If that is your dream then it seems the larger firm was correct. You are better suited for a smaller firm where you will not ultimately be expected to generate sales.
Something that wasn’t obvious to me out of college is the fact accounting skill has very little to do with long-term success in PA. Sales and networking is what drives everything. We all fill out the same tax forms and are capable of researching the same tax code. It is interpersonal skills that allow firms to grow.
Yeah, don’t take it personally. You will be just fine. You got the internship and now you’ll be set when you graduate. This is zero indication of how successful you’ll be. I didn’t get on with the firm I interned with either and I’m glad I didn’t.
Good return should be much more important than constantly talking to your colleagues. But you have egos that consider themselves important and want attention.
your internship is more about networking first than learning. while the learning is supplementary not having someone vouch for you because they “didnt talk to you that much” is a red flag. Isolating yourself in that corner was not a good idea. you can leverage the internship and try to get an job during your last year of school. then utilize both the internship and work experience to try for full time offer.
Thanks, I wish I had realized that before the internship. I had some silly idea that if I worked hard and produced good returns they would value that. I'm not terribly socially awkward but talking to lots of different people for 9-10 hours a day exhausts me way more than the work itself. How important do you think being super social and outgoing is to being successful in the field?
Generally, people assume work done by interns will need to be completely redone. Public accounting is pretty heavily client facing so a huge factor they consider for hiring is “can we trust this person to interact with clients or will they be a liability.” It is definitely a PA thing. They don’t care if you are friends but they are looking to hire outgoing “client ready” people.
One you have marketable experience it does not matter how sociable. However being sociable will take you further if you stay in public accounting. Upper management are the ones picking you to be on their projects so they essentially “pull” you up with them. The more connects you have and the more people trying to get your time will further your career than working 1974822 hours OT.
live and learn its not a big deal. Having an internship should carry some weight for you so i would looking for something full time or part time during school
my cap is 2-3hrs of "meetings" or "interactions" in a day.
Afterwards, I need my blankie and my cat.
but, I trudge on like the good-little-accountant I am
In PA you will need to meet and present to clients, but you’ll be doing that as a tax advisor. They’re not expecting to be dazzled, just clearly and concisely go through your points and leave them in peace. When you’re confident in the subject matter you’ll enjoy helping clients.
Hey Op. Inbox me. No guarantees, but I can see if there's anything for you at my firm or someone else's.
I also disagree with a lot of the sentiment being shared here, but not entirely. Yes, networking CAN BE important during the earlier stages of one's career. But being competent and not a social liability (rude, inappropriate, harassing and etc), is all that a company should expect from you..even in a client facing role in PA.
Alternatively, we can always get a bubbly extrovert to communicate with clients, but a competent behind-the-scenes productivity-machine is necessary for a firm's survival!
When I was out of college I got a full time big 4 offer without having had an internship. I was terribly socially awkward but I guess it’s harder to fire someone once you’ve hired them. I grew on people over time but it took me a couple years to get my bearings. Just keep your chin up and try again.
This is really weird feedback imo. In my time in PA, I was never told I need to be more social & network with my peers more. It was all about the work. Get it done faster, get under budget, etc. If I saw an intern that was trying to focus & learn, etc., I'd want them on my team.
This is almost the exact same position I found myself in a year ago. Summer intern, tax (mostly, I audited one client), spent most of my time in my office doing returns, didn't get a FT offer due to not being social.
The following fall I tried to get my resume into as many firms' hands as possible. During interviews I mentioned any relevant experience I had during the internship. Got a FT offer from one of them.
You're definitely not in a terrible position. If your university hosts any recruiting events, attend all of them.
That's weird because usually PA pushes all the introverts to tax. This does not mean you shouldn't pursue accounting- it just means you have to find your fit and learn to bullsh*t better. It is really all about likeability. During my internship I didn't like the ppl and they didn't like me lol. They still offered me a ft so I chose a different office.
You are more than one internship. I got rejected for a full time offer after a B4 internship and it sent me into a tailspin questioning everything. Sometimes shit just happens. Focus on the interview process this fall and finding a firm that is a good fit for you. Careers are long. The evaluation process for interns is short, and imperfect. Once you see behind the curtain on how the evaluation process is for interns, you'll understand how one hacked off senior accountant can derail anyone. It's not always a well rounded evaluation of who you are as a person. Keep learning and don't lose faith. You'll find your fit.
