Someone was saying...

Mr. Sommer:

Congratulations and best wishes on what we all hope is a long and successful career.

Very Truly Yours,

Mr. Ronald L. Todd, MBA, CPA

Me and my non-male anatomy thank you for the well-wishing! Being a rookie here, I'm full of optimism, and I intend to keep that up and become an example and an advocate for the profession for as long as I can.

-Holly, not a guy ;)

You are awesome, Holly!

Oh, then it doesn't matter, you are most likely getting a free ride under affirmative action.

I don't believe that comment was necessary nor appropriate.

Wayne Brasch

I am caucasian, though, so I think that cancels out some of the bennies of having different plumbing.

-Holly

Not unexpected from the resident dispenser of cheer, unfortunately...

Oh, I dunno. I thought it was tongue-in-cheek. Wrong cheek?

"Holly J. Sommer" wrote

LMAO

You'll do fine in all but the most stoic of firms.

Don't be silly Wayne, you know as well as I do that Affirmative Action is one of the most successful programs yet initiated through government force. At this point in time almost, and maybe all, placements in accounting are affirmative action placements.

Under the AA programs you get one point for a women. Race, as defined by the Federal Government, gets another point, handicapped (I think its as defined under Sec. 404 of the AWDA) gets another point, etc....

So you get a free ride. It isn't something to dwell on, it is something to enjoy. Do as most women and take advantage of it.

Just commenting on things the way they are.

Engineering is way different than accounting. In fact, because their are fewer AA placeable engineering candidates, accounting departments are stuffed to make the numbers that engineering can't supply.

This leads to the interesting situation. I've interviewed with local agencies where the administrative division (including accounting) is entirely composed of women. The thing that is so funny is that doing the interviews they frequently admit they don't know anything about accounting so they aren't going to ask any technical questions. As long as you don't take it too seriously it is kind of funny.

Ron, I still disagree with you. In my area, accounting placement is based on the qualifications of the applicants and how well they sell themselves to the company.

Wayne Brasch

Holly may not be offended by your comments, but I still think they are inappropriate.

Wayne Brasch

"Wayne Brasch" wrote

I agree with Wayne on 98% of it. If a position has a couple of candidates that are, for all purposes, equally qualified, the position will generally get filled with that person who will make a better "fit" with the others in that department/company. This is not just gender specific, it can also be skewed by race, age and a host of other factors. And it can swing both ways.

But I haven't seen someone that is vastly under qualified getting bumped up because of gender or race, over that of someone more qualified.

...

At least your perception of things... :(

Different skill set to a certain extent, different training, undoubtedly...

I have absolutely idea what you're after here. Engineering can't supply what? ...

Nor have I in 20+ years interviewing for a "major engineering consulting firm" :) (even though that firm was, for the most part, what would be considered a DOD/DOE consultant).

And I don't know of anybody keeping score (except maybe Ron)...

Well, regardless of whether they are that way (I don't know), I'm pretty sure I got the job on my own merits, not as a function of my role in the reproductive cycle. I don't think there'd really be much of a need to seek out women in auditing/accounting, as enrollment of females in that field of study is surging (may even be ahead of males). Also, be awary of lumping "accounting" in as an administrative function. Probably what you're referring to there is more bookkeeping than accounting.

Btw, I started out as a ChemE in a former life, and I totally believe that AA is alive and thriving there. Nature of the beast in the name of "equal representation", even though the pool of candidates (students) isn't equally distributed between men and women. Really, AA should focus on evening out the candidate pool, not the hired pool.

My $.02

-Holly