The Unemployment Thread

markashburner

Hey fellow Vampire Slayers

I'm currently unemployed but I have recently received two job offers and I would love some input from anyone who has had any experience with any of these jobs.

The first job offer was being a Tax Accountant at H&R Block, I have to take an exam learning how to use the Tax program and I need to score 80% and above. The pay is fairly good being $19/hr.

The second job offer is being a Sales Representative for Electrical company, not sure what the pay is but there are some really good employee benefits like private health insurance and an Employee Lifestyle, Health and Wellbeing Program. Not to sure what the pay is.

So which role would you pick in terms of experience?

[Deleted User]

I've had no experience with either, but I would go with the tax accountancy. This is because a Sales Rep. job is usually the art of deception, even if you don't believe it to be this, eventually someone in the company will push towards this.

Not so much with tax accountancy.

moonanite

I'd lean toward the sales job for the benefits. Find out what the pay is though. Pretty important

Stewed

I would pick the role that would make it most likely to never have to ask this very same question ever again.

Cetra · Post edited by Cetra at 2012-06-20 01:40:36

i personally would go with the electric company because of my interest in energy and how to move away from the old paradigm of burning through resources just to make money. ultimately a sales rep might never move into the field i would lean towards but yea... my personal interest lies more in what can be done with electricity than taxes.

Apocaloptimist1

I would buy a cheap little rv, put some solar on it and travel, hopefully finding something that I really like to do that will pay me just enough to survive and have some fun.

Nostradamus

I'd choose option C: Continue living off juicy norwegian unemployment welfare. Actually it sucks, but rather that than some crappy work.

Perhaps starting to work in a kindergarten in a week or two though!
Working with kids = silly jokes and statements, brutal loud thinking about my weird nose. Perfect!

Doctor_Bob · Post edited by Doctor_Bob at 2012-06-20 02:39:25

Zornes

I'm not working right now. Went from 75 hours a week to 0. My knee is destroyed right now, and that's making finding work difficult. I know I couldn't go back to installing sprinkler systems or bussing tables. Shit, I can barely hobble to the kitchen without pain.

Eman_Resu

Make sure you stay as active as you can, @Zornes. My aunt was in a very similar situation and developed blood clots in her legs which then moved to her lungs and that does not sound fun.

JohnPawn · Post edited by JohnPawn at 2012-06-20 11:02:27

Given only these 2 choices, I would recommend the tax accountant job. I have a great deal of experience in both...

Remember that H&R Block is a crappy drive-thru version of real tax accountancy firm, but it will give you a starting point. You then can expand your knowledge and expertise by working at a "real" firm...or simply preparing tax returns as your own business. Once you start to prepare tax returns, you will be peeking behind the IRS-Oz curtain and realize that there is just a tiny, frail little man back there. What seems intimidating and infinite to others will appear simple and commonplace to you...and people will pay you good money to navigate those waters for them.

The problem with the sale rep job is that unless you are truly a salesman...I mean, you really love to sell shit to people that don't want your shit, then you will just bounce from one sales rep job to another without really accruing any additional expertise.

By the way, when you work for H&R Block, you definitely will be a sales rep for all of their ancillary products and services...but you will only be working at that dump for a year before you throw out your own shingle and start working for yourself.

Hope this helps.

markashburner

Hey thanks, that actually helps a shitload. I was kinda leaning towards the Tax accounting job, the only reason why I applied for the Electrical company was because I was really interested in Nikola Tesla and the company I applied for helped introduce electricity into Australia...but I have to be honest with myself, I'm not a sales person at all. H&R Block sounds a lot less intense as well, being a Sales Rep sounds quite stressful, just from everyone's input, it does sound like I will be a nuisance in other peoples lives and I definitely do not want to end up being manipulative towards other people in order to make a living.
JohnPrawn you have given excellent advice, have you ever worked at H&R Block yourself? Also what is your current occupation?

Zornes

Eman_Resu said:
Make sure you stay as active as you can, @Zornes. My aunt was in a very similar situation and developed blood clots in her legs which then moved to her lungs and that does not sound fun.

Eh, I won't let it get the best of me, I've still been doing chin-ups, push ups, and sit ups with a knee brace on. I've still been going to Aikido classes, though Jiu-Jitsu had to stop.

Cannabis

Yay for this thread. http://crimethinc.com/

I recommend Days of War Nights of Love and Recipes for Disaster from their bookstore. Two great books that gave me some great understanding and tools.

JohnPawn

@markashburner, I have never actually worked at H&R Block, but have hired accountants who have, and I'm quite familiar with the company's business model. Working there can be intense in the sense that there is a lot of work until the traditional tax deadline of April 15th. But that is actually one of the things I like about the industry...you go balls out until you hit a little finish line and then things are slow for a while until the next deadline.

I am currently a partner in a small accountancy & financial services firm. I hold the credentials of a Certified Public Accountant and Enrolled Agent. I'm not sure what your educational background is, but anyone can become an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and that will give you some street cred.

And to relate the job in the context of this forum, there are aspects of helping the rich get richer (though I doubt you will experience that at H&R Block) and that can be a bit depressing when you truly understand how the system has been designed...but there is also the side of truly helping people who feel completely lost and overwhelmed when they realize they are subject to revenue laws that they've even never heard of.

JohnPawn · Post edited by JohnPawn at 2012-06-20 12:18:34

Let's also not forget that knowing how to prepare tax returns can make life in prison much nicer...ala Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption!

Here are some other badass accountants...

-Furious Styles...the father (Laurence Fishbourne) in Boyz n the Hood.
-The Duke...in Midnight Run.
-Chuck Liddell...graduated with a degree in Accounting from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

arjuna

anyone who is unemployed - spend as much time as possible exercising and eating well. it gets much harder after you're employed / self-employed.

Nostradamus

arjuna said:
anyone who is unemployed - spend as much time as possible exercising and eating well. it gets much harder after you're employed / self-employed.

That is so true!

Nostradamus

Also, you have plenty of time to do experiments that require days or even weeks which you otherwise can't try out in any way when while working......

.....For instance sleep deprivation/awake hallucinations mentioned in this thread
http://duncantrussell.com/forum/discussion/2890/not-needing-sleep-anymore#Item_25

megarobot

@cannabis cool site man, I'll probably get the book "Work" since I'm very interested in wage slavery

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