A Reddit post by a student narrating an awkward exchange with a Faridabad-based Chartered Accountancy (CA) firm has become a catalyst for larger conversations around workplace transparency and expectations. As highlighted by Hindustan Times, the controversy began when the student, exploring options for articleship, reached out to a mid-sized CA firm to inquire about working hours and the expected stipend.
The firm’s unexpected rebuke — telling the student there was “no need to be oversmart” and asking them not to come by — soon fuelled heated discussions online.
According to the student’s detailed Reddit account, the intention behind asking upfront about timing and pay was to avoid wasting anyone’s time. “If my timing can’t be adjusted, why would I waste time on interviews in these firms?” the student wrote.
They argued that this was not only a personal consideration but also a way to save the firm’s resources by ensuring mutual suitability from the start. The WhatsApp screenshot they shared, showing the curt response, quickly gained traction.
As reported by Hindustan Times, the incident split social media users. Some saw it as a classic example of India’s toxic work environments, warning that such red flags often precede deeper issues.
One comment simply read, “Toxic work culture early signs,” while another took aim at the language used by the firm, noting, “Oversmart is the most retarded word in Indian vocabulary. It’s mostly used by corrupt people who are too afraid to answer some legitimate questions.”
However, not all reactions were sympathetic to the student. A few argued that questions about stipend might be best left until after an interview, seeing it as secondary to factors like mentoring or professional growth.
One person said, “No offence, mate, but the two questions you asked would probably result in me asking you not to come to my firm as well… They portray that you’re just looking for the place that will pay you the most.”
The original poster, however, clarified that they had already reviewed the firm’s exposure and specialisations on its website before reaching out, and had even shared their CV outlining previous articleship experience. “So I can ask this question,” they replied.
Others joined in to stress that while negotiation is one matter, basic disclosures about pay ranges help both parties assess fit early on — failing to provide them, one commenter said, was simply “utterly disgusting” and reeked of hypocrisy.
This singular interaction has thus snowballed into a broader debate on how much transparency young professionals are entitled to demand, and how traditional firms respond when confronted by such directness.