Strange situation
I am wondering how to handle this: I started a temp to perm last week. Apparently, the job ended last Friday, but the recruiter/agency did not let me know. So, I went to work this morning and got the bad news. So, now I have a permanent part-time job that I left in August and no work showing on my resume since then. I had accepted a job at a CPA firm that was not a good fit and left that job for the temp to perm job. I did not have any reason to believe that this job would not go permanent. On this temp to perm job, I was replacing their full charge bookkeeper. Unbeknowst to me, no one knows what or how the previous incumbent did the job, and they were using an old DOS based program. All they had me do last week was file unpaid A/P and update a work in progress spreadsheet. I was told they were letting me go because I did not know payroll ( which I mentioned in the interview) and because I asked questions about the spreadsheet ( such as what are you trying to track here, or can you help me with where this information is coming from?) I would like to hide my CPA license, as when I was hired, I was told "oh good, you are a CPA, you have done all this before." I had told them I had done A/P, A/R, G/L and financials, collections, but not payroll, but I could learn. I did not expect to walk into a company and find that they did not have a plan and expected someone to just walk in, sit down and run. The program they are using is from 1986, is DOS based, last update in 1997 and software company no longer supports. Would anyone be able to just walk in and run with this? There are no help files for the software and the fact that no one else knows how to use the software seems crazy! That being said and done- What do I do now? I applied for two jobs this morning - I am only looking for part-time of 25 hours a week. I assume I qualify for unemployment- I am in Ohio and I did nothing that should have caused me to lose the temp job- I showed up on time, was willing and able to work and learn. My resume currently shows me as unemployed since August. Hope that is the best way to do this, but I am not sure. Should I hide my CPA license? I have no interest, at this time in a full time position, and I do not think I need it for the type of work I am looking for - basically an Accounting assistant, etc. I think it makes some employers feel that I know more than I do because there seems to be a perception that CPA's know everything, which I don't! I am also not sure what to tell prospective employers about this situation - if I should even mention it at all. I have never been in this situation before. Thanks KJ 1. Your resume should show like this: August 2007- present Acme Temporary Company Various accounting assignments including...... You don't list each temp assignment separately since (presumably) you're working through the same temp agency all along. That's your employer. 2. There is NEVER any guarantee that any temp job will go perm. Temp to Perm only means that there is a CHANCE it will, but never any promise. 3. It is common for companies to bring in temps and be out of touch with how far behind the times their systems are, etc. If they've had the same people using them for years, they may just not know any better. Don't take it personally. 4. It is common for companies to dump temps like used tissues. Again, don't take it personally. If the situation is like you described, they'll go through 20 people before they either hit someone who can make it work or the person you're replacing returns. 5. Professional Part-time jobs are hard to find. They're out there, but not common so you'll have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the right fit. Have you considered setting up your own business? Then you can pick and choose your hours and what kind of work you want to do. Lots of small companies need that kind of part-time work without the burden of taking on a staff person for it.
Thanks! Good to know I should not take this personally. Well, first, I was always under the impression that anyone who accepted a temp job was expected to just sit down and run with whatever they had, but your case is extreme. I wouldn't think that the majority of people would be able to sit and run with an outdated computer program. As for your asking too many questions regarding the work on the spreadsheet, I have always subscribed to two philosophy's.
