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Accounting Career Conundrums: Aspiring CPA Concerned Background Check Will Uncover Revealing Past

Posted on by Amber Setter
Got a career conundrum? Email us at advice@goingconcern.com and one of us will grab the cape that's stuffed in the closet. 
Hi Going Concern,
 
Okay, this question has been really driving me insane. I know you will probably think I'm a troll, but this is real. So, I was a stripper for about ten months out of state when I was 20. I worked to save money to buy a car, travel, and go back to school. My family is pretty much just my fiscally irresponsible mother and I so in my mind stripping was the only option I had. There was no one to help me pay for school and living expenses but myself. I had a good time, met some cool people, paid new car off, and quit. I never paid taxes on that income or have any solid evidence that I worked there. I guess when I applied for my car loan I had to put down the name of the strip club and now its on my credit report and/or background check. No one knows I ever stripped and I would like to keep it that way until I establish myself. Now I'm applying and interviewing with the Big 4 and a couple national firms and I'm scared that they will run my credit report and see this strip club on my report and reject me or take back job offers. Last year I interned at a small firm and the director of HR called me to ask about the strip club on my credit report. I almost vomited I was so nervous. I told her I was a make-up artist there and didn't put it on my resume because it didn't seem relevant to the tax internship I was applying to. I have no idea is she believed me. I was still able to work that internship but the Director of HR lady was never friendly with me and I always felt like she was judging me. 
 
Help!! What should I do. Will Big 4 reject me because of this strip club on my credit check?
 
Thanks
 
~Naked CPA
Dear Naked CPA, 
 
I am not going to hate on your previous choice of employment. Having paid for my own tuition, I admire your resourcefulness and commitment to rising above the example your parents set for you. 
 
I can totally appreciate the anxiety you are feeling after having been nearly found out by the HR Director at the small firm. The good news is you don’t need to stress. The use of credit checks by employers is becoming increasingly restricted. Since employment law varies from state to state, I can’t say for certain what is and isn’t legal where you are looking to work. To get the facts, you might want to run a Google search on “hiring decisions and credit checks” with your state’s name.
 
Another fact I would explore is discovering exactly what is contained within your credit and background check. Otherwise, you are operating in the land of assumptions and interpretations, which is never a good place to be. Do the reports in fact reveal your revealing past?  You guessed that this is how the small firm found out about it but do you really know? If I were you, I would want to know exactly what information was on public record so that I could have the best response prepared in advance. The reality is that your past could come up again. You don't know where your career path will take you, so it is better to have a handle on it sooner than later.   
 
I also know that if firms actually run a background check, they don’t do it until after the person has accepted employment. I don’t think you will get rejected in advance nor do I see them rescinding your offer. Firms are always looking for rainmakers; if you earned enough to pay for a car, you were obviously good at that. If anything, they should hire you for that expertise if they discover it. And on this note: I know of a firm that hired a former stripper and with full knowledge of her sordid past. See, you don’t need to stress.  
 
Good luck!

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An Accounting Job Search Strategy for the International Student

The following post is republished from AccountingWEB, a source of accounting news, information, tips, tools, resources and insight — everything you need to help you prosper and enjoy the accounting profession.

In my experience, the most important thing you need to consider when looking for a job in the U.S. as a foreigner is how to work here legally. International students looking for part-time work are allowed to work no more than 20 hours a week to maintain F-1 visa. After graduation, to stay in the United States, one must find an employer willing to sponsor your working visa (called an H-1B visa).

I came to the U.S. last August from China, and am enrolled in a master of accounting program at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Like other international students in a completely new place, I initially felt hopeless as to where to start my job search. I began searching recruiting websites, but found that these websites aren’t as helpful for students without experience.

Another method I tried was to take advantage of all the resources my school offered, including a career center. These often offer more entry-level opportunities. You can often find networking opportunities through career centers as well.


I was honored to act as the president of the student chapter of IMA® at my university in my first semester and actively took part in the events held by the local professional chapter every month. During this time, I not only got to know some professionals but also got an understanding about business culture in the U.S. – a great help in my job hunting.

In my second semester, I secured my first unpaid internship with a nonprofit organization located in Washington, DC. At the same time, I volunteered to help prepare tax returns. These experiences helped build up my résumé and enhanced my communication skills. Likewise, for those international students who do not have any working experience, it might be a good start to focus on volunteer opportunities and unpaid internships. Nonprofit and international institutions are more willing to sponsor foreign students since they know the process quite well. For those who work in companies that are hesitant to sponsor your working visa, try talking with your supervisor or the HR department to explain that the visa sponsorship process is simple.

This past summer, through on-campus recruiting, I was offered a challenging internship with a government contractor. After spending the summer there, I gained a deeper understanding of accounting issues on daily basis and had more responsibilities.

In addition to adding professional experience to my résumé, I was also looking to strengthen my academic background and social skills, which included passing the CMA® exam and becoming more involved with IMA. I will also attend the 11th annual IMA Student Leadership Conference in California this November. Currently, I am working as an intern at a financial institution which has relationships with banks in China. In addition to assuming some financial and accounting responsibilities, I will also be involved in projects aimed at the Chinese market.

Thanks to my former experience, I got used to my new position quickly and was able to perform my work with minimal supervision. The company even expressed their willingness to sponsor me for the H-1B when I graduate. This shows how it is very useful to rely on your educational and professional background and seek out job opportunities with links to your home country.