A few months ago business sections across .coms everywhere were getting blown up with articles about “the boomerang,” an imaginary trend whereupon corporate quitters discover the grass is not in fact greener on the other side and come crawling back to their former employers. Like this March piece from Forbes: According to experts like Anthony […]
In Shocking News, Millennials Are Working Harder Because Their Coworkers Keep Quitting
Feeling more burned out than usual these days? You’re not alone. Fast Company reported earlier this week that as the Great Resignation rages on Millennial workers in particular are feeling the burn: In 2022, most Millennials are in the peak of their careers, having amassed decision-making power in management and senior leadership roles. But as […]
Pizza Parties In Lieu of Compensation: A Comprehensive History
Have you attended a pizza party lately? Has your firm been trying to seduce you back into the office with the promise of under-seasoned jarred sauce and crust? Have you ever stared down a tiny tub of garlic butter sauce wondering wtf you’re doing with your life? Then this piece (heh) is for you. Wikipedia […]
When Is the Right Time to Leave Public Accounting?
When I started in public accounting, one of the audit partners I worked with shared the elevator metaphor: working in public accounting is like riding an elevator—the longer you stay on, the higher up you will go. When should you leave? The go-to response from all partners at every firm (stay until manager) is probably […]
Here’s a Piece of Practical Self-Help Advice For Those of You Working This Weekend
Namaste. @masood_boomgaard You are not your job.#fyp #foryourpage #comedу #motivation #selfcare #selflove #tiktok #tiktokusa #mentalhealth #antiwork ♬ original sound – masood_boomgaard Thank you, @masood_boomgaard!
It’s Official, the Only Way to Get a Decent Raise Is by Leaving Your Firm
As public accountants pull the ripcord and bail out from their firms in droves for the greener grass of industry, government, and even the blissful quiet of unemployment so they can figure out what they really want to do with their lives there’s a lot of talk about the abandoned workloads being dumped on the […]
Are You Future-Ready? Learn How to Get There at This PICPA Event
For the generations that have provided free technical support to grandparents everywhere since the ’80s and ’90s, it can be difficult to admit that the rapid pace of technological innovation is intimidating at times. There’s no denying things are changing fast. While business writers push endless streams of science fiction about robots taking jobs, technology […]
If the AICPA Offers You a Career In Accounting, Just Say No
With the AICPA making filling the CPA pipeline one of their 2022 primary strategic initiatives (see page 11 of the 2021 AICPA Trends report for the full list of pipeline-filling activities they will be going hard on this year), I thought now might be a good time to dust off the ol’ 1980s D.A.R.E. programming […]
6 Rules of Audit Room Etiquette
As workers return to the office, many auditors find themselves visiting client sites for the first time. Given the two-year in-person hiatus we’ve all just been through, even first-year seniors don’t know how to approach audit room protocols. So here are some key rules you should follow in the audit room whenever you do go […]
In the Trenches: My Three Least Favorite Audit Rooms
Audit rooms come in all shapes and sizes—usually small, often windowless, sometimes with chairs you can actually sit on, and almost always as far away from the finance/accounting department as possible. After eight years in public accounting, I have loads of unforgettable audit room experiences. Here are just a few. The hostile work environment This […]
Let’s Say Theoretically You Crap Your Pants Your First Week at a Big 4 Firm, What Should You Do?