I think the temp agency did a major diservice to both you and their client by placing you in a position where you did not know certain tasks (I am talking about the payroll not the DOS stuff) and the company did a disservice to you, the temp agency and themselves by not providing at least a few basic training points, such as where to go to get your information to complete your job. On the question of hiding your CPA license, I would only say that doing that would hamper your efforts. If you want an accounting job, you should show any type of accounting accumen you posess. I was always under the impression that a Certified Public Accountant did Accounting and made sure that checks were cashed, checks were authorized, debts were paid, credits were established and the checkbook was balanced. And I thought that payroll was a specialiized field where people knew what percentage of the paycheck went to to benefits and taxes, etc. I thought these were two seperate entities. Lastly, this is a very good example of why cross-training within the company is a good idea. Only one person understood how to do this job. If there was at least one other person who understood the basics, then the distress caused by this situation could have been minimized. Why didn't the supervisor (at least) know the basics. Isn't that something a supervisor is supposed to know? How would the supervisor know the person was doing the job without embezzling tons of money if he/she didn't understand the basics of the program? I had always thought that payroll was a separate thing also. A lot of CPA's know payroll, but not all. I can do all those things you listed and do them well. I think because this was such a small company- 12 people, no one ever considered cross-training, which I think is odd. I expected to come in, be given a stack of AP or AR to process and start running with it. Instead, on the first day, I was given AP invoices to enter into an excel spreadsheet so they could be aged. I, then asked if they had a place to file unpaid bills and they didn't know. So, I suggested that we could file these alaphabetically to make it easier to find them. I was told that might be okay, but they didn't know if that was the right thing to do. So, I went ahead and did that because I know that is the right thing to do. In most computer systems, when you cut A/P checks, they come off in alphabetical order, and even if they don't, at least you know the invoices you need are filled alphabetically so you can easily find them. On the third day, the person who was supposed to be training me, broke down and had a crying fit because she was overwhelmed. She was too busy to stop and show me what she really needed me to work on and that was frustrating to me. I guess the problem was that there was no supervisor, only a co-worker and owners who do not know accounting. When companies were calling looking for payment, the president would complain that the problem was his bookkeeper left after six years- not that we will take care of it. It was a loaded situation from the start, but I did not know that. I am completely able to handle everything but the payroll and I was working my way thru that by reading the IRS and state of ohio websites to learn what forms had to be filed when. I don't think they really gave me a chance! The kicker is the temp agency told me there would be someone to train me on the software. It has been a comedy (tragedy???) of errors all the way around. My only point in asking them questions was to learn what they were looking for and what they needed so I could do the job. Being concerned because they did not seem to know what they were doing, I even verified that they were paying the fica and futa taxes on time. The other person didn't know if they were or not and it turned out they were using something called Taxtel. So, basically, they couldn't train me because they didn't know themselves. Yes, I suspect that they could be open to embezzlement if they do not know what they are looking at or what employees are doing! The sad part is, I had a permanent job, albeit one I could not stay in for several reasons, but a job neverless. Now, I will have a gap on my resume! YOUR STORY IS SIMILAR TO MINE. I TOOK A POSITION AT A TEMP AGENCY WHICH WAS SUPPOSE TO GO PERM IN THREE MONTHS. I WAS EXPECTED TO KNOW THE SOFTWARE AND THE JOB WHEN I WALKED IN THE DOOR. I TOLD HR DURING THE INTERVIEW I DID NOT KNOW THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM BUT IF THEY WERE WILLING TO TRAIN ME I WOULD BE WILLING TO LEARN...I DID NOT GET TRAINING. THE PEOPLE THERE WERE NASTY AND ACTED LIKE THEY WERE PUT OUT IF I ASKED A QUESTION. I CANT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I WAS DEMEANED BY MY CO WORKERS WHO ALL HAD BEEN THERE FOR YEARS. DEMEANED BECAUSE I DIDNT KNOW AS MUCH AS THEY DID. AFTER THREE MONTHS, I WAS LET GO WITH NO EXPLANATION, BUT LATER FOUND OUT I WAS BEING USED TO GET THEM OVER THE CHRISTMAS HUMP. UNFORTUNATLY FOR ME I WAS PLANNING ON THIS BEING A PERM POSITION, HOWEVER IT WAS NOT A GOOD FIT SO MAYBE IT WAS A BLESSING THEY LET ME GO....I DID RECEIVE UNEMPLOYMENT AND I BELIEVE YOU CAN ALSO...CHECK IT OUT. THE JOB I HAD AFTER THIS ONE WAS PERM TO START WITH AND I DID HAVE SOME TRAINING, HOWEVER AFTER TWO WEEKS I WAS SUPPOSE TO BE SOME KIND OF A GURU AND KNOW IT ALL. ONCE AGAIN WHEN I ASKED A QUESTION I WAS EITHER IGNORED OR GIVEN BAD ADVISE. WHEN I DIDNT HAVE A QUESTION I WAS BEING MICROMANAGED AND GIVEN UNSOLICITED ADVISE. I ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTIONS DURING THE INTERVIEW FOR THIS JOB BUT I WAS TREMENDOUSLY DECEIVED BY THE HIRING MANAGER. I SPOKE TO HR ABOUT THIS ON TWO SEPERATE OCCASIONS AND WAS ASSURED IT WOULD GET BETTER...IT DIDNT!! FINALLY ON MY 90TH DAY I TOLD MY MANAGER I WASNT PLANNING ON STAYING. BOTTOM LINE, YOU CANT LEARN THE JOB IF NOBODY IS WILLING TO TRAIN YOU. IT IS MANAGEMENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO DO YOUR JOB, IF THEY CANT DO THAT THEN THEY SHOULDNT EXPECT MUCH FROM YOU. NOW I LOOK LIKE A JOB HOPPER AFTER HAVING A CLEAN WORK RECORD FOR 27 YEARS. I AM NOW EMPLOYED PART TIME WITH FLEX HOURS, I WORK WHEN I CAN AND WHEN I WANT. I AM ALSO ATTENDING CLASSES FOR TAX PREP....THIS IS WORKING WELL FOR ME. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE SLIDING INTO A NEW CAREER SOON. I THINK IT WAS A BLESSING THEY LET YOU GO...GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND CHECK UNEMPLOYMENT OUT.
