Old People have Good Intentions

So I'm at the beginning of my career and I was unemployed for a while after college and even now I'm looking for a job that sucks a little less. Most people I'm close to know this. This is one of the biggest things that bugs me about people:

WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE TO GIVE ADVICE ABOUT THINGS THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT?

I know my Father-In-Law is trying to help but he has worked for the same company for the majority of his career, he hasn't actually had to find a job from scratch in decades. My Mother-In-Law has never held a professional position. Why do they like to give me advice? (I know they are trying to be helpful, they are very sweet people) I've had my resume reviewed by HR professionals and I've been to mock interviews with HR professionals. I know it's better to have a referral, do you know somebody?, then keep your advice to yourself.

If you have not had to find a job in the recent down economy (please save your Great Depression story), then it's simply not the same as your good old days example.

I am a professional person, I follow job hunting websites, and I dress nicely for interviews. I have gotten interviews with my resume and I have gotten jobs with my interview ability.

So please I'm doing just find, yes I don't get a job offer every time I sit for an interview. I am also aware that there are CPAs with 10 years of experience that are begging for work. I am not at the top of the experience pile. In reality if you are interviewing and making a real effort in your job search you are probably doing just fine and what it comes down to is luck. For all my friends out there in the same boat, I understand. These old people like to think they have all the answers but in reality they haven't faced these types of challenges ever.

Last little rant, and fun little story.

When I was in Rexburg, during college, I would drive to Boise for interviews hoping to get a job before we actually moved. I interviewed with a company and didn't get the position. Well Lorry and I moved to Boise with no job and it turned out the Bishop of my ward was one of the founders of the company I had interviewed for. When we were meeting with him on our first Sunday he asked about my employment and I had told him about not having a job and that I had applied to his company and didn't get the job. He started to spew job hunting advice! I knew he was really just trying to make himself feel better so I just let him spew. It all came from a guy that went to BYU, then Harvard, then worked on Wall Street for a decade and then started his own company a couple decades ago. So he had to look for a career position maybe once or twice 30 years ago. Please save your advice, just give some bland support ("Good Luck") and change the topic (unless you actually know somebody).

I love/hate confusion, and really so do you.

On Tuesday, I will be taking the CPA exam. I'm very nervous as it will be my first one and I am excited, this is the crowning achievement of a accountant's formal education. I have been thinking about these credential and I know a lot of professions have a similar credential that distinguishes people as competent in their field.

I was thinking about it and I know for CPA we might complain about things being too complicated, but in reality it's what we get paid for. We organize the complex. I know other professions are the same way. When I hear congress suggest a simpler tax code, in the back of my mind I think I don't want that, I want it so confusing that no one can do it on their own. In reality I know that congress will never actually make it simpler, even if they do try, I'm sure it will be more confusing. So I'm normally only about 2% worried.

Actually congress as just established a law stating that people that sign off on tax returns as paid tax preparers will have to pass an exam to do so. It should roll out either in 2012 or 2013. CPAs are exempt of course and I just think to myself cha-ching. 

How to become a Millionaire for Dummies

People are really dumb. We are, I am, the people around you are. Most people in this world have a dream of someday being a millionaire/ interdependently wealthy, when I'm old I'm sure everyone will want to be a billionaire.

Everyone knows the solution to this problem. I mean everyone! There is one rule that will guarantee any person success and here it is:

SPEND LESS THEN YOU MAKE

Now it may surprise you to find out that I am not wealthy and here is the problem: This rule is incredibly hard to follow. Just look at the Government. There are a lot of smart people in the government, but the government is run by a whole lot of dummies (i.e. Me & You).

So there's the secret in big bold letters just for all of us dummies. Figure out a way to actually hold to this one value and one day you will be wealthy beyond you wildest dreams, if you can't figure it out you're screwed. 

Find something that works for you and stick to it.

Here's a video that will drive it home:

Interview & Resumes

So I really don't like my job. I have been looking for a new one pretty much since the second day. I have had a few interviews to some good places just down the street in Boise. None have offered me a job yet, so frustrating. I think it's a weird world we live in that a piece of paper and a 30 minute conversation is what gets you a job.

I also think it's funny. I could be a crazy person for all they know, that can pay someone to write a nice resume, fake it for 30 minutes and get the job. I have worked with some idiots in my day and if people were given a job after a internship or an extended period of time with a person, these people would be eternally unemployable.

I like the system but hate it also. Computers have only made it worse. I hate when I'm taking to someone on an initial phone call and they ask me a series of required questions in a mono-tone voice. I can hear them typing exactly what I am saying in response. Then their written version of my response goes on to someone that actually has the power to make a decision.

Interviews are pretty terrible to, half the time I think they go well, and then I don't get the job. Then he other half of the time I think it goes terrible and then I get the job. I apparently have a really bad read on these HR people. Maybe I should try to make it go bad, then I'll get the job, right? :)

Oh well, I have an initial interview with KPMG in Albuquerque, NM tomorrow. I hope I get it. I did just start using a new resume, so I'm happy it's getting a little response.

Have a good day!

If I did college again I would...

Okay, so I was thinking about this the other day. I have finished college and what would I have done if I got the chance to do it all again.

Okay so I graduated from BYUI which is a really cheap. So I wish I would have went there from the very beginning. I went to a community college to start and the costs was very similar.

Okay so I have recently learned about the potential of CLEP exams. These are exams administered by College Board. They cost about $80 to take and you can buy the review material for about $30. BYUI allows you to test out of a lot of general classes and a few upper level maths and business classes you can test out of. From what I understand this is very common across universities.

CLEP exams could have saved me a ton of money and time in college. Oh well, I'll get over it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Level_Examination_Program

These tests can be taken at most testing centers at your local University or College.

Always put a Zero on your W-4!!!

So it's tax time and this is always my favorite time to look into the eyes of people that are either extremely happy or extremely sad. Those that are getting a refund are the happy ones and those that have to pay are the sad ones.

I know what the theory says you want to get a zero dollar refund because that means you had your money the whole year. This means you could have invested it and made interest throughout the year. I'm an soon to be CPA I know all this stuff.

The problem is that nobody actually invest those few extra dollars they get through the year. Do you know what happens when I get $30 extra dollars in a week. I spend it on fast food and stupid stuff. I know you might think, I wouldn't do that, but most people do, so don't fool yourself. If you actually do invest $30 per week, you will end up spending all your money on transaction fees.

Now if I give you $1500 dollars that you might actually do something good with that. Pay a little extra on your car payment, pay some more student loans, or maybe actually invest it.

My approach to finances, is to know yourself, and know the theory then make a commitment you can actually stick with. I need the forced savings of the IRS to help me make good decisions.

David's Rants

So I decided to start a blog. This will be my place to rant and talk about whatever is on my mind. I've been married for over two and a half years. I have a little girl that's 5 months old. I love talking about finances and reality. I think that too many people get lost in the theory, they try to do what their financial planners craftily put together and then they fail. I'm going to put my 2 cents out in the Universe and I hope you'll find my rants entertaining.