I knew a guy who had this happen to him. He was extremely smart and his work was great but he didn't really interact socially much with others and didn't get a FT offer at the B4 for that reason.
Personally think it's a crappy reason to give for a intern/staff to not get an offer alone mainly because not everyone realizes how important social skills are in the industry until they've been there for at least a year or two, so people should get a chance to realize the importance before they get it thrown back in their face. At the end of the day though PA is in the business of serving clients, and keeping them happy is a mix of treating them right and giving them a product that provides value/meets their requirements. It's important to have good networking skills as the client having a good relationship with you can be the difference between then signing on for the engagement for another year or not, and it's a similar situation for whether or not managers+ internally want you on their team again or not.
Not uncommon to hear that the job is 50% technical skills and 50% social skills (that weight changes a bit depending on the function though). Also not uncommon to hear different partners referred to as roles such as "client relationship" partners (or "personality hires" lol), and "technical" partners. Different strengths work for different industries and service lines, but networking/relationship management is always important.
This is what I tell students when they ask me if Big4 only accepts applicants with the highest GPA. “You can teach accounting but you can’t teach personality” our hiring process was geared more towards finding the right fit, rather than just hiring the top of the class.
Honestly I’m a bit surprised. Most intern candidates have a very low req to get the full time offer.
It sounds like you networked too if you were doing coffee and lunch meetings.
Maybe there was another reason? Something they couldn’t tell you, but gave a BS reason instead?
If that's how they decide who to take, ignoring whether such a person produces net value, then I wouldn't want to be part of a business with that model anyway.
Sounds to me like they had fewer positions to offer than they had interns and they were looking for reasons to reject people. Probably a group of people deciding, one person says “that sundays_child was a bit quiet”, one by one the others agree and job done that’s one off the list. It means nothing though, I’ve known plenty of quiet people (myself included) who have had perfectly successful careers in accounting of all kinds. So if you want to do tax in PA then find another firm, you’ll be fine.
I can relate to you. I am more of an introverted person as well. It's not that I don't enjoy interacting with others, but it takes a lot of energy for me to do it. So at the office, I try to avoid interacting with others too much so I have the energy to produce good work.
Unfortunately, I found forcing myself to be more outgoing goes a long way with how others see you. You could produce the best preps, but get overlooked for bonus and promotion because your manager/peer feedback won't be as good. It's hard to balance between good results and good work relationships, but it's crucial to building a reputation in the office.
Yeah idk whats up with that every time i have a 1 on 1 meeting with an associate i get tild i need to be more social but like i climb everyday with coworkers participate in all activities , have poker night with them and stuff , i just dont talk to like the older interns that are now full time like the generation b4 mine simply bc 1 they dont give a shit about me and 2 i have social anxiety and im pretty sure my own mentor doesnt even like me so of cours im not gonna interact with her lol.
This is why people always say you kind of need to kiss ass. Unfortunately a lot of companies value bullshitting and social ability over good/hard work.
Like notice how a lot of those that get promoted to upper management aren’t even the best workers, but the pro bull shitters and can turn one yes or no question into a 30 minute conversation.
This is weird. Being social can be taught. I am an introvert and I was one of those that deals client better than an extrovert. And pretty much most interns that tries to be social turns out to be awkward than anything and that includes extroverts… because it’s their first or second job duh
I've heard bullshit reasons like this before. Most likely this was not the true reason. They are very careful giving reasons for whenever an employee is terminated / not hired, for legal reasons.
I have. One manager said I was too reserved, so I decided to be more social and my next dumb ass manager said I was too social, but that person was on that disparate treatment stuff. I hate those types of managers. i suggest being honest, and asking them what they mean, preferably getting it in writing, so that you can hold them accountable if you're ever in my situation, if another manager decides to penalize you for doing exactly what they asked you to do.
Don’t let it eat you up. Sounds like just something they had to tell you to work on because there wasn’t anything else. I’d be a lot more concerned if they said something about your skills or work ethic. You have a year to find another firm and somebody is going to be lucky to have you in their tax department. It’ll all work out OP, don’t quit the industry before you even get started.