Wow, I am sorry to hear what you have gone thru. Seems like there are a lot of strange places out there. I am slightly embarassed by what happened, and it is frustrating because I am only looking for part-time, but a professional part-time job. I would guess it probably is a blessing what happened. I feel bad for the people working there, because year end is coming, and I think they are going to have a problem doing the 1099's and W-2's because the person who was supposed to be training me, did not know what 1099's were and she didn't know much about w-2's, other than you get them at the end of the year. My other thought is that the owners ( this was a small - 12 person company) decided that maybe they didn't need another person as this first person was getting the work done anyway ( or most of it - except closing the books and updating accounting spreadsheets) and I know cash was tight. So, they could rationalize not needing another person since they had gone 6 weeks already. It was a strange place- the person training me would just break down and start crying- one time because she was going to have to come in late ( she was salaried and the owners were okay with it) to drop off dogs at the vet. I don't know why that was an issue. Then, I suggested that instead of their tracking the cash balance on a ledger sheet, we could set up an excel spreadsheet. I don't think she liked that because she thought it was too hard - again, I was going to set up the spreadsheet and when ever someone did a check run or made a deposit, they could just update the worksheet. I am not sure why that was an issue! The truth is there are many specialized areas of accounting and unless you have expertise doing the accounting for small businesses many accountants (including CPA's) do not know a particular software or may only be trained in certain areas of accounting. That does not make them bad accountant's - it just means they do not have the day to day experience to handle small business accounting. That being said, a small business looking for an accountant should hire someone who is familiar with small business accounting needs. That includes payroll and all associated taxes, filing of sales taxes, AP, AR, etc. etc. etc. The person they hire should also be proficient in the particular software that is being used by the business or be the person who can upgrade them to a new accounting software system. I think this small business assumed that because you were a CPA you would be familiar with all areas of accounting ( an error on their part). As a CPA you should have realized that they needed an accountant who specializes in handling "small business accounting" needs - and that is not your area of expertise. Most accountants who work only part time usually work in small businesses because small businesses only need someone part time. So, you may need to look to larger firms who need specific skills - such as someone who specializes in auditing, cost accounting , fixed asset control etc. Do not expect small businesses to provide training - they are looking to you as the expert to tell them how it should be done, changes that need to be made etc. In this specific case the small business should have specified to the temp agency that they needed someone with a small business accounting background who could jump in feet first. Mary
I agree with you. I actually do have small business experience, just not in house payroll. I disclosed this to the employer. I have worked for companies with revenues ranging from 1 Million to 60 Million. I think part of this was messed up by the recruiter who had told me they used ADP payroll and that I did not need to know payroll taxes. Of course, even with ADP payroll, you do still do some of the taxes. I think what was odd was that I told this small business the limits of my experience, but they were okay with it. The office manager claimed that she had figured out the payroll and that it wasn't hard. So, I had said, well, as long as you have the payroll down, I know I can handle the rest. I know about the payroll taxes, just haven't done them, but have done sales taxes, AP, AR, financial statement prep, bank and account recs, collections, 1099's etc. The office manager, told me that she would train me on the software. Keep in mind that this is a software program from the 80's, that has not been supported for a good 7 years and was not Y2K complaint. I was quite shocked to find out (after I started, of course) that they were using non Y2K complaint software- even after they had lost information on it. I would have thought that would have resulting in updating to more modern software. I think I found it frustrating that I came in, expecting that they would give me work to enter in to the accounting system to help catch them up, or they would have told me where the accounting workpapers were so that I could get those caught up. Well, none of that happened. I came in, and was given unpaid bills to age in a spreadsheet. Ok. Then I asked if