+1 to this tactic
Also “Evaluate Formula” functionality helps.
Well, I’ve had bad luck with jobs for the past few years, through no real fault of my own. (One company left town, one company sold out, one wasn’t a good fit. I’m on my fourth job in three years.) So I need to stay put for a while.
Plus, I talked to my Daddy-in-law, who’s a local CPA (in the private sector, but he used to be in public accounting). He said not to worry too much. In the next five-ish years, I’ll learn 90% of everything I’ll ever need to know about tax theory and planning. As long as I learn what numbers go on what forms and why, then in a few years, they’ll either see value in new technology, or I can leave and go to a firm where they like to use the technology. But since I’ve been exposed to the new technology, it won’t be hard to learn and become more efficient.
So maybe I’m worried about nothing. But it still sucks right now, today.
wow 4 jobs in 3 years… that must be a record, no?
I hate changing jbos, mostly because i hate not knowing what i am doing in the first few weeks, i find it very frustrating and too shy to ask questions every 5min.
But in another sense, it’s probably good to learn from differnet people,different methods and procedures. perhaps there are some intelligence in using pens and papers as well??
A complex function I can understand. But some of this is =A1+B1
Every. Single. Cell.
When he started seeing some of the soft copies of the more complex models we worked with, he seemed to lay up on the calculations, but hey, maybe that’s what he was doing on the weekends. None the less, I got the impression he never fully trusted the basic math ability of Excel.
You grow when you get out of your comfort zone.
So my father-in-law took me to lunch today. As noted before, he used to be a CPA in private practice. But he and his partner got sideways, so he now is a corporate controller, but still does all the tax work for the company.
FIL knows a CPA firm here in town that might be looking to hire somebody. They actually use Excel. (What a concept!) And they seem to be pretty technologically savvy. Plus, one of the partners has their Series 7/66, for what that’s worth. (The current firm has absolutely zero interest in _ ever _ doing investments.)
Part of me says that I should stay put, because the senior partner at my current firm is really smart, and I think I could learn a lot from him. And the scope of our work (excluding investments) is probably greater than any other pure tax practice around. (We do private foundations, defined-benefit pension plans, gift and estate tax, trusts, and of course, all the 1040’s and business tax returns.) I do not know whether the other firm will have nearly as much variety.
Also, if I leave, I will be starting my fifth job in three years. Not good.
On the same token, I really have doubts about my long-term future with this company. Inertia is a very strong force around here. Maybe I’d rather go to a new place, even if it has less exposure to estate/gift/trust taxes.
Comments? Advice?
What’s it cost to check it out to determine the level of variety?
I’m not sure what you mean. You never really “know” a job until you work there, but I can at least have a conversation with the partner in charge. And since FIL knows the partner pretty well, I think it’s at least worth my time to give them a resume. They can call me in on Saturday and I can meet with them, so there’s no chance of the current boss finding out.
IF they actually give me a call, and IF they actually give me an offer, this will probably be a really difficult decision to make. On one hand, I know I can learn a lot from the firm I’m at now. But my long-term prospects look dim, especially if I’m already grumbling about the technology (or lack thereof).
That’s all I meant: talk to them and see what they have to say.
Aye, You should check it out. No harm in that.
Bump, for CvM, who doesn’t know why I bite my tongue when he says “Excel ain’t rocket science, stupid.”
Sorry Greenie. He who has the gold, makes the rules.
It’s actually a lot worse than just Excel.
When you get an e-mail from a client and you need to put it in their file, what do you do?
I click on the e-mail and drag it to the clien’t online folder. It takes about five seconds. And it’s immediately available to everybody in the firm who needs to access the folder.
My boss forwards the e-mail to his administrative assistant. The AA prints the e-mail and walks it upstairs to the file clerk. The file clerk looks for the file and places the paper in the file. Unfortunately, we have 20 employees, and sometimes the file clerk has to go room to room to find it. If she can’t, she goes to a second AA who sends out a mass e-mail asking “Who has seen John Doe’s file?” This whole process takes between 5 minutes and several hours, and involves no fewer than three people.
Just an example of how back asswards my firm really is.
How does your firm remain competitive with such horrible processes? Your overhead must be huge.
The majority partner has been around for a long long time, and is extremely well-connected in the community. And the clients have deep pockets. And they don’t know that other firms can probably do it faster and better (because you can’t really “shop” tax accountants).
The majority partner has been around for a long long time, and is extremely well-connected in the community. And the clients have deep pockets. And they don’t know that other firms can probably do it faster and better (because you can’t really “shop” tax accountants).
So I landed an interview with the other company. They want me to come in and take a look at the office and see for myself whether or not I really like the place. (These people actually use Excel and can create folders on the company drive. What a concept!)
Stay tuned for updates.
I made the jump. Today’s my last day at the technology-blind firm. I’m moving to the new company.
I was able to tour their office and saw what they were using, and I’m quite certain that I won’t have the same problem.
I knew it when the partner said, “I’m going to put a new motherboard in that computer, and upgrade it to Windows 7 for you.” I asked, “Oh–you’re taking to the computer place today?” He responded, “No, I’m doing it myself. Won’t take very long.” Then he told me that he used to be the IT manager for the most prestigious family office in town.
Congrats Greenie.
Congrats on new role. Is it the same type of work too?