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Tag: Rejection

New Jersey CPA Exam Candidates Get Incorrectly Rejected by CPAES

I’m sorry we missed this last week, I’ve been busy making arts and crafts and railing on misguided kids.

According to the NJSCPA, some New Jersey CPA exam candidates got disturbing news from CPAES when they were told they did not meet the state education requirements.

The New Jersey Society of CPAs was recently alerted that a number of CPA Exam candidates in New Jersey had their applications rejected by CPA Examination Services (CPAES) because they did not meet the education requirements. Upon further investigation, the NJSCPA learned that there has been some confusion about thNew Jersey’s regulations concerning education requirements.

The NJSCPA is currently working with the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy to bring about a resolution to this situation that is in the best interests of CPA Candidates and the public. We expect to have a more detailed announcement about that resolution following the State Board’s next meeting on October 20.

At the moment, here is where we stand:

CPA Exam candidates whose applications were rejected by CPAES are encouraged to request a waiver. CPAES will hold your waiver request until the State Board makes its announcement in late October.

CPA Exam candidates who have submitted applications, but have yet to receive any type of notice from CPAES, please be advised that CPAES is holding your application until the State Board makes its announcement in late October. Any applications received between now and that announcement will be held until further action by the State Board.

The lone comment on the NJSCPA post states:

Well, this explains a lot. I applied for the exam more than 3 months ago and still haven’t heard a word. My understanding, which was gained by reading the NJSCPA, NASBA, and AICPA websites, was that in NJ one only needs to complete a Bachelor’s degree to sit for the exam. The 150 hour credit-specific requirement was always referenced to in the licensure section. I, for one, will be pretty upset if they decide to reinterpret these guidelines.

New Jersey! Why didn’t you guys tell me this?! For the record, I think I Pass the CPA Exam has the most comprehensive state CPA exam requirement page outside of NASBA’s own Accountancy Licensing Library, so if you have questions about individual jurisdiction requirements, check there also.

SO. New Jersey requirements:

1. Education Requirements To Sit For The Exam:

• Bachelor degree or above with accounting concentration
• 120 semester units from an accredited university or educational institution
• Note to international candidate: NJ State Board only recognizes ECE as the only foreign credential evaluation agency for their state.

2. Additional Requirements To Get CPA License:

Education:

• Fulfill 150 semester hours AND any of the following:
• Graduate degree in accounting
• MBA with
• Any graduate degree with 30 hours in accounting class

Work Experience:

• 1 year of public accounting experience supervised and verified by a licensed CPA

Ethics Qualification:

• There is no need to take the CPA Ethics Exam by AICPA. Instead, you’ll need to take an ethics course offered by these providers

3. Residency & Age Requirements:

• US citizenship not required
• NJ residency not required
• Minimum age: 18

Now this might not be a big deal to anyone else in the country but I’m sure anxious NJ candidates on a deadline did not appreciate this fubar snafu. This might be an appropriate time to analyze what else CPAES “administers” on behalf of the state boards of accountancy that choose to use their services:

• Process and evaluate requests from candidates seeking special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This involves an individual negotiation process with each candidate, including receipt of a signed agreement from the candidate
• Notify National Candidate Database (and/or candidate) of candidate’s eligibility to take the examination
• Remit portion of fees to boards, if requested
• Remit portion of fees to National Candidate Database for distribution to NASBA, AICPA and Prometric
• Assist boards of accountancy in acquiring necessary hardware and software to communicate individual candidate credit status • Hold scores of candidates with deficiencies after obtaining board approval electronically with the National Candidate Database (transmitting both data and funds) and, if necessary, AICPA and Prometric
• Assist boards in addressing and resolving any electronic communication issues involving CPAES and the National Candidate Database
• Track candidate progress from scheduling through CBT examination delivery
• Receive candidate scores from National Candidate Database
• Analyze scores and post appropriate credit to candidate records, including expiration dates
• Provide boards with score reports, including
• Print and distribute score notices to candidates after board approval
• Provide passing candidates with licensure and other information
• Answer candidate questions about score results and diagnostics
• Maintain permanent electronic files for all candidates
• Issue written, oral and electronic reports to boards
• Prepare statistical reports of candidate performance

Put into perspective, that’s a pretty big snafu if, in fact, CPAES bumbled CPA exam candidate applications. That’s a big if until we hear the final word from NJSCPA.

How to Reject an Accounting Firm’s Offer

Welcome to the de minimis edition of Accounting Career Emergencies. In today’s edition, a young accountant wants to know how to reject a firm in the most professional way possible. Is it best to give them the Band-aid™ treatment or can you simply not call and hope they get the hint?

Are you surrounded by idiots? Worried your firm is morphing into something undesirable? Thinking of giving it all up for a shot a culinary immortality? Email us at advice@goingconcern.com and we’ll help you become the next Ray Kroc.

Returning to the rejector:

Dear GC,

I have two FT offers from mid-size firms. I know which offer I want to accept but my question is what is the best/most professional way to “reject” the other firm? Is it better to call or email them and how should I word it?

