Accounting Exit Opportunities

I was recently laid off. Hoping to leave public accounting altogether - tired of no work-life balance year round but nervous that all I'll be able to get is another pressure cooker PA firm. I have a b...

I have an interview for an Internal Audit role, and I’m trying to figure out how to lie and say I’m passionate about process improvement. The truth is I just want a job where I don't have to deal with...

I asked for $125k base for an Assistant Controller role, and they came back with $110k base plus a $15k sign-on bonus. A sign-on bonus does absolutely nothing when next year's percentage raises are ca...

I just got an offer for a Controller role at a mid-sized manufacturing company owned by a PE. I’m currently in Public making $135k with okay benefits and the usual busy season misery. The new offer is...

I found out my new Industry job has a Blackout Period for vacation that lasts from January through March. How is this any different from Public Accounting? I left the Big 4 specifically to avoid the B...

I’m being asked for my salary expectations in the very first phone screen, and I feel like it’s a trap to see how low I’ll go. If I say $110k and their budget was $130k, I just lost $20k. If I say $14...

I just found out the 401k match at the company I’m interviewing with doesn't vest for five years. Five years! In this economy, who stays at a mid-level accounting job for five years? What are some oth...

A boutique headhunter told me that listing my CPA exam sections passed (3/4) makes me look like a flight risk to mid-sized industry firms. Her logic was that the second I get those final three letters...

Stayed in auditing to manager level. What are my options? I'm told not even experience to exit without taking a cut. What are others' experience? Tips?

Accountants: Would you trust AI to prepare an audit-ready workpaper? Not just a memo, a real Excel workpaper where every figure traces to its source and the math ties out. I’m working with a small t...

would you leave your firm if they made it clear that supporting you isn’t a priority? i’m a heavy senior managing a lot of engagements (many that are new to me due to turnover) but i struggle to get a...

I just found out that my corporate accounting team is using an external agency to hire a temp contractor for my exact level, and they are paying them $85 an hour. I am sitting here as a permanent fte ...

I watched a Senior Manager get laid off after 15 years at the firm, and they were given ten minutes to pack their desk and leave. Loyalty in this profession is a one-way streetL. I’ve been staying at ...

Has anyone successfully negotiated a sign-on bonus at a new job specifically to cover a repayment clause from their old firm? I’m currently staring at a $15,000 CPA bonus that I’ll have to pay back in...

At what point do you draw the line and withdraw your application from a process that demands a massive take-home project? I was asked to complete a take-home case study involving a full 3-year financi...

I got an offer for an Assistant Controller position at a stable, family-owned distribution company that’s been around for 50 years. They’re offering $125k, a 10% bonus, and the health insurance is 85%...

How do you renegotiate a title and salary in a situation like this? I’m currently the only accountant at a 50-person startup. I’m basically the CFO, the Controller, the AP Clerk, and the Office Manage...

I haven't used a single thing I learned in my Advanced Accounting class in the last five years of my professional life. My entire day is just Excel formulas, accruals, and chasing down people who don'...

How do you tailor your resume to appeal to smaller, family-owned businesses? Working in Big 4 is actually making me un-hirable for the small, local companies I actually want to work for. They think I’...

Thoughts on taking a government job with the current state of the economy/country? I know lots of layoffs are happening, but this offer is to fill a position that someone is leaving. County Auditor ro...