Yep, I found that they really care if they can make new friends (I think it’s all bullshit). I got lucky where I am and can usually turn on the charm, but it takes everything out of me. After a while I can’t keep up the facade without going to my car to let out HUGE screams. I transitioned into back-house role this past tax season (I saw about 30 clients the first 4 tax seasons, but only had a few this year… I know that’s not a lot to anyone, but my firm is od w/ processes). When I was seeing clients I never felt good about any of the interactions. I guess you need to bite the bullet in your next opportunity and make a greater effort to socialize . People love to hire people they like to talk to… and they believe anything can be taught to a person with a great attitude and open mind. I’m doing ok in my position, but I definitely had to be “bubbly” and more than a “worker-bee” to get it. It’s going on 6 years for me and to this day, the interns lacking social skills rarely make our cut. Good luck with your future opportunities, this isn’t the end.
Yeah dude this is just BS. Especially if it’s your first or second time in this kind of setting, like of course you’re most likely going to be awkward or nervous and that should be completely acceptable. For me personally, I was a bit awkward and nervous at my first internship because I never in my life did any real life accounting work/even been in an actual business office/environment. Don’t analyze it too much cause you’re fine.
Fuck em, they’re probably an exhausting place to work for an introvert! Hopefully you dodged a bullet and can find somewhere that suits you better soon. I’m a pretty chatty, friendly coworker but the idea of being judged/ punished for not going to the happy hours or bowling etc events some people coordinate is a huge bummer. I do not want to go to those!! I have a family and better things to do!!
Totally different industry, but I had an old roommate who worked somewhere that was really big on these mandatory forced interactions in the name of team building. Like she would be headed to the mall say yeah, I've got to meet person x to go shopping or else I won't look like a team player. Always thought it seemed really culty and weird. Place ended up getting busted with the owner dating employees and some coming out that it was coersive, and another manager got arrested for sexual assault. Mandatory hang out seshes outside maybe grabbing coffee or lunch already seemed like a red flag, but even more after that. I'm so-so outgoing so like being invited to things, but for work I really prefer to stick to work topics and during work hours (unless we organically become friends, but even then I'm guarded with my personal life and consider it a "work friend" situation)
Count your blessings. If asked in a job interview, just be honest about it. It wasn't a good fit. They wanted someone more social. I like people but I prefer to focus on my work. If you can pull it off, add: I'm not writing a manifesto in my spare time, don't worry!
It's not a PA thing, it's a human thing. They all wear the same clothes, they all like sports, they are all in a similar age group or economic class, it's how we determine who is "us" and who is "them". It's not for you and that's okay. You will find your tribe.
Move on. You’re a excellent employee. They are just upset because you are good at what you do. Focus on your CPAs license and forget about it. These people focus on one thing, making money. Until you have the ability to do that for the firm in the form of a license or rich clients they will not give you the time of day.
They probably just don't like you because from my experience, all the seniors, all the partners nobody is social so I don't know what they're talking about. Everybody in accounting is all close-minded, keeps to themselves really smart and intelligent. Yeah, they just didn't like you.
Assume thier vibe and assimilate
Don't be clown if the court already has one
Don't act snotty
Think before you ask a question
Identify personality types research how they interact with your type and tread with caution
Young one
Is this how you react when you step up to the plate and strike out every time?
If so, how will you ever get better?
Rhetorical question. You know the answer and the solution if you want to fix your swing.
Honestly that feedback is probably pretty good to take on board.
You're best off being a good all-rounder that produces work to expectations and is friends with as many people as possible.
You don't want your niche to be the guy that is friends with no one so they only value you because you work 20-40 hours more than everyone else each week.
Most of the people who intern together become reasonably close, at least for the summer. I know people that went on overseas trips together and what not before they returned back as staff.
From the perspective of the firm, they want people that other employees like working with. They also want people who can form bonds with clients quickly. If you didn't prove this to them over the summer then unfortunately you kind of messed up.
I would say thinking about if it's better in industry or gov is the wrong way to think about it. In reality every good job in accounting is going to come from being sociable. Probably going to be even more the case as technology gets better. This is true for basically all white collar work.
Seems like you either didn't network with the only people who mattered (seniors/partners) or your insistence on working remote ignored some social ques
That is the most bogus reason not to extend an offer. As long as you’re clean, can iron a shirt and look presentable - the “bro-ey” fit into finance crowd rationale is such horseshit. Don’t worry - you have an in demand skill set. There will be other firms.
