Leaving public accounting after 2 years reddit. I quit and started working in sales for 40 hour weeks.

Leaving public accounting after 2 years reddit Long story short, I hate the big city and I’m looking to move home to be closer to family and have a normal relationship my girlfriend (long distance blows). I’m not stressed. Basically it’s tough to get fired from public accounting, they’ll always need seniors. " They've been in the full time position for over 2 years, but also have a 3rd busy season under their belt from when they were an intern with the same company. I started looking hard after about 7 months. Jun 22, 2024 · Leaving Public Accounting after 1 and a half years. ADMIN MOD Seriously considering leaving public for industry . View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Leaving public accounting after 6 months . Sure, you leave for better money up front, but that’s as far as it goes. ” That attitude is why people are leaving accounting, and why some firms aren’t giving out market adjustments. ~15-20% pay increase, hours are pretty much 9am-6pm with no weekends. 5 years to another senior accountant job & now I make $110K + 10% bonus + equity. I left and went to a top 20 firm, and realized that the work there was a lot more than the Middle Market and the B4, they were literally the burger kings of audit, my first week I was staffed on four engagements, I left after a month for an industry position as an accountant - maybe it’s because idk anything yet, but I feel like I can’t really schedule time off anymore, when I did it I was Jul 22, 2020 · I’m throwing around the idea of possibly leaving accounting all together. I pretty much have never worked more than 40 hours a week in the ~6. Left public and have had a successful career in corporate tax and love my job and make good money without a cpa agnd don’t need it for my job nor do I need it to move up. 1 year as a cloud accounting manager/fractional controller. My reasons in order of priority are as follows: Felt underpaid - Especially on bonuses (even in non-Covid years). I really love this story. I’ll be working in investment accounting at a really well known finance company and my new salary is 40% more plus bonus and stocks. The number of federal holidays helps to make up for it. Feb 6, 2018 · They say 1. When I started, I verbally agreed to stay for 2ish years until my CPA was completed. 5 years independent contract work (fraud investigation), then made my pivot to Industry as Assistant Controller. More time with my family. There’s more to life than making a manager position and it’s called happiness. I Mar 24, 2021 · Left GT as a tax manager, 6. Pay is less, but the flexibility and time off makes up for the small difference in pay twice as much. I got a 20% raise and a senior role in industry and in banking as well. Plus I'm making almost double. Apr 11, 2023 · 5-6 years ago, a 30-50% bump absolutely was the case. In return, the company offered to cover the cost of my CPA. I also bought a house and got married (at 24, which is a bit young) and I couldn't take care of a house and wife working 60 hours weeks, most of them travelling or at locations which required 2+ hours of commuting I works in public for 3 years made 65k. Right people and my abilities. I started my career at a regional firm in a M/HCOL city (think Boston, Dallas, DC) Y1 - $58K salary and $5K CPA bonus Y2 - $63K salary Y3 - After Y2 I was promoted to senior with a raise to $78K. The money isn’t worth it. I quit after 3 years of public accounting. At the time I was making $70k, but left right before our yearly raises and was expected to go to ~$85k. Not that I blame higher ups, I’m good at my job but there are a select few who just seem to understand things very quickly and there isn’t much to do about it, When I was in public accounting it was the big 8. Leaving Public Accounting hours for Financial Reporting hours. Obviously, I'm excited for the opportunity, but I'm also a bit nervous--if for some reason they offered me a position, I'm nervous that I could get Yeah, you really have to jump every 2 years to get a salary bump. 5 years, I feel like I barely knew anything after the first 2 years. Ever since leaving, I've somehow been able to find the time to continue on my fitness journey and am already seeing progress with the best Oct 18, 2022 · Current senior accountant in industry and have CPA license, 5 years experience. Recently I am thinking if I should switch to public accounting because I feel like my career is dead end and probably stay senior forever. I worked in the veterinary industry for about seven years but came back to accounting due to emotional fatigue and low pay. Way more options in law - from teaching, to public defender/ADA (regular, forty-hour workweeks, government benefits), to law firm (six figure starting salaries, partner track is 6-7 years), to self-employed (ability to build Feb 8, 2022 · In 3 years, when kid wants to leave PA bc they are burnt out and disgruntled, they will hire into industry making more than kid hired directly into same company after college working same job for the past 3 yrs simply because of the “prestige” of coming from public and the assumed wealth of knowledge the kid has from PA (regardless if they actually do or not). Aug 6, 2023 · People hate/love public accounting. 