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My BIL is a CPA. He was with the same company for years, then the two owners decided to split. He went with one boss, and they only lasted a few years before the company folded. He has been out of work for three years except for a couple of temporary consultant gigs and a few private tax clients. He's 56 years old, has been on countless interviews and is not getting hired. One interviewer told him bluntly "I would not hire you because eventually you will get my job."
He finally found something a few months ago--a part-time job at the gun counter of a sporting goods store. He's always had an interest in guns, and he is now taking a gun-repair course to do some work on his own. So much for the degree and the CPA.
Why doesn't he open his own practice? As a CPA, I would open my open practice if after three years there were no jobs. Certainly as a CPA one has made enough business contacts to build a decently sized client list for work that is a little more complex than individual tax - maybe audits/reviews/compilations?
Then, the benefit is that when you open your own practice, if it is not successful, at least you can use that as an excuse when asked why you have been unemployed for that amount of time...
Folks who grew up under the spectre of the Great Depression didn't have the same structure and rigid set of rules that we have nowadays in the employment arena.
Think about it. Back then you could just go into a place of business and ask if any help was needed and they may actually hire you for a day to get something done and pay you in cash(or even food).
Today that is called a day laborer, and it is usually an illegal alien, and if not then you have to go to Labor Finders or Labor Ready or somewhere like that and get hired through them. And getting paid under the table is OK till the IRS comes around or till you get cheated. With I-9, workers comp, and other liabilities, very few companies are gonna legally hire someone for a day. Also, back then how many businesses did background and credit checks?
I'm willing to bet maybe 1%?
Heck, how many even made you fill out an application?
Temp agencies are one advantage we have today, but everyone knows they are sleazy and corrupt, so is it really an advantage?
My Dad (RIP) and Mom were born in 1928 and 1933 respectively. My Dad was from northern Maine and Mom was from central NC. Both from small towns & very meager backgrounds. Tough times were the norm. My Dad was in the Army 26 years and fought in Korea (1951-52) and Vietnam (1965-66, 67, 70). My Mom worked in textile mills and sewing factories starting at age 16. They both were married before and had kids from those marriages also.
So I can see how older folks might laugh a little when our generation talks about "tough times", but they worked hard so we wouldn't have to go through what they did.
My point is let's not let generational or class differences keep working people from focussing on how the government, banks, and corporations have screwed over the middle class!
Why doesn't he open his own practice? As a CPA, I would open my open practice if after three years there were no jobs. Certainly as a CPA one has made enough business contacts to build a decently sized client list for work that is a little more complex than individual tax - maybe audits/reviews/compilations?
Then, the benefit is that when you open your own practice, if it is not successful, at least you can use that as an excuse when asked why you have been unemployed for that amount of time...
I wondered the same thing, and I thought it was because all of his experience has been in corporate taxes. Also, there is less work for CPAs because so many people don't have money right now. I've gotten three letters from local CPAs offering discounts on service in the past month, so they must all be scrounging for business. However, my sister said that when he started talking about the gun thing, he said, "I always hated being an accountant." It's hard to give up a job you don't like if you are making good money at it, but perhaps this bout of unemployment is a blessing in disguise in forcing him to do something he really likes doing.
Its another case of the "haves" looking down on the "have nots" and is human instinct. You all have done it too, maybe without knowing it. Ever look down on anybody less educated than you? There you go, thats one example.
Its another case of the "haves" looking down on the "have nots" and is human instinct. You all have done it too, maybe without knowing it. Ever look down on anybody less educated than you? There you go, thats one example.
No, actually, I haven't. The fact of the matter is, even when I was in a higher position of power I always got on better with the cleaners, maintenance and gardening crews Where I live now, when I need something fixed or checked out I get immediate help from the maintenance crew. When the landscape workers are here and they see me with a bunch of groceries to carry upstairs they always come over and help me out. Its because I am one of the few people around here who treats them with kindness, respect and friendliness. I know about their families and what they like to do on their days off. But yeah, I have personally seen people who do what you have claimed.
The unemployed being called lazy is still happening. Even though I am employed I hear others calling the unemployed losers, lazy, bums etc. But those folks never offer one shred of help to the unemployed.