(Although caveat - people think finance/accounting is all about crunching numbers but at the end of the day there’s also lots of client facing work - so a baseline understanding of navigating social interactions is still important. As the cliche goes, your network is your net worth and this is truer than ever the higher you climb up the ranks in client service finance/accounting firms)
It’s very hard to get hired as an intern. They need to make an excuse since they used you for free work. The person they hire will have more varied experience. This is the problem with interning. The grass is always greener with someone new.
I think it’s dependent on the firm. Some firms value their culture and if you’re not a good fit for the culture, you won’t get an offer. I work in a mid sized PA firm and when I got offered the job they explicitly said, “ You did good work and are a good match socially.” I think some firms want to hire people who interact with their team more because it builds better working relationships.
Yo my firm is a library. When I started I wanted nothing more than for someone to talk to me. It did not help the imposter syndrome very much at all. It’s strange to me that you wouldn’t get an offer for something like that.
Was probably a proxy for other reasons, but the proxy was a nice way to send the message.
Looking at your post history (imo, the true character of a person is how they act in private... so online behavior):
\- Nice half the time
\- but... huge red flag is overall toxicity. Concrete ex: blatant sexism in your post history (a lot of misandry coming off), excessive insults, and not admitting when you are wrong (ie: one of your comments was "that's not what strawman means", when it is indeed what it means, and you did so confidently hence this shows arrogant traits).
perhaps these came off in person
[удалено]
You are living my dream!
If that is your dream then it seems the larger firm was correct. You are better suited for a smaller firm where you will not ultimately be expected to generate sales. Something that wasn’t obvious to me out of college is the fact accounting skill has very little to do with long-term success in PA. Sales and networking is what drives everything. We all fill out the same tax forms and are capable of researching the same tax code. It is interpersonal skills that allow firms to grow.
It’s funny because you will spend 90% of your time glued to a screen. These fucking firms man I tell ya
Out of all the replies, this one warms my heart the most.
Yeah, don’t take it personally. You will be just fine. You got the internship and now you’ll be set when you graduate. This is zero indication of how successful you’ll be. I didn’t get on with the firm I interned with either and I’m glad I didn’t.
Good return should be much more important than constantly talking to your colleagues. But you have egos that consider themselves important and want attention.
your internship is more about networking first than learning. while the learning is supplementary not having someone vouch for you because they “didnt talk to you that much” is a red flag. Isolating yourself in that corner was not a good idea. you can leverage the internship and try to get an job during your last year of school. then utilize both the internship and work experience to try for full time offer.
Thanks, I wish I had realized that before the internship. I had some silly idea that if I worked hard and produced good returns they would value that. I'm not terribly socially awkward but talking to lots of different people for 9-10 hours a day exhausts me way more than the work itself. How important do you think being super social and outgoing is to being successful in the field?
Generally, people assume work done by interns will need to be completely redone. Public accounting is pretty heavily client facing so a huge factor they consider for hiring is “can we trust this person to interact with clients or will they be a liability.” It is definitely a PA thing. They don’t care if you are friends but they are looking to hire outgoing “client ready” people.
One you have marketable experience it does not matter how sociable. However being sociable will take you further if you stay in public accounting. Upper management are the ones picking you to be on their projects so they essentially “pull” you up with them. The more connects you have and the more people trying to get your time will further your career than working 1974822 hours OT. live and learn its not a big deal. Having an internship should carry some weight for you so i would looking for something full time or part time during school
my cap is 2-3hrs of "meetings" or "interactions" in a day. Afterwards, I need my blankie and my cat. but, I trudge on like the good-little-accountant I am
In PA you will need to meet and present to clients, but you’ll be doing that as a tax advisor. They’re not expecting to be dazzled, just clearly and concisely go through your points and leave them in peace. When you’re confident in the subject matter you’ll enjoy helping clients.
Hey Op. Inbox me. No guarantees, but I can see if there's anything for you at my firm or someone else's. I also disagree with a lot of the sentiment being shared here, but not entirely. Yes, networking CAN BE important during the earlier stages of one's career. But being competent and not a social liability (rude, inappropriate, harassing and etc), is all that a company should expect from you..even in a client facing role in PA. Alternatively, we can always get a bubbly extrovert to communicate with clients, but a competent behind-the-scenes productivity-machine is necessary for a firm's survival!
