Derick quit his job at Wal-Mart!

[formergothardite]

Just noting that Derick, at least, probably has the skill-set to be quite useful to a non-profit with his accounting degree/experience.

But you are 100% right in the second part of your post-- that Nepal doesn't need random foreigners telling them they are going to hell.

IMO it would be better for a non-profit to use funds to train and hire a local person to do the accounting instead of bringing in outsiders to do it. If he was going to just train a person in Nepal and to give them a real skill that they could use, that would be good, but I don't see him going to do that.

[fjlizz]

Do we know for sure that he was a sales tax accountant at Walmart? If so, I sincerely hope that he did find another accounting/tax position in an effort to expand his skills.

I'm an accountant and have worked in tax and in financial reporting, actually over my career I've done quite a few things with my accounting degree.

I've changed jobs on average every 2 years. I know some would say I have no loyalty but honestly I think that era is long dead and gone. Companies don't employ people for their lifetimes and provide pensions & insurance for their retirements anymore. A company has no loyalty to me when they are deciding who to layoff. Anyway, changing jobs has allowed me to gain skills, move up, & increase my salary in a way that never would have been possible had I stayed at the same company the entire time.

I think it would be wise of him to leave sales tax and try to get in another area of tax or accounting because it's not very skilled/technical work and won't pay very much over the long run compared to other areas. In my experience, clerks do that work not degreed accountants. Actually I would recommend he get his CPA license if he really wants to maximize his career opportunities but that would probably require he go back to college to fulfill the education required (most states require pretty much a Master's degree) and the exam itself is pretty grueling and requires a lot of studying so unless he really surprises me I don't see that happening.

[ApologistsBeDamned]

Agree, a former coworker of mine took a job at Walmart HQ after he left my workplace. He was there for only a year and it seriously boosted his career. In his case he made the move to AR without his family but was able to get an even better job afterward that was back home.

Practically everyone I knew in Arkansas worked there. Ten years later the only people left are those unwilling to move. The rest have moved up the ladder at different companies.

[DGayle]

I am a graduate of a program called perspectives - it is a course on the world mission movement. (which interestingly helped me in reforming my belief system to a kinder, gentler, more accepting of other belief systems and prepared me for my now more new age meets following Jesus world view).

As part of the program we had weekly speakers who had been in the mission field. It is quite common for the entire family to go into the mission field. Especially when the children are babies or small. Decisions then get made when the kids hit school age as to keep them or 'home school.'

Taking babies proves that it's a lot of voluntourism. If you can't give 100% while you're there, you're not there for the right reason. Babies need a lot of care and attention.

[halcionne]

Do we know for sure that he was a sales tax accountant at Walmart? If so, I sincerely hope that he did find another accounting/tax position in an effort to expand his skills.

I'm an accountant and have worked in tax and in financial reporting, actually over my career I've done quite a few things with my accounting degree.

I've changed jobs on average every 2 years. I know some would say I have no loyalty but honestly I think that era is long dead and gone. Companies don't employ people for their lifetimes and provide pensions & insurance for their retirements anymore. A company has no loyalty to me when they are deciding who to layoff. Anyway, changing jobs has allowed me to gain skills, move up, & increase my salary in a way that never would have been possible had I stayed at the same company the entire time.

I think it would be wise of him to leave sales tax and try to get in another area of tax or accounting because it's not very skilled/technical work and won't pay very much over the long run compared to other areas. In my experience, clerks do that work not degreed accountants. Actually I would recommend he get his CPA license if he really wants to maximize his career opportunities but that would probably require he go back to college to fulfill the education required (most states require pretty much a Master's degree) and the exam itself is pretty grueling and requires a lot of studying so unless he really surprises me I don't see that happening.

His email signature showed his job title as tax accountant.

[nokidsmom]

Practically everyone I knew in Arkansas worked there. Ten years later the only people left are those unwilling to move. The rest have moved up the ladder at different companies.

