I graduated with BS in 1998. CPA in 2001. Left public accounting in 2002 at around 40k or so. Raised daughter and worked from home doing bookkeeping, taxes, and whatnot.
I'm in an area with a few small firms south of Louisville.
Recently, I wanted to resume my CPA career now that my daughter is in school. I went to work with one of the small firms in December on a trial basis (contractor) for a couple of audits so she could feel me out with a possible move to 30-35k and no other details. Since firms locally are slim pickings, i accepted that arrangement.
After doing one audit in 3 weeks instead of two (you need time to learn the office, where things are, their way of doing things, etc), she paid me 12.50 an hour. The other audit got stalled needing more info from client. Haven't been paid for that one. But now doing a slightly bigger audit of a city in which i'm still contractor that is apparently making 12.50 an hour.
She promised to make me an employee in Feb if things go well at 12.50 an hour.. Keep in mind this wasn't the deal in December. Remember 30-35K? Only two audits or a month to "feel" me out? I scored a 100 on her bookkeeping test. She lamented the fact she's been burned before by people who don't know what they're doing or don't have adequate skills. She knows my CPA experience was from 1998-2002 but i did perform audits, taxes, bookkeeping and was senior staff level at the time. But she still wanted to do the trial basis.
I accepted because I thought she'd do the right thing once I easily proved myself. But 12.50 an hour seems a reversal. No benefits have been discussed. I only got paid after the job was completed, so that was little over a month with no pay at all.
Is 12.50 a disgrace? I feel slighted and depressed. I should apply in Louisville and look around probably. She's indicated that she bills me at 50/hr and can't do better than 12.50 (25%). She says she bills herself at 80/hr in comparison. It's a smaller area she says than Louisville, which is true, but it's not that small. Perhaps when i get quicker and more experienced, she might be able to raise this she said. But after she went back on the 30-35k, i'm not sure what to believe. It's nice to be close to home and have the flexibility of a very small firm (2 partners, a cpa, and 4 staff), but I just feel like i'm going backwards from where I left off in 2002.
Any thoughts if i should just quit this and look elsewhere?
I'm in an area with a few small firms south of Louisville.
Recently, I wanted to resume my CPA career now that my daughter is in school. I went to work with one of the small firms in December on a trial basis (contractor) for a couple of audits so she could feel me out with a possible move to 30-35k and no other details. Since firms locally are slim pickings, i accepted that arrangement.
After doing one audit in 3 weeks instead of two (you need time to learn the office, where things are, their way of doing things, etc), she paid me 12.50 an hour. The other audit got stalled needing more info from client. Haven't been paid for that one. But now doing a slightly bigger audit of a city in which i'm still contractor that is apparently making 12.50 an hour.
She promised to make me an employee in Feb if things go well at 12.50 an hour.. Keep in mind this wasn't the deal in December. Remember 30-35K? Only two audits or a month to "feel" me out? I scored a 100 on her bookkeeping test. She lamented the fact she's been burned before by people who don't know what they're doing or don't have adequate skills. She knows my CPA experience was from 1998-2002 but i did perform audits, taxes, bookkeeping and was senior staff level at the time. But she still wanted to do the trial basis.
I accepted because I thought she'd do the right thing once I easily proved myself. But 12.50 an hour seems a reversal. No benefits have been discussed. I only got paid after the job was completed, so that was little over a month with no pay at all.
Is 12.50 a disgrace? I feel slighted and depressed. I should apply in Louisville and look around probably. She's indicated that she bills me at 50/hr and can't do better than 12.50 (25%). She says she bills herself at 80/hr in comparison. It's a smaller area she says than Louisville, which is true, but it's not that small. Perhaps when i get quicker and more experienced, she might be able to raise this she said. But after she went back on the 30-35k, i'm not sure what to believe. It's nice to be close to home and have the flexibility of a very small firm (2 partners, a cpa, and 4 staff), but I just feel like i'm going backwards from where I left off in 2002.
Any thoughts if i should just quit this and look elsewhere?