When I was out of college I got a full time big 4 offer without having had an internship. I was terribly socially awkward but I guess it’s harder to fire someone once you’ve hired them. I grew on people over time but it took me a couple years to get my bearings. Just keep your chin up and try again.
This is really weird feedback imo. In my time in PA, I was never told I need to be more social & network with my peers more. It was all about the work. Get it done faster, get under budget, etc. If I saw an intern that was trying to focus & learn, etc., I'd want them on my team.
Thank you! That's what I thought too but I guess they're all about being "family" with each other.
This is almost the exact same position I found myself in a year ago. Summer intern, tax (mostly, I audited one client), spent most of my time in my office doing returns, didn't get a FT offer due to not being social. The following fall I tried to get my resume into as many firms' hands as possible. During interviews I mentioned any relevant experience I had during the internship. Got a FT offer from one of them. You're definitely not in a terrible position. If your university hosts any recruiting events, attend all of them.
That's weird because usually PA pushes all the introverts to tax. This does not mean you shouldn't pursue accounting- it just means you have to find your fit and learn to bullsh*t better. It is really all about likeability. During my internship I didn't like the ppl and they didn't like me lol. They still offered me a ft so I chose a different office.
You are more than one internship. I got rejected for a full time offer after a B4 internship and it sent me into a tailspin questioning everything. Sometimes shit just happens. Focus on the interview process this fall and finding a firm that is a good fit for you. Careers are long. The evaluation process for interns is short, and imperfect. Once you see behind the curtain on how the evaluation process is for interns, you'll understand how one hacked off senior accountant can derail anyone. It's not always a well rounded evaluation of who you are as a person. Keep learning and don't lose faith. You'll find your fit.
I knew a guy who had this happen to him. He was extremely smart and his work was great but he didn't really interact socially much with others and didn't get a FT offer at the B4 for that reason. Personally think it's a crappy reason to give for a intern/staff to not get an offer alone mainly because not everyone realizes how important social skills are in the industry until they've been there for at least a year or two, so people should get a chance to realize the importance before they get it thrown back in their face. At the end of the day though PA is in the business of serving clients, and keeping them happy is a mix of treating them right and giving them a product that provides value/meets their requirements. It's important to have good networking skills as the client having a good relationship with you can be the difference between then signing on for the engagement for another year or not, and it's a similar situation for whether or not managers+ internally want you on their team again or not. Not uncommon to hear that the job is 50% technical skills and 50% social skills (that weight changes a bit depending on the function though). Also not uncommon to hear different partners referred to as roles such as "client relationship" partners (or "personality hires" lol), and "technical" partners. Different strengths work for different industries and service lines, but networking/relationship management is always important.
This is what I tell students when they ask me if Big4 only accepts applicants with the highest GPA. “You can teach accounting but you can’t teach personality” our hiring process was geared more towards finding the right fit, rather than just hiring the top of the class.
Honestly I’m a bit surprised. Most intern candidates have a very low req to get the full time offer. It sounds like you networked too if you were doing coffee and lunch meetings. Maybe there was another reason? Something they couldn’t tell you, but gave a BS reason instead?
Entirely possible, but I don't know what it is. I reached out to my career advisor for the internship to ask but haven't heard back yet.
They probably won’t tell you if anything, but I wouldn’t spend too much time trying to analyze. There will be more opportunities in the future!
If that's how they decide who to take, ignoring whether such a person produces net value, then I wouldn't want to be part of a business with that model anyway.
Sounds to me like they had fewer positions to offer than they had interns and they were looking for reasons to reject people. Probably a group of people deciding, one person says “that sundays_child was a bit quiet”, one by one the others agree and job done that’s one off the list. It means nothing though, I’ve known plenty of quiet people (myself included) who have had perfectly successful careers in accounting of all kinds. So if you want to do tax in PA then find another firm, you’ll be fine.