5 years) before I would be up for promo. Dev. 1 AUM about 2 months ago. Like you I left Arthur Andersen as a senior and went into industry. Jul 30, 2021 · For those who have left tax roles in public accounting, Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. After leaving public accounting for good, he wrote and self-published an office comedy series, “ Waive Further Review,” about a first-year audit engagement and subsequent financial statement In my state there is a three year window so as long as you pass all in just under two years after leaving and get signatures, experience before passing would count. Even looked at what Managers/Senior do after thinking about "sticking it out". So I have been working for a top 10 National firm for about 10 months now. Went to industry in an in-house position as a tax manager. Not leaving public and going into industry, but leaving accounting all together. Sep 16, 2024 · I made a few jumps after leaving public, which occurred after my first year as a senior: 1) jumped to a large PE oil and gas company. That's when you'll get the biggest bumps. All interviewers seemed to understand and I got multiple offers, so I think the honesty helped. Since my December year-end client have heavy interim testing, I was technically already in busy season in December when I left. I left after 2 years without making senior. Mar 16, 2022 · I know there’s been a ton of posts lately of people feeling the same way but I wanted to explain my situation and hear some peoples thoughts. If I look around best job will be a senior accountant where I’d be LUCKY to make $95k/year. I’ve gotten very little actual tax work, and there’s no real hope of getting more interesting work in I previously worked at a mid-size accounting firm for 2. Jun 13, 2018 · Hey everyone. Jan 10, 2022 · Until you have something lined up, yeah it’s bad to leave after 3 months. Work 40 hour weeks and enjoy my job. Left there for a Controller job. Left as a second year senior, then went to corporate (assistant controller of a segment) then plant controller and recently promoted to regional role. Just leave, industry is much better. My bosses boss (CAE) earns over 500k. I went to a medium sized industry job as a senior accountant. ), and Apr 29, 2024 · I'm a CPA who did 2 years b4 audit, promoted to senior, then did 2 years as a public forensic accounting firm. During that time I got my CPA and made it to senior. Hopefully they help you weigh your options: I really missed public accounting at first. Additionally, you need to really develop a pros and cons list as to why you want to leave public accounting before leaving. Jun 28, 2022 · I’m about to leave accounting and I’ve only be in public for a year. I make mid twenty per hour and work 35-40 hours in three, maybe three and a half days. Nov 9, 2011 · I recently started my second year of public accounting at a Big 4 firm, after doing a summer and winter internship during school (undergrad and masters were accounting). I’ve been there about 5 years (I have about 12 years total PA tax experience), and I really like the company. Learned how to make standard Je’s here but was bored. I do the accounting and HR for an outdoor sports store. I've tried and I've realized that I am not made for PA. Get app Get the Reddit app Log In Log in to Reddit. I’m looking for less stress and 40 hours (or slightly less even). My old coworkers that been working there for Nov 17, 2021 · I would leave this job off of your resume completely. I’ll probably take home £40k ish this year working maybe 20hrs a week. This is at a public but not F500 company. One year realy just flies by its a short time but a world of difference. Log In Primarily for accountants and aspiring accountants to learn about and discuss their career Aug 23, 2023 · I’m 3. Learned more useful practical, actionable skills in the 1 year as a cloud accounting manager/fractional controller than the 5 years of public combined. I can say this: I think the best times to exit public accounting are after years 2,3, or 5. . 5 years, which isn’t too bad. Delayed my start to getting my certification by 2 years, then another 2 because covid. Edit: I forgot to mention I taught myself financial modeling which is one of the only reasons I was able to get the position. Now 3 years as a Controller. I’ve put in 5, close to 6 years in and I think I’m at a point where I’m just done. No problems here! Still in public Oct 22, 2020 · Started at B4 firm in audit in Sept 2019 and am currently a 2nd Year Staff. It’s not in my resume and nobody asked in any interview. My public accounting experience was pretty miserable - my first public accounting gig was at Andersen Tax and I worked close to some 80 hour weeks, so after one tax season I tried audit for a year. The handling of raises and COVID in general has pretty much turned me off to the firm. Point being, even a short time in public accounting can be a career boost, and May 16, 2021 · Senior Accountant is possible with a CPA. And recruiters totally understand - at least the ones I worked with Oct 16, 2022 · It is a weird time I think, people used to leave public for the better wages in