For my former coworker, it was making lemonade out of lemons and it really paid off. He was laid off in a downsizing (automotive industry during recession, yep it was bad) he applied everywhere, no place was too far for him to go and he was probably willing to take whatever they (Walmart) would pay. When the economy recovered, his background qualified him for even better positions than the one he got laid off from.

[luv2laugh]

Working as tax accountant at Walmart is not going to help him get into the Big 4 accounting firms....Especially, now that he is leaving and going to Nepal (He really should have done internships before he went to Nepal the first time around but OT...) . Also, he hasn't taken the CPA which is a red flag and in addition, the scandal is going to affect him. Jill will be pregnant again by the fall and will continue pushing out baby after baby after baby... I don't know what he's going to do. I feel sorry for him.

[DGayle]

No, I do not think the Duggar debacle would affect his employment perspective, but I do think his lack of a solid work history in the US would. Let's face it, the man was not really at work enough to build a work history.

Derick has proven to be very immature, which is very disappointing.

I disagree that the scandal wouldn't affect his work history. If he gets a new job and it's discovered, a new employer would probably be concerned about people trolling the business, hoping for a Duggar-exclusive. Walmart seems to thrive on scandals since its target client base are people who are either lower income and uneducated, or low-class people (I know not all their shoppers fit in those categories, but there does seem to be pride in targeting people who make "redneck toilets" out of buckets though), basically people more likely to be Christian and ignorant (I'm not saying all poor people, etc--I was beyond poverty as an atheist), and didn't mind the attention he brought to the company. But really, how many other employers will want to risk the association right now, especially for someone still so new in the field?

He should have stayed with Walmart until things settled down enough that no one cares about him and Jill anymore. God, excuse me, TLC won't pay the bills forever. They're living in a house JB owns (I don't think JB gave them the house in the sense of them owning it, more like giving them to use), and he's probably not going to let them keep it for years on end. As the money dries up, he'll probably start eyeing the house to sell. Derick needs a stable job right now to make sure he and Jill and the kids are covered, and he just screwed that.

[SassyPants]

Working as tax accountant at Walmart is not going to help him get into the Big 4 accounting firms. Especially, now that he is leaving and going to Nepal. Also, he hasn't taken the CPA which is a red flag and in addition, the scandal is going to affect him. I feel sorry for him.

I think being on the show and missing work could potentially affect his job prospects far more than something his wife's brother did a decade + ago.

His wife's behaviors during work hours, if they have been shown to disrupt his work productivity, could negatively impact him securing another position.

We ALL knew this was coming. Jill even mentioned how they were still working through him working. She did not like him being away from her during the day. These people all live in Fantasyland, while we all try to logically solve their problems on FJ-

[SassyPants]

I disagree that the scandal wouldn't affect his work history. If he gets a new job and it's discovered, a new employer would probably be concerned about people trolling the business, hoping for a Duggar-exclusive. Walmart seems to thrive on scandals since its target client base are people who are either lower income and uneducated, or low-class people (I know not all their shoppers fit in those categories, but there does seem to be pride in targeting people who make "redneck toilets" out of buckets though), basically people more likely to be Christian and ignorant (I'm not saying all poor people, etc--I was beyond poverty as an atheist), and didn't mind the attention he brought to the company. But really, how many other employers will want to risk the association right now, especially for someone still so new in the field?

He should have stayed with Walmart until things settled down enough that no one cares about him and Jill anymore. God, excuse me, TLC won't pay the bills forever. They're living in a house JB owns (I don't think JB gave them the house in the sense of them owning it, more like giving them to use), and he's probably not going to let them keep it for years on end. As the money dries up, he'll probably start eyeing the house to sell. Derick needs a stable job right now to make sure he and Jill and the kids are covered, and he just screwed that.

I agree that Derick made an impulsive and bad decision.

I think the likely scenario was: Go to Nepal for a short stint that would be filmed for the show and provide income, and then come back to rely FT on TLC- just like Jon Gosselin did. I am sure this was all prompted by Jill's unending demands for such.