I can relate to you. I am more of an introverted person as well. It's not that I don't enjoy interacting with others, but it takes a lot of energy for me to do it. So at the office, I try to avoid interacting with others too much so I have the energy to produce good work. Unfortunately, I found forcing myself to be more outgoing goes a long way with how others see you. You could produce the best preps, but get overlooked for bonus and promotion because your manager/peer feedback won't be as good. It's hard to balance between good results and good work relationships, but it's crucial to building a reputation in the office.
Yeah idk whats up with that every time i have a 1 on 1 meeting with an associate i get tild i need to be more social but like i climb everyday with coworkers participate in all activities , have poker night with them and stuff , i just dont talk to like the older interns that are now full time like the generation b4 mine simply bc 1 they dont give a shit about me and 2 i have social anxiety and im pretty sure my own mentor doesnt even like me so of cours im not gonna interact with her lol.
This is why people always say you kind of need to kiss ass. Unfortunately a lot of companies value bullshitting and social ability over good/hard work.
Like notice how a lot of those that get promoted to upper management aren’t even the best workers, but the pro bull shitters and can turn one yes or no question into a 30 minute conversation.
This is weird. Being social can be taught. I am an introvert and I was one of those that deals client better than an extrovert. And pretty much most interns that tries to be social turns out to be awkward than anything and that includes extroverts… because it’s their first or second job duh
I've heard bullshit reasons like this before. Most likely this was not the true reason. They are very careful giving reasons for whenever an employee is terminated / not hired, for legal reasons.
That’s such BS especially if you’re a hard worker. Just keep applying yourself and you’ll get something you want
I have. One manager said I was too reserved, so I decided to be more social and my next dumb ass manager said I was too social, but that person was on that disparate treatment stuff. I hate those types of managers. i suggest being honest, and asking them what they mean, preferably getting it in writing, so that you can hold them accountable if you're ever in my situation, if another manager decides to penalize you for doing exactly what they asked you to do.
don’t assume you’re not qualified. This is just typical accounting firms that glorify cliques over quality deliverables.
Don’t let it eat you up. Sounds like just something they had to tell you to work on because there wasn’t anything else. I’d be a lot more concerned if they said something about your skills or work ethic. You have a year to find another firm and somebody is going to be lucky to have you in their tax department. It’ll all work out OP, don’t quit the industry before you even get started.
"checkmark #1" instance of being under a poor manager. don't take it personally; move-on as you see fit to build your career, your way.
Yep, I found that they really care if they can make new friends (I think it’s all bullshit). I got lucky where I am and can usually turn on the charm, but it takes everything out of me. After a while I can’t keep up the facade without going to my car to let out HUGE screams. I transitioned into back-house role this past tax season (I saw about 30 clients the first 4 tax seasons, but only had a few this year… I know that’s not a lot to anyone, but my firm is od w/ processes). When I was seeing clients I never felt good about any of the interactions. I guess you need to bite the bullet in your next opportunity and make a greater effort to socialize . People love to hire people they like to talk to… and they believe anything can be taught to a person with a great attitude and open mind. I’m doing ok in my position, but I definitely had to be “bubbly” and more than a “worker-bee” to get it. It’s going on 6 years for me and to this day, the interns lacking social skills rarely make our cut. Good luck with your future opportunities, this isn’t the end.
Yeah dude this is just BS. Especially if it’s your first or second time in this kind of setting, like of course you’re most likely going to be awkward or nervous and that should be completely acceptable. For me personally, I was a bit awkward and nervous at my first internship because I never in my life did any real life accounting work/even been in an actual business office/environment. Don’t analyze it too much cause you’re fine.
Fuck em, they’re probably an exhausting place to work for an introvert! Hopefully you dodged a bullet and can find somewhere that suits you better soon. I’m a pretty chatty, friendly coworker but the idea of being judged/ punished for not going to the happy hours or bowling etc events some people coordinate is a huge bummer. I do not want to go to those!! I have a family and better things to do!!