Because they are a bunch of corporate tools. These clowns all believe that the unemployed are suffering because "they deserve it," and if they just "got educated" and weren't "so lazy and useless" they'd have great jobs. When one brings up the lack of jobs and the insane requirements for even entry level work these days, corporate tools will trumpet about how wonderful their own lives are and how since they're employed, it's clearly "our fault" for being out of work. The reality is that most of these idiots couldn't find work if they were laid off today, unless they have powerful connections, which doesn't really count and goes against their laughable assumptions that anyone with skill and an education can get a job.
Why do they believe this? I think they are all extremely egotistical and deluded about their own abilities and successes. These types of jerks can't help but brag about how smart and wonderful they are while putting everyone else down. They also flat-out refuse to admit that luck had any effect upon their status in life, while in reality luck controls so many things: their upbringing, the socioeconomic status into which they were born, their health, etc. But they refuse to admit to that; no, every success they've had was because of their own hard work... right!
Hating the unemployed is the logical extension of this because they need to maintain the delusion that everyone gets exactly what they deserve in life all the time. If they admitted that this was not true - that honest workers can lose their jobs, that being ill or old makes you unemployable, and so on, that would shatter their beliefs that everyone gets what they deserve. This would force them to call their own life into question and start to think about how luck played a huge role in their successes. They can't handle that since they are egotists and need to believe that they alone are solely responsible for their successes. So, they need to smash down the unemployed and less fortunate; that way, "everyone gets what they deserve" in their crazy world view.
People like that cannot be reasoned with and are useless when it comes to solving any of the world's problems, sadly.
I really cannot stand people in their 70s who have NO IDEA what this recession is like for those of us out of work and without 'aid' of any kind. My aunt and uncle who are both in their early 70s tell me I am just lazy and need to put on my suit and start knocking on doors like THEY DID in 1960 and I will get a job.
They raise a family on one income. Times are tough and I am trying like **** to find a job. Meanwhile they tut-tut and say to me get myself down to McDonalds or do ANYTHING to earn money.
Can anyone else relate?
Yeah, I can.
My grandfather was 87 when he passed away. He had that exact same mentality as your aunt and uncle.
The reality is that times change.
I recently had an unemployed medical assistant tell me that when she tried applying at Maid Pro, Molly Maid, Maid Brigade, Merry Maids, and the like they all told her she was overqualified to clean homes and businesses and refused to hire her. She was quite upsetting citing she always cleaned her own home and didn't quite understand what the problem was in terms of not wanting to hire her.
The same thing happened to my uncle who was laid off from his IT job a couple or so years ago when he went to apply for a hotel front desk position. He got an interview only to find out a few days later from his wife who knew certain people that he was too overqualified. The hiring manager worried that if he hired my uncle, my uncle would eventually take his job away from him.
On a slightly related note you hear the same thing from people who say "Go in person give them your resume personally, request to sit down and talk with the boss the hirining manger etc..."
Ya cheif good luck with that, you will be promptly told "Apply online, everything is online" , so you go home apply online and hear nothing back...
I am sorry but the days of meeting in person, hand delvering the resume, actually talking to a person and discussing your resume- if not already, it has gone the way of the vcr and cassete player-Fond memories and everyone remebers using them, but god be dammed if anyone would care to use it today
Also like to add the ever famous "Why don't you just apply for entry level jobs, they are always hiring entry level". The parents say it as if I am too proud to accept starting at the bottom.
Well dam, dad yes I have applied, am applying for entry level work, but when you got people with higher degrees and years of expereince applying for the entry level work because in this economy they are willing to take the pay cut, what freaking chance do I have of getting hired for the entry level job? Btw same thing goes for the internship, unpaid, paid doesn't matter, everyone wants it
Last edited by dazeddude8; 05-28-2012 at 10:59 AM..
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Where I live now, when I need something fixed or checked out I get immediate help from the maintenance crew. When the landscape workers are here and they see me with a bunch of groceries to carry upstairs they always come over and help me out. Its because I am one of the few people around here who treats them with kindness, respect and friendliness. I know about their families and what they like to do on their days off. But yeah, I have personally seen people who do what you have claimed.