Saw this on r/big4 over the weekend and while it’s obviously completely made up (despite being posted on the internet where absolutely nothing is fake ever), much like an account man getting his foot run over by a riding lawnmower by a secretary at an advertising firm, surely this has happened somewhere at a Big […]
4 Reasons Why the Profession Is Struggling to Convince Students to Become CPAs, #4 Will Not Shock You
I buried the link I’m about to share with you all in Footnotes last Friday; however, since its author intended for it to spur a conversation about the profession’s pipeline problem, I thought it best to highlight it in its own post should any of you feel like discussing it. “In my view, the future […]
State of the Accounting Profession 2022 Via the AICPA Trends Report
As I snarkily mentioned last week, the AICPA has finally released its much-anticipated 2021 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits (or Trends, for short) report [PDF here], a behemoth data dump of accounting industry stats first released in 1971 and released every two years since 2009. We’re […]
Busy Season Problems: Sunday Funday, Lost Tax Documents, In Need of Super Powers
We are officially one week away until our tax pro friends complete the long, arduous first leg of busy season. And based on all the extensions they are filing for procrastinating clients, the second leg of busy season, which wraps up this year on Oct. 17, might be just as crazy. Let’s take a look […]
The Workplace Is Like BDSM Without a Safeword, Says Guy Who Just Described Your Job
While traipsing through the back allies of the internet the other day, I came across a mention of anthropologist David Graeber and his 2018 book Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. Being entirely unfamiliar with this title but wholly acquainted with jobs of the bullshit variety (believe it or not, my current one does not fall into […]
You Know Things Are Bad In Public Accounting When First-Years Are Getting Dragged By Interns
We love a good rant—whether about public accounting in general or about a co-worker, like this one posted on Fishbowl yesterday by a Big 4 intern about a staff 1 he/she works with who sucks at Excel, won’t shut up about work-life balance (or the lack thereof), and has no desire to take the CPA […]
Reminder: Don’t Forget to Turn In Your Timesheet!
You guys got a lot of things on your to-do list right now. We don’t want you to get in trouble for not remembering to do this. We’re here for you. Have a good weekend. Love, Your friends at Going Concern
The Boomerang: Who Says You Can’t Go Back to Public Accounting?
Most people who leave public accounting have absolutely no intention of going back. These days public accounting would probably take you back in a heartbeat if you changed your mind. But if you feel like you could use another “drink from the firehose” to help propel your career forward and provide you a missing experience […]
In Honor of International Women’s Day, Let’s Recall Some Important Rules For Women In the Workplace
Happy International Women’s Day, everyone! Yes, even you men. Actually, especially men. We’re counting on you all to lead the way and set a good example for those among you who may not have gotten the memo that women contribute so much more to society than clean dishes. Even something small like recognizing the achievements […]
The Moment I Knew I Was Done With Public Accounting For Good
When did you decide you were done with public accounting? Not the moment you decided to accept an offer to go work somewhere else, but the moment you decided there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell you would stay—the moment that cemented the decision to start looking for the right opportunity to get the hell […]
Considering a Move? Don’t Believe Everything Partners Tell You to Convince You to Stay
Thinking about leaving public accounting? You are not alone. With burnout and attrition at an all-time high, partners will tell you almost anything to keep you on board. Often half-truths at best, the lies told to staff, seniors, and managers alike are nothing new. Here are some of my personal favorites: Lie #1: If you […]
Opinion: If You’re Burned Out It’s Probably Your Fault
The post I’m about to share with you appeared in CPA Practice Advisor yesterday, and while it is written for firm leaders and not the grunts at the bottom of the ladder (that’s you), I thought it worth sharing because … well … you’ll figure out why in a minute. It’s been long established that […]
Believe It or Not, You Can Master Work-Life Balance While Studying For the CPA Exam
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment prospects for CPAs are expected to increase by 22% between now and 2028. Earning a CPA accreditation signals to accounting firms that you’re dedicated to advancing within the field, and gaining CPA expertise early in your career opens up a range of prospects, including higher income and […]
Tax Preparers Use Valentine’s Poetry to Express Their Busy Season Problems
Happy Valentine’s Day! Believe it or not, our friends on #TaxTwitter possess talents that stretch far beyond understanding the tax code, deftly dealing with awful clients, drinking massive quantities of coffee, and being able to function somewhat like a human after working 80-plus hours a week. They can also write poetry! And what better day […]
Busy Season Problems: K-2/K-3 Is Not OK; Weird Smells; Shadowy JPEGS
From time to time we like to check on our tax peeps to see how they’re holding up during busy season. Well … there’s the new schedules K-2/K-3 requirements for pass-through entities (see Michael Rapaport’s article for Bloomberg Tax on the new IRS foreign income reporting requirements for partnerships), which is driving tax pros completely […]
Surprise, You’re Depressed
New research conducted across the pond by the accountant well-being charity caba shows that more than half of accountants surveyed — 56% — are stressed and burned out, compared to 41% of those across a range of sectors, business sizes, and positions. Writes ICAEW Insights about the survey results: Accountants are significantly more stressed than […]
What Would You Do If Your Firm Fired You Early In the Pandemic Then Begged You to Come Back Two Years Later?