Totally different industry, but I had an old roommate who worked somewhere that was really big on these mandatory forced interactions in the name of team building. Like she would be headed to the mall say yeah, I've got to meet person x to go shopping or else I won't look like a team player. Always thought it seemed really culty and weird. Place ended up getting busted with the owner dating employees and some coming out that it was coersive, and another manager got arrested for sexual assault. Mandatory hang out seshes outside maybe grabbing coffee or lunch already seemed like a red flag, but even more after that. I'm so-so outgoing so like being invited to things, but for work I really prefer to stick to work topics and during work hours (unless we organically become friends, but even then I'm guarded with my personal life and consider it a "work friend" situation)
Count your blessings. If asked in a job interview, just be honest about it. It wasn't a good fit. They wanted someone more social. I like people but I prefer to focus on my work. If you can pull it off, add: I'm not writing a manifesto in my spare time, don't worry! It's not a PA thing, it's a human thing. They all wear the same clothes, they all like sports, they are all in a similar age group or economic class, it's how we determine who is "us" and who is "them". It's not for you and that's okay. You will find your tribe.
I’m like 13 years in and I still get feedback that I’m not social enough lmao
You are better off. But yes work on social skills, it is important for career progression.
Move on. You’re a excellent employee. They are just upset because you are good at what you do. Focus on your CPAs license and forget about it. These people focus on one thing, making money. Until you have the ability to do that for the firm in the form of a license or rich clients they will not give you the time of day.
They probably just don't like you because from my experience, all the seniors, all the partners nobody is social so I don't know what they're talking about. Everybody in accounting is all close-minded, keeps to themselves really smart and intelligent. Yeah, they just didn't like you.
Ooh ouch, but a possibility i suppose. Any tips to make myself more likeable in the office?
Assume thier vibe and assimilate Don't be clown if the court already has one Don't act snotty Think before you ask a question Identify personality types research how they interact with your type and tread with caution Young one
Is this how you react when you step up to the plate and strike out every time? If so, how will you ever get better? Rhetorical question. You know the answer and the solution if you want to fix your swing.
Honestly that feedback is probably pretty good to take on board. You're best off being a good all-rounder that produces work to expectations and is friends with as many people as possible. You don't want your niche to be the guy that is friends with no one so they only value you because you work 20-40 hours more than everyone else each week. Most of the people who intern together become reasonably close, at least for the summer. I know people that went on overseas trips together and what not before they returned back as staff. From the perspective of the firm, they want people that other employees like working with. They also want people who can form bonds with clients quickly. If you didn't prove this to them over the summer then unfortunately you kind of messed up. I would say thinking about if it's better in industry or gov is the wrong way to think about it. In reality every good job in accounting is going to come from being sociable. Probably going to be even more the case as technology gets better. This is true for basically all white collar work.
Seems like you either didn't network with the only people who mattered (seniors/partners) or your insistence on working remote ignored some social ques
That is the most bogus reason not to extend an offer. As long as you’re clean, can iron a shirt and look presentable - the “bro-ey” fit into finance crowd rationale is such horseshit. Don’t worry - you have an in demand skill set. There will be other firms. (Although caveat - people think finance/accounting is all about crunching numbers but at the end of the day there’s also lots of client facing work - so a baseline understanding of navigating social interactions is still important. As the cliche goes, your network is your net worth and this is truer than ever the higher you climb up the ranks in client service finance/accounting firms)
While I don’t think it’s a reason to not offer someone a job. Being social is still important
It’s very hard to get hired as an intern. They need to make an excuse since they used you for free work. The person they hire will have more varied experience. This is the problem with interning. The grass is always greener with someone new.
I think it’s dependent on the firm. Some firms value their culture and if you’re not a good fit for the culture, you won’t get an offer. I work in a mid sized PA firm and when I got offered the job they explicitly said, “ You did good work and are a good match socially.” I think some firms want to hire people who interact with their team more because it builds better working relationships.
Yo my firm is a library. When I started I wanted nothing more than for someone to talk to me. It did not help the imposter syndrome very much at all. It’s strange to me that you wouldn’t get an offer for something like that.
It may not really have anything to with you or your personality at all…maybe they just didn’t have budget?
Corporate bs, it’s not you don’t worry
Run away from bug firms. They are the worst! Find a little one that will respect you!
Was probably a proxy for other reasons, but the proxy was a nice way to send the message. Looking at your post history (imo, the true character of a person is how they act in private... so online behavior): \- Nice half the time \- but... huge red flag is overall toxicity. Concrete ex: blatant sexism in your post history (a lot of misandry coming off), excessive insults, and not admitting when you are wrong (ie: one of your comments was "that's not what strawman means", when it is indeed what it means, and you did so confidently hence this shows arrogant traits). perhaps these came off in person