A change of direction

I started working for a small CPA firm in December. They are really nice people and they take really good care of their employees. My old job offered 5k more per year when i took this job, but I quit my other job anyways because this job seemed like it would be a great opportunity.

They did very little training because small firms do not have the capacity of training to the degree that big frims do. They threw me right in with everything and I had a rough time learning from the start. Eventually i caught on and I learned how to manuver through the software fairly fluidly and then i got a few big projects that were tremendously large. Still no training.

Hours got long and soon my days began at 4:55am to arrive at work at 6am and i would leave work around 7-8pm. Of course to get up so early i had to go to bed around 9-10pm. This was my day Monday thru Saturday...and on the occational Sunday i'd throw in a few hours.

Not being trained and having high expectations of me in the workload added stress on me. My heart started to sieze up on occaation. It would cramp and i couldn't inhale for 3-5 seconds. This happened about every other week, but it became more frequent. Last week It happened twice in a day and i went to the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital just before 6pm and waited until 11:30 to get in. I waited and waited in the ER until i finally was able to leave at 2am. They said my tests showed that I was in "Pristine condition" but due to my stress i should take a few days off work.

I didn't.

I kept loyal to my work because when i was hired I was told that they would take care of me. Not to mention the sermon at church that sunday was about serving your boss and being loyal to your work so that through your work Christ might shine.

Well it appears i didn't do that either. I kept working from sunrise to sunset and beyond. Yesterday was surreal that it was over. My desk cleared. I finished my work that was there, and I was looking forward to working an 8 hour day. Secretly i hoped to go home early....however not like this.

I did a few small projects and enjoyed the low key atmosphere at work and about 9:30 my boss came to me and asked to talk with me. Lightheartedly i said "sure" and walked into the office with him and one other partner.

Without a moment of hesitation "We're going to let you go" he said with no remorse. "This is strictly a business decision. We wish you well in the future. You just haven't kept up with the learning curve."
"do you think you trained me well enough to keep up?" I asked perplexed
"We are not a training firm. We expect our employees to take charge of their own training....." and he trailed off on a long drawn out explanation of his expectations of employees that would have been better to hear upon being hired than fired.

They walked me to my desk let me gather my things and escorted me out. They will pay me out through the end of the month but will not offer COBRA or any sort of medical compensation(as they are not required being such a small company).

Being fired after devoting around 80 hours a week for so long isn't the hard part for me. It is being fired. I failed. I have never been fired. I don't think I deserved to be fired. ESPECIALLY not the DAY after tax season was over.

Now I am absolutely boggled. I didn't think that is what I would do the rest of my life, but I expected it to last at least a little longer. It turns out that most CPA firms don't need accountants as much on April 16th as they do before the 15th.

I don't know what I'm going to do. I had made plans with many of you. I had promised to get in touch with virtually all of you. Now i have time, but unfortunately circumstances have changed a bit.

Pray that God leads me where He wants me. Ask Him that nothing will go wrong with my health and that I go where He wants me and not just find the first job that opens up. I guess i have more to learn about surrendering everything to Him.

I know I don't say it enough, but I love you all more than words can describe.
His,
Joel

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."