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October 2, 2023

Look, It’s Okay, The Big 4 Doesn’t Want You

Sometimes the world looks perfect, nothing to rearrange. Sometimes you get a feeling like you need some kind of change. If you're not quite standing tall on the wings of your dreams, get in touch and we'll let you crash on our couch while you figure it out.

Hi All,

First let you know I love the page and mostly the articles related to CPA Exam. Second, recently I was reading the article about the intern who don't get an offer and I noticed I'm in the same place. I was an intern in a Big 4 this summer along with 14 interns more. During the internship I was reviewed earning an Exceed Expectations rating, also a Senior Manager sent me an email about how good was my job and all my effort and explaining me that the work I did was job that normally an associate will do. During my second evaluation I was ranked 'Meet Expectations' and the team was really happy with my job. The last day all the interns received and offer, interns that study with me and normally earn lower grades in accounting and to my surprise the firm offer me a next internship that could be fall or summer. I don't know what to do because I made a really good job, I fit with the culture and I don't do anything farther than have a normal conversation with staff of the firm. Please help me I don't know what to do. Specially [sic] I don't know why they offer me a second internship. I know is an opportunity but I earned better evaluations than other interns because they showed to me. Important fact: my career coach leave the firm during my internship.

Thanks ,

The Rejected Intern.

We'll put this as kindly as we can, RI, they don't want you. I'm willing to guess it's because my cat has better English skills and situational awareness than you but that's just a guess.

Meeting or even exceeding expectations isn't necessarily a guarantee you'll get a job. After all, you're an intern, the only expectation is that you'll show up fully dressed, hopefully with brushed teeth and hair but even that they'll let go as long as your stank breath and rat's nest don't disturb your colleagues and clients.

As has been discussed in excess on this website, high grades mean jack when it comes to public accounting. This isn't med school, it's number-crunching. All the 4.0s in the world won't get you far if you're socially awkward, obnoxious or just plain dumb. Clearly you're lacking a bit in the awareness department if you were really this blindsided by the firm's decision to give the slacker interns you worked with offers and pass on you.

It sounds to me like the firm is just trying to be polite and hoping you'll tell them to screw off when it dawns on you how pathetic you'd look waiting around for this second internship when your first intern class is already cranking away at their careers. I've never heard of someone not getting a full-time offer but getting offered a second internship instead, something doesn't smell right.

So you need to hit the pavement and start looking for a new opportunity, perhaps one with a less prestigious firm like McGladrey that won't be obsessed with perfection or at least reasonable sentence structure.

You wrote us asking for help but I'm not exactly sure what it is you want help with. Are we supposed to tell you it's all one big mistake and you should call up your supervising senior immediately to inform them of such? Nope, not a mistake, move on.

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