Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

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If the person answers something like:
"I was just travelling around, doing whatever I felt like, having fun. I could afford it."

Is that terrible? I'm just interested to know...

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The rule of thumb is that you should never ever tell the truth on a job interview.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

You can quit the job after 6 months no problem but it might be difficult to find another job in 6 months.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

I really hope that was a joke. If I ever found out that someone lied to me in a job interview there was nothing that they could do to get hired at my company. Although my company did not share lists of "blackballed" job hunters, I wouldn't be suprised if other companies did.

Saying that you were just doing whatever shows a lack of desire to do the job you are applying for. Companies are looking for people that want to work for them rather than people that would rather be doing other things but have to make some money somehow. A better answer would be "I have always wanted to travel so I took a year off to do so. Now that I have seen the world I'm ready to start working." The last part of the second sentence is a bit lacking, but I think you get the idea. It should sound more like something that you wanted to do at some point in your life so you took the chance to do it but now you're ready to bunker down and do some work.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

You should see if they will extend the offer for a year. Tell them you would like a year to travel and study for the CPA exam. It probably would not be a good idea to say it is so you can try to play poker professionally. The accounting firms need good people right now and they would probably be willing to wait a year to get you. I have friends who had there offers extended a year so they could go to grad school. It is at least worth asking them if you can do this. Good luck.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

Parents have a role as parents, forget about when they were your age. Besides, as the lady says, do what makes you happy--it's time you start taking responsibility for your own life and decisions anyway; pleasing your parents can come later if you still want to do that. O.K. doesn't sound too thrilling.
What really turns you on? That's what you'll probably work the hardest and be most successful at.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Yes, I already have worked this job over the summer, and I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really want to get up to go work and didn't really enjoy it.

As for extending the offer a year, it's already been extended for grad school. I mentioned to the recruiting person that I would was thinking about taking a year off and she didn't offer to extend it.

Also, to the person that said talk to a personal friend in the company, I did and he said that a whole year probably wouldn't work.

I think, especially based on the comment about the gap of a year not being such a good thing that I'm going to get whatever time off I can, en then take the job. Hopefully I won't hate it, and I'll pay my dues in public for a few years. As someone mentioned, three years of public opens up a lot more doors.

Thanks again, all.

Craig

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

If you decide not to take the job, I would do some volunteer work and join some clubs something.

edit: well, it looks like you're taking the job. Congratulations, but I'll leave this here anyways.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

Take the job. You can still play poker every night and every weekend if you want.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

depends how much u get paid compared to what u would earn playing poker over the same hours. Going to work is far more sociable than playing poker for 40 hours a week as well, i suppose it would be worth taking the job strictly as work excperience building up a CV if in later life there is a job u particularly want to do which requires experience. Also you can just play poker at the weekends or at night and supplement ur income.

Re: So I need to accept this job offer this week....
 

I had been giving it a good deal of thought and came to the conclusion that taking a year off would be a great chance to capitalize on poker and enjoy life before entering the real world.

Pont: If you don't do it, you will likely have to confront thoughts of "what if" later in life.

My parents believe that it would be a bad move based mostly on the idea that I may not be able to get as good of a job after a year of sitting on the shelf.

Counterpoint: This is a valid argument.

You are on the horns of the dilemma.

If you choose the former, tell your parents that you respect their position and concede that their arguments are good, but that you don't want to wake up 30 years from now and regret the path not taken, Tell them you mean them no disrespect but a man's gotta make his own mistakes, yadda yadda.

If you choose the job you must do so because *you* really agree and think it's the best decision and that you are committed to never making them feel guilty about guiding you in that direction.

No easy way out.