If I was his mother, I would be seething.

[Hooligan]

Forgive me if I missed it somewhere but do we have some proof that Jill and Derick are going on a mission? Or just the article? I agree it is impulsive but it is my understanding that it is not unusual for missionaries to go with tiny children in tow. If it is Nepal it is going to be very rough and dangerous. But I am sure that J and D think it will all be OK because Jesus. As much as I would like to see them away from Boob's control this seems to be very ill advised and harmful to a future career as an accountant. Firms tend to favor stable longer term employment records.

[Firiel]

I agree that Derick made an impulsive and bad decision.

I think the likely scenario was: Go to Nepal for a short stint that would be filmed for the show and provide income, and then come back to rely FT on TLC- just like Jon Gosselin did. I am sure this was all prompted by Jill's unending demands for such.

If I was his mother, I would be seething.

...you're sure?

[Firiel]

IMO it would be better for a non-profit to use funds to train and hire a local person to do the accounting instead of bringing in outsiders to do it. If he was going to just train a person in Nepal and to give them a real skill that they could use, that would be good, but I don't see him going to do that.

I do actually agree with this 100%-- I was just pointing out that Derick does, at least, have some useful skills.

Interesting (but kind of off-topic) anecdote about training nationals for non-profit positions... I worked for a religious non-profit for a little over a year. This group offered services in two different (but related) very practical areas. One of these areas required several years of formal education/training and the other was something that could be taught unofficially and learned on the job. The non-profit had in the past trained or paid for training for some nationals in both of these areas. In both cases, it was quite common for the employee to get a year or two of experience and then leave for a higher-paying, commercial job. They had to (for the most part) stop educating nationals in the more official/more highly regulated skill because they simply couldn't afford to pay for someone's training and then have that person leave. They didn't fault the employees or anything-- they just couldn't handle the financial hit. They could keep training people in the less formalized skill because it was less expensive. They felt it was a good way they could help contribute to strengthening the community and infrastructure of the area to train these nationals and then to have those nationals take their skills into the private sector of that area. I think finance fits into the same category.

[MalteseBaby]

If he's changed his mind about going to Nepal ( or if Jill has for some reason), they really messed up.

Is there some reason he cannot take his CPA exam and be a certified accountant?

[notreality]

Sorry- mistaken post

[mebeforee]

For what it's worth, he was also a lifeguard and swim coach for the Red Cross. That means he has first aid training, and since he also lists being a Pool Manager as one of his previous jobs, he has probably a higher level of certification than most lifeguards would. That alone would make him useful if he were doing a mission trip for disaster relief. However, I don't think there's really been any indication that they are planning to go to Nepal other than the fact that he did a mission trip there in the past and they have vaguely mentioned a big life change coming up. I don't know that Derick would really think taking a newborn baby on a mission trip would be a good idea, and I don't know how Jill could contribute other than in an unlicensed midwifery capacity. Aside from that the only thing they could give to the Nepalese people is evangelizing, which is not a very sustainable lifestyle financially (and as an accountant, Derick would know that).

[mebeforee]

The posters on the Jill thread say his degree is in business, not accounting.

His own LinkedIn page says he has a BS in Accounting with a minor in Economics. So he minored in a business field, but regardless of how up-to-date his page may be, I'm sure he accurately represented his degree there :lol:

[ApologistsBeDamned]

I think being on the show and missing work could potentially affect his job prospects far more than something his wife's brother did a decade + ago.

His wife's behaviors during work hours, if they have been shown to disrupt his work productivity, could negatively impact him securing another position.

We ALL knew this was coming. Jill even mentioned how they were still working through him working. She did not like him being away from her during the day. These people all live in Fantasyland, while we all try to logically solve their problems on FJ-

FJ should send them a bill for a the Life Skills and Psychiatric Counseling we have provided.