Remember that immature jackass you dated in your youth who treated you like trash at every turn, and then when they finally got around to ending things, they did so in some spectacularly terrible way like banging your best friend or “accidentally” posting your private home movies on various XXX dot coms? Surely some of […]
This Year, Let’s Normalize Actual Time Off In Public Accounting
For far too long, the accounting industry has been plagued with this idea that sacrificing your personal life for the firm is some badge of honor to be celebrated rather than pitied. When millennials showed up in the workplace, we started destroying this concept just like we destroyed frozen food sit-down restaurants, the wedding industrial […]
We Did It Guys, We Found the World’s Most Insufferable Accountant
Once again, r/linkedinlunatics comes through with the gold: Either this guy is really, really serious about his job OR — and more likely — just really bad at figuring out how to get 16 hours of work done in 10. If Reddit existed 20 years ago, the comment section on that post would likely be […]
Despite 65-Hour Weeks, You Should Consider Doing Client Work on the Side, Says Guy Who Did Side Work Back In His Day
I would like to preface what I’m about to write with an important note. I have the utmost respect for Ed Mendlowitz (not like he gives three quarters of a rat’s butt cheek what I think of him because who the hell am I), he is an OG of the profession, and we are all […]
EY Global Chairman Carmine Di Sibio Warns Zoomers Their Careers Are Screwed If They Stick to Remote Work
EY Global Chairman Carmine Di Sibio wrote a piece for Quartz recently on how young professionals can navigate today’s hybrid work environment (well, his communications team did anyway) and we found a few bits particularly noteworthy for early-career accountants eager to get ahead in today’s, uh, interesting work environment. You might want to grab a […]
2022 Accounting Internship Programs, Ranked
Winter is coming, and new stars will soon be born in public accounting as the latest wave of interns are about to flock to a windowless cubicle near you. And just in time for the arrival of this latest group of fresh, smiling-faced youngsters is Firsthand’s (formerly Vault.com) ranking of the top accounting internship programs […]
Ready For Something New? Find Out How to Land an Accounting Job You Won’t Hate
I’m no psychic or anything but I’m willing to bet a large majority of you reading this right now have your resume updated and ready to fling at an eager recruiter at a moment’s notice. Maybe you’re not actually looking for a new job, but as you watch your public accounting cohorts jump ship one […]
There May Never Be a Better Time Than Right Now to Find a Remote Tax Job
It’s the best time ever to find a remote tax job according to our friends over at Accountingfly (full disclosure: they own Going Concern so by “friends” we mean “benevolent overlords”): October through December is always the “high season” for tax hiring. For tax professionals, there are only so many times during the year that […]
The CPA Credential and the Profession Are in a Race For Relevance, Says ICPAS CEO Todd Shapiro
Interest in the CPA credential has been down significantly since at least 2016, and we have discussed this issue to death so I don’t need to link you to the evidence (but here’s some anyway). The problem here is that talking about it isn’t solving it, thus we will continue talking about it and hope […]
The Bar Has Been Raised For New Hires and There’s One Skill In Particular Firms Are Looking For
Although the old guard (read: Boomer partners who refuse to retire) might tell you that kids these days have it too easy, the reality is that today’s accountants are expected to possess a far more varied Swiss Army Knife of knowledge compared to the whittlin’ stick of yore. What’s our evidence for this claim? The […]
How Is #TaxTwitter Holding Up Before the Oct. 15 Deadline?