These two firms are competitors and they both know I have interned with the other. My second question is should I try to leverage the firm I want to accept from and negotiate a higher starting salary? I’m not sure I even want to bother if there is a possibility of “burning any bridges” with either firm if I’d only get an extra grand or two. I just graduated and this is my first time in this situation. Any advice from you or the GC community would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Newbie

Dear Newbie,

Here’s the thing – rejecting a firm isn’t like rejecting a human being. They don’t have feelings so don’t be afraid to be honest. Sure the person you speak to may sound disappointed but trust me when I say that they’ve heard it all before. That said, sending them an email with an image of your photocopied ass attached is not advisable. Your message can be communicated by either phone call or email and can give as little or as much detail as you like. You can keep it vague, “I’ve decided to accept another offer,” decline any pressing by your rejectee or you can go into detail, “I chose Firm A because [insert reason],” as long as you don’t feel like this is your opportunity to share thoughts on everything that is wrong with their firm. The person listening to you will appreciate your honesty and you can feel good that you’ve kept a professional decorum throughout the process.

What you don’t do, is this:

I recently learned [a recruit] cancelled his second round interview with us- said he broke his ankle and went to the ER- but was seen out partying that same night by one of our former interns.

This was sent to Adrienne by an HR professional at a firm regarding a potential recruit. Granted, this person may not have gotten an offer to begin with but considering the tact involved with this rejection, the firm is better without this loser.

As for trying to use one firm against the other to leverage a higher salary, this is hardly the time in your career to play hardball over your salary.

Bottom line is that you can reject a firm in a direct. professional manner and who knows, the contact may serve you in the future when/if your current situation doesn’t pan out. Or you can be ‘fraidy cat and tell them your mother is sick and you’re re-examining your life choices. That will your professionalism somewhere in between toddler and pre-pubescence. Choose wisely.

Roland Berger Tells Deloitte to Drop Dead

Last week we mentioned that Deloitte and Munich-based Roland Berger were talking about getting cozy with both firms sounding pret-tay excited about the future. Turns out, no one had asked the Roland Berger partners how they felt about the whole situation.

Plans to merge Roland Berger Strategy Consultants with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu have fallen through after the Munich-based firm rejected the advances.

The two had been in advanced talks but directors at Berger overwhelmingly voted to remain independent.

Talks between the two firms had progressed so far it is believed they had already decided upon a new chief executive and were examining possible regulatory hurdles.

Over at the Financial Times, Adam Jones reminds us that this is a big wrench in Deloitte’s McKinsey-slaying plans, “[Roland Berger’s] decision to continue to go it alone is a blow to Deloitte’s ambition of eclipsing McKinsey in the market for strategic managerial advice.”

It’s a strange turn of events to be sure after last week’s PR lovefest but the FT reports that the Roland Berger was willing to put up his own cash to keep the green ink out of his firm:

Roland Berger said the vote to remain independent had been carried with a majority of “close to 100 per cent” on Saturday.

It added that partners in the firm – including Roland Berger, its founder – had agreed to put in more money to support the renewed go-it-alone plan.

People close to the deal talks suggested Mr Berger had agreed to invest about €50m ($68.5m) to help fund its expansion as a standalone business.

That’s not so much of a “No.” as it is a “Hell no.”

PwC Reject Wants to Know If Making Another Run at the Firm Is a Good Idea

Welcome to the Hump Day edition of Accounting Career Couch (or as Adrienne puts it, “advice from a bunch of asshole accountants”). Today we have a PwC reject who is going back for round two. Does previous rejection mean that P. Dubs has its mind up about how big of a loser you are? Maybe!

Feeling rejected and looking job soon? Unhappy at your current firm who doesn’t provide any training to turn the frown upside down? Need some advice on to get your co-workers to loosen up? Email us at advice@goingconcern.com and we’ll make everyone happy.

Returning to our glutton for punishment:

Dear Going Concern:

I interviewed earlier this year for a full time tax position with PwC. I made it to the final round and was given an office tour, lunch, 3 interviews and all that good stuff. Unfortunately, I did not receive an offer.

It is now the fall on campus recruiting season and again I am applying for a full time tax position with PwC. The lead recruiter already knows me from the recruiting process earlier this year. I’ve managed to speak with him once already at an on campus event and will see him at a career fair again next week. My question is can the fact that I’ve been rejected earlier this year hurt me in my attempt to get another interview and hopefully a full time offer. I plan on asking the recruiter this question next week but I get the feeling he will tell me that it’s okay and it won’t hurt me in anyway. However, being the cynical and skeptical person that I am, I need some perspective.

Dear Cynical and Skeptical,

Dealing with rejection, eh? Lots of that going around today. Unlike the Democrats, you have done nothing wrong. You made it to the very end and you simply didn’t make the cut. That happens. However, you are taking it in stride (not cursing PwC, blamestorming, etc.) although you are carrying the standard neurosis that comes with said rejection.

Your previous rejection by PwC should not dissuade you from your chances at a job with the firm. For whatever reason unbeknownst to you, the firm passed you over. It’s likely that it was a difficult decision on their part and your interest in the firm will be seen as a positive.

We understand that somewhere in your head, you’re thinking that the firm was just toying with you. Stringing you along, only to crush your Big 4 dreams at the last minute. The only scenario we can foresee where this would be a reality is if a recruiter/partner had the hots for you and eventually their belief in your “talents” were overruled. Fortunately, the odds of this being reality are slim.

So make another run at P. Dubs, reiterating your interest in the firm, reminding them why you’ll be a kick-ass associate and what you’ve done in the last few months that will get them hot for you all over again. Taking the “You made a biggest mistake of your life” is probably not the way to go, but a subtle hint at why you are everything they want and more may get them to see the error of their ways.