[Yoshimi]

Or like his email said, maybe he really did find another position outside of Walmart?

I’ve been thinking and could Derick have found a job at where his mom works, Treehouse Sales & Solutions? Check out their website - treehss.com, particularly their employee section. What’s interesting is that everyone there has worked at Walmart or Sam’s Club at some point, and Cathy even mentions in her bio her previous experience in the Walmart accounting department. IIRC, her boss is a long time family friend of the Dillards, and I believe he’s the one who provided the root beer and ice cream for Derick and Jill’s wedding. Maybe Cathy found a job position that's more flexible than Walmart and would allow her son to work from home or overseas?

[notreality]

His own LinkedIn page says he has a BS in Accounting with a minor in Economics. So he minored in a business field, but regardless of how up-to-date his page may be, I'm sure he accurately represented his degree there :lol:

Sorry, the posts were about Ben, not Derick. I get these people mixed up sometimes and I haven't read any of their social media. I was confused about whose job prospects I had read about. :doh:

[Aggie2145]

If he's changed his mind about going to Nepal ( or if Jill has for some reason), they really messed up.

Is there some reason he cannot take his CPA exam and be a certified accountant?

He would need 150 semester hours to be a licensed CPA in Arkansas, an OSU business degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours. Assuming he graduated with exactly the hours required, he would need an additional 30 hours for licensing. By that point, you might as well get your masters degree (33 hours).

[Yoshimi]

IMO it would be better for a non-profit to use funds to train and hire a local person to do the accounting instead of bringing in outsiders to do it. If he was going to just train a person in Nepal and to give them a real skill that they could use, that would be good, but I don't see him going to do that.

I believe Derick was involved in a number of development projects while in Kathmandu, including building houses, schools, business, etc. He also taught at the schools there. In addition to being familiar with the Nepali language and culture, I don’t think it’s accurate to say that Derick has absolutely no valuable skill-sets to bring other than evangelizing to the mission field. As part of a Christian-based organization, it’s true he “purposed†to help spread the word of the Gospel to the locals. But it’s not like what people think about the Duggars on their missions, where all they did was walk around and hand out tracts. Derick and his team actually did some real work around the community.

[mebeforee]

Sorry, the posts were about Ben, not Derick. I get these people mixed up sometimes and I haven't read any of their social media. I was confused about whose job prospects I had read about. :doh:

Haha, no worries. I tend to remember Derick as the one I have hope for, and Ben as the one who strikes me as a naive idiot. But Ben does have an Associate's in Business, I believe he completed it right before the whole molestation scandal broke out. It should help him get a job outside the Duggar 'franchise', but I know that (at least at the university I went to) there was an ENORMOUS business school and probably the biggest single section of my graduating class was getting a Bachelor's in Business. I expect that the job market is extremely competitive and there are likely a large number of others getting higher-level degrees in business who will make the hunt for employment harder for him. Hopefully he will be able to find a good job with his degree (certainly a better one than he would have gotten without the degree) but I don't know how much it will help him. Especially if they aren't willing to move to seek new job opportunities, which is likely the case with Ben and Jessa.

[nokidsmom]

I doubt that the scandal will affect his employment prospects unless he allows it to.

Which means don't bring it up, don't take off time to appear in whatever is the next version of the fundie family dog and pony show (the TLC show is done), don't have your needy wife show up to work every day though that's less likely the more kids they have. In short don't let it interfere with your own career if that's what you want.

Which means setting boundaries, maybe Derick is going to get some real life practice in that.

The scandal is more likely to associated with him while remaining at Walmart because it's local. He takes a job in some other part of the country where people don't know or don't care, he probably will be OK if he sets some boundaries for himself, for Jill and for his crazy in laws. Maybe he's doing these things already.

[TheJewAmongUs]

I'll bet 2 cans of cream of mushroom and 2 cans of cream of chicken soup (as called for in the tater tot casserole recipe) that his new job is as a consultant for a TLC show.