About as well as you’d expect: I realized I forgot to file an extension for my brother’s return how is everyone else doing today — Lorilyn Wilson, CPA (@LorilynWilson) October 14, 2021 Got up yesterday at 7:30am. What time did I go to bed? I'll let you know when that happens. Yep, this tax season […]
Early Black-Owned CPA Firms Pushed For Diversity Before Pushing For Diversity Was Cool
Firms established by pioneering Black CPAs decades ago created an indelible legacy within the accounting profession. Built by Black CPAs who succeeded despite adversity, the firms continue to play an important role in the profession’s recruitment and advancement initiatives, and with the clients they serve. Here are a few examples. Guiding others along the journey […]
Opinion: It’s the AICPA’s Own Fault No One Wants to Be a CPA Anymore
[Ed. note: we received the following in response to my newsletter column dated September 14, 2021. In the column, I referenced the 2019 AICPA Trends report, which stated that non-accounting majors made up 31% of all firm new hires at that time. The reader comment is published here with permission from its author who wishes […]
Jerk Client? Here’s a Way to Get Revenge and Some Billable Hours at the Same Time
Brilliant. Er, I mean wrong. So, so wrong. Terrible, even. Definitely do not do this. But if you do definitely let us know how it goes. I’m an Accountant, every Christmas we have a vote for the client who’s been the biggest prick of the year, then I report them to HMRC regardless of if […]
Number of the Day: 53
The average age of a non-Big 4 public accounting firm partner hasn’t really changed at all in the last three years. In late December 2018, CPA Journal analyzed the results of the 2018 NYSSCPA–Rosenberg Practice Management Survey and mentioned this in regards to partners’ ages: Partners have gotten slightly younger, both in terms of average […]
TIL There’s Something Called ‘Turnover Contagion’ and It’s Probably Happening At Your Firm Right Now
We here at Going Concern have never been enthusiastic fans of buzzwords. Whether they’re cluttering up your LinkedIn profile or awkwardly littering a Big 4 Twitter account, our tolerance level for buzzwords is a steady nil at all times. That intolerance may be changing now as we continue the journey forward into the accelerating Great […]
A Look at the Leaders Driving Diversity and Inclusion In the States
A number of Black CPAs have risen to the leadership level at several state CPA societies, either as board chairs or chief staff officers. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is also at the top of many state societies’ agendas. Here’s a look at just a few of the many people in state CPA societies helping […]
EY Thinks Its Women Can Make or Break Their Careers On the Golf Course
It’s been years since the show ended but I started a rewatch of Mad Men recently, and when I came across the article I’m about to share with you, I couldn’t help but think of a particular scene. This episode aired 13 years ago (yikes) so I’m hoping none of you will need a spoiler […]
What Exactly Is the Profession’s ‘Pipeline Problem’ and Why Should You Care?
I realized the other day while halfway through typing out a rambling sentence that barely had anything to do with accounting in a separate post that I’ve written about the profession’s pipeline problem several times over the last few months but hadn’t ever really defined it. I’d reference back to things here and there but […]
Let’s Talk About What the Profession Can Do to Advance Black CPAs
Three leaders of the Black CPA Centennial’s organizing partners—whose everyday missions support and promote the advancement of Black CPAs—offer insights on the main barriers Black professionals face, the roles their organizations play in helping overcome those barriers, and what the CPA profession can do collectively to progress in achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion. The organizations […]
In Obvious News, Turns Out Working Fewer Hours Leads to More Productive Workers
So, my job is measured in output. When Accountingfly brought me back to Going Concern in late 2018, we agreed upon me delivering x number of articles a week for y amount of money and that was that. There’s a loose expectation that I’ll write more than a sentence when filing a story, but funny […]
Science Confirms That Mind-Numbing Overtime Sucks
2020 delivered much sorrow and absurdity but also brought us catchy new phrases. “Follow the science” has worn out its welcome in many circles, but I’m willing to resurrect this phrase for a just cause: debunking the myth that relentless overtime is a necessity in the accounting profession. Without further delay, let’s take a nice […]
F*ck the Firms, It’s Your Show Now
Several weeks back I had an early morning appointment halfway across town and though I usually bike everywhere, I decided I didn’t feel like working up a sweat at 7:30 a.m. so I called an Uber. Rather, I attempted to get an Uber, however not a single vehicle was on the road. I live in […]
Making Remote Work: June’s Hottest Remote Accounting Jobs
Looking for a truly remote accounting job—one that doesn’t transform into an in-office grind after a few months? Accountingfly is the answer to your “never commute again/never wear suit pants again” prayer–their core business is placing candidates in 100% permanently remote accounting jobs. Whether you’re looking for a permanent position or a freelance/temp gig, check […]
It Doesn’t Take Much to Keep Moss Adams Interns Happy
All it takes, apparently, is to keep them hydrated.