Thursday, May 1, 2008

Back to work


So tonight was my first night back at work at The Pizza Factory in Provo. It was weird to be back, but really natural too. I was wondering if I'd forget how to do everything, but almost a little unfortunately all my serving experience came back basically right away, except for the fact that I forgot one table's drinks for like 10 minutes.... oops. Anyways, it's nice to be working and making money again, but I really just want an accounting job. Something 9-5 -so to say- where I can get some real accounting experience. I've applied for a bunch of accounting positions, but I haven't heard back from most of them. It seems like everyone is looking for someone with accounting experience, but no one is willing to allow someone to gain work experience. Pretty frustrating! So I guess in the meantime I'll be working at the Pizza Factory and just keep applying for accounting jobs.

Also, the most annoying thing has been taking place recently. About a month and a half ago I applied to the masters program for accounting her at BYU. It's an integrated program so instead of graduating next year with a bachelor's degree I'd graduate in 2 years with my masters. So when someone applies to the MAcc (Masters of accountancy) they have to choose whether they want to do the professional (audit, systems, consulting, etc) or the tax stem. Usually about 200 people total apply to the MAcc and of that there are usually about 100 people admitted into the professional stem and 60 into tax. Earlier in the semester our professors told us that it is usually a proportional number of applicants that apply to the 2 stems that get in. Well, this year turned out to be a little different. As of about a week ago there were 158 people that applied to the professional stem and only 51 that applied to tax. So you'd think this is a good thing for my odds right (I applied to tax), but the story doesn't end here. Our teachers started telling us about these numbers and then made an offer to anyone who applied to professional that would want to switch to the tax stem may do so and they will judge all applicants on their final stem decision, not by those that initially applied verses those who switch. Every since they released the numbers of applicants they have sent out so many emails pushing how great the tax stem is. Ok, so go along with me for a minute. You have just spent the last 8 months of your life in a ridiculously intense set of accounting classes and now you want to get your MAcc. You really want to just stay at BYU to get your masters and when you found out that you are just one of 158 people to apply for the professional stem you start thinking that it sure would be nice not to have to leave Provo, paying higher tuition, and possibly add another year of school to get the same degree you could if you just switch stems. How much would it really matter right? Well I was wondering myself about how they were looking at the applicants when it came time to make a decision. I don't really thinks it very fair to look at the final numbers as a whole. The people who initially applied for tax actually want to be in tax. They didn't go it because their chances of getting in the program were better, but because that's what they want to do in their future careers. When I asked someone in the accounting office about this situation I kinda received a snippy email back about how all applicants will be examined together and that they really don't think anyone would switch to tax if they didn't want to be in tax...... are you serious? Take me for instance, I really want to do tax, that's where I see my future, but at the same time I think audit is pretty interesting. Even though it doesn't seem to make sense with my future plans/goals it does seem like something I'd be interested in doing. Now, if the situation was reversed (it was going to be easier to get into audit than it would be tax) I would probably be among the first to switch stems. Is that because I'd want to do professional more?..... no, but because all the other factors surrounding the decision had swayed me to take the easier option. I'm not blaming anyone for switching stems, obviously I see where they are coming from, but I am pretty frustrated with how the accounting faculty is going about this situation. Putting this info on here is kinda scary, because now it's out there that I've applied and that if I don't get in that there weren't very many, if any, others that didn't get in as well. Oh well, this is my version of a journal right? and so this is what I'd want to write in a real journal if I actually kept one. I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty nervous - I should know in 16 days from today if I get in or not. If you read this, don't ask me in 16 days if I got in or not -either check my facebook status for an excited announcement, listen for me to announce it in "The Good News Minute", for me too bring it up in conversation, or to hear nothing at all about it- to figure out if I got in. Wish me luck, but not to my face so I don't know that you've read this. Ahhhhh! Life, it ain't easy, it's so tough/rough (I can never remember which one it actually is, but they both work for tonight and this situation).

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