they had a folder for unpaid bills. At that moment, the person didn't know. So I suggested alphabetizing them so that we could easily find them. I was then told, that might be the right thing to do, but that she wasn't sure and we might have to do something different. So, I alphabetized them. The next morning I asked if they had an alpha file and put the unpaid bills in there. Then, suddenly, it turned out that there was a file for unpaid bills in one of the file cabinets. Keep in mind, that the position had been open for six weeks at this point. Then, they had me work on another spreadsheet- supposedly tracking work in progress. I saw some formulas that looked suspect and I asked what they were trying to do with the spreadsheet, and they didn't know. So, I mentioned that I did the best I could with the spreadsheet, but their may be some non material issues- mostly in terms of the cost versus the estimated cost. The numbers on the estimated cost side did not appear to tie to what was in the software program. I do not think this would have any material effect on numbers in the financials, however. So, after I finished that, I was given an envelope to type. Since they seemed so confused about stuff, I started wondering if they knew what they were doing with the taxes. I found that they misfigured the amount for city income taxes payable. I also asked how they were paying the Federal and FICA taxes as I did not see any 8106 forms around. The other person did not know. When I tried to trace this back, I think I confused the person who wassupposed to be training me as she didn't understand PR taxes. ( This was the same person who told me she had figured it out!) I did some more digging around and found out that they were using something called TAXTEL and paying the taxes online. This is good, but I was concerned they were not able to tell me that when I asked. I know that their state taxes will be due for September on October 15th, and that the 941 form will be due on Oct 31st. I asked about the sales taxes, as I had started on the 24th and it would have been due that day. I was told they thought they had paid. I eventually found some workpapers and determined that they were paying sales tax semiannually. But again, I guess they didn't know that either. The person who was supposed to train me never gave me any work to enter into the accounting system, so I started trying to work my way thru it and learn how the various screens and such work. I was actually getting pretty far at understanding how the program works and what it's limitations were. For example, there is no way to print an outstanding check list, and the system does not show GL account balances until after the month is closed. It also appeared not to generate financial statements - a GL account balance listing was printed and then the info entered into a spreadsheet set up as an income statement. I also found that the other person did not know how to read an aging report. We were missing two BP statements and she did not know how to tie the balance in the accounting system to the balance on the statement. So, I showed her how to do that and how to read an aging report. The president, was also confused with the missing bills and backing out the numbers. They were also keeping track of the cash balance in their checking account by using a sheet of ledger paper. This made the bank rec harder and more time consuming than it needed to be. I volunteered to make them an excel spreadsheet where they, myself or someone else, could enter the information on the spreadsheet for each check run, deposit, etc and it would automatically calculate the current balance for them. I think that was too much for the other person - she said it made her head hurt to think that much. I am sure I could have done the job, had they given me a chance. I was very concerned, however, that their payroll tax tables had not been updated since 2002 for the federal and 2003 for the state. I , frankly, wasn't sure how best to fix that situation. Do you keep the tables the same for the rest of the year, or fix on the spot. I think the net effect is that they were probably withholding too much tax. Had they kept me this week, I was going to ask them to give me some AP to enter into the system so that I could get a handle on it. I did mention before I left on Monday, that they might want to check the numbers in the payroll tables as they appeared not to have been updated since 2002/2003 and that they might want to consider an outside payroll service. I think unfortunately, it was just a bad situation. The person who had the knowledge walked out the door and no one bothered to learn what that person was doing. In the long run, this is probably a blessing in disguise. Hopefully, there is some out there who needs an accountant, who is not afraid to work hard, and dig in, and ask questions to learn how a business works, and make suggestions to impr ...[Message truncated] | |
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