I have lost my accounting job twice to "interns." In both instances I was asked to teach new people how to do certain aspects of their jobs.

Anonymous

March 22,2022 at 5:22PM UTC

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I have lost my accounting job twice to "interns." In both instances I was asked to teach new people how to do certain aspects of their jobs.

In one of these instances, I was asked to teach a new person "every aspect of my job," ostensibly so my job would have a backup. One of our coworkers had just been diagnosed with lymphoma, and our boss told me this was the reason why she wanted this done. However, the new person was our boss's protege from a former employer that they both worked for and she ended up replacing me.

In the other instance, more or less the same thing happened - the new people were supposed to "catch us up" on accounting matters where, under my predecessor, we'd fallen behind. I had been hired to bring a higher degree of professional knowledge and experience to the job. I even was told initially to be the liaison to the outside CPA, but then the management kept telling me to cancel the appointments that the CPA was trying to make with me. Instead, they kept instructing me to train temps, one of whom was the son of one of the managers. The management decided to let me go after canceling all my attempts to actually use the higher knowledge. They acknowledged that they were "underutilizing" me.

Is there any way these situations can be avoided in the future? I do not want to spend my time teaching away my job.

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Amy EdmondsMarch 22,2022 at 9:07PM UTC
Apply for a job with that CPA you were told to avoid! Or ask them for advice. They probably know where the good & bad places are.
Ruth SathreMarch 23,2022 at 12:28PM UTC
Women have done this type of training for years. I'm glad you are questioning the system. But noticing and questioning the pattern will probably mean change in your job. Dust off your resume and interviewing
Kimberly WorrickMarch 23,2022 at 12:57PM UTC
Meet with a peer of your experience and educational level and open a conversation as to their duties and responsibilities. I always hunt down online reviews about the business, past employees, linked in profiles and talk to people. This behavior from the management is not acceptable and sounds like in one instance it crossed the line to a COI.
AyianMarch 23,2022 at 2:44PM UTC
I would suggest tactfully bringing it up in interviews as a professional boundary that you are not a trainer and are not interested in training others to do their job.
If given an offer, request it to be placed in writing before you accept. Making your new position aware from the very beginning that you will not be engaging in training activities for them will curtail the behavior, result in no offer, or be a clear indication that your boundaries are not being respected and it is time to move on.
Melissa Boillot, SHRM - SCPMarch 24,2022 at 2:10AM UTC
I wouldn’t personally recommend this approach as this could come off as limiting the skills you have or brand you as “inflexible”, “negative”or even unable to do the job.
The furthest I would go in an interview would be to discuss that you left your previous positions after realizing the roles were low in scope and able to be completed by more junior colleagues. You can then transition to what you really want in your next role… I.e. a fulfilling position using the full depth and breadth of your experience in XYZ.
Me!March 23,2022 at 3:13PM UTC
It’s this type of behavior from companies that limits our interest in mentoring and elevating those around us. As the people you trained become better and more expensive the company will replace them as well. Luck has given you a gift, these companies do not deserve you.