industry, but now public is so desperate. UPS drivers make more money. During the pandemic when they pushed everyone’s start date back, they also changed the job title from consultant down to analyst. I left into the industry as a senior accountant making $90K. About two and a half years later I left for a better opportunity. The list goes on. So background, I spent the majority of my career in industry and jumped to public two years ago because I thought it might be better. It was 2. Aug 13, 2023 · I have a former colleague who left big 4 after 18 months. With their way of teaching I’ve learned a lot in accounting and actually enjoyed it. Jan 5, 2021 · Don't worry if you're leaving mid-busy season. Lots of bullies in accounting. It gives you time to settle into your "new" role, gain some experience that you can talk about during interviews for other positions, and confirms if you are truly ready to leave. Getting the senior manager title likely doesn't add Did you leave public accounting after 2 or 3 years? If so, what industry did you move in to? How has the workload and salary compared? Do you have a path upwards at your current company I left public after just one year for industry. Mar 13, 2022 · This is terrible advice. I would look for a senior accountant or senior FP&A role. Although, in my case I went into public accounting after working for a couple of years and getting my master's. About 8 months ago I got offered a Jul 29, 2022 · Dear u/epetty25!. P. Just leave on good terms because you’ll need a signature. I almost jumped ship several times. At the same time, I'm sure someone who left after 5 years who feel like they barely knew anything after the first 3. Now that I’ve graduated, I’ve been working in PA mid-size firm for the past 3 months and I absolutely hate it. Sure, there are exceptions, but thats it. worked at 6B company making 45k starting. In my time searching for If you’re not interested in pursuing that status, the ideal window to transition out of public accounting is after 2-6 years. Dec 25, 2021 · The issue with big firm public accounting is the model is designed to retain average employees 3-4 years, which has spiraled out of control to 2-3 years. Reply reply Apr 8, 2018 · Props to y’all who did not buy into the Kool-Aid. I've been fortunate enough to go 2/2 so far, and am hoping to be 3/3 within an 18 month timeframe -- this is the fastest you can pass the CFA exams. Feb 8, 2021 · Even with my less than 2 years in public accounting, I was able to land a senior accounting role at a midsize public company with great coworkers. I duplicated my income after my first year from making less than 40k to 75k. I was keeping my eyes open for about a year, applying to a couple things in private here and there. Censor your personal information for your own safety, Add the right flair to your post, Tell us why you're applying (i. 125k + 15% base bonus Average 50, but anywhere between 30-70 Not really. boss even told me to " stay in my lane" and do bookkeeping. 5 years in small public firm doing audit. Would it make much of a difference to leave as a Senior after 1 year 9 months vs 2 years? The reason I wouldn't want to stay those additional 3 months is cause I'm scheduled for a busy season around that time and wouldn't want to leave in the middle of it. I just paid off almost all my student pains after 2 years living at home saving nearly my entire paycheck. Plan is to finish that, get my masters, and work public accounting for a bit. I’m good at it, but I don’t find it rewarding or interesting at all. I left after 4 busy seasons (got shafted at one firm after 3 years and let go with several others) and then did one more busy season at a different firm, which was much better. In total, I have less than 4 years of experience. And so many people left public in the past 2 years, maybe the corporate accounting employers feel like they can be choosy based on the hiring pool the last 2 years. I was promoted to manager a year and a half later. Jun 5, 2019 · Left public after 2 years, used Robert Half to get me a Financial Analyst position with a significant raise, switched to FP&A, and now in Corp. Promotions are much harder to get at every level in industry. Expand user menu Open settings menu. 2- I have more flexibility at my job than I did in public. 5 years in my career. Feb 23, 2022 · Can confirm. Oct 6, 2023 · I recently was informed that I'm not getting a raise or bonus after my first year in a top 15 public accounting firm (no CPA but one part passed). 3 years later I’m in 6 figures managing a dope work stream. 5 of the worst years of my adult life, physically and mentally. Apr 11, 2022 · I have been looking into leaving public accounting for a private internal auditor position for a publicly traded company. Anyway, after blitzing and interviewing, I was completely ghosted by them. I mainly see salaries and career milestones from people who are in public accounting or those who left public. I felt bad, and obviously I could have toughed out this busy season and left after that. 2 years ago, I left public accounting for a management job in internal audit. Everything is better at my current industry job, the hours, management, the work, benefits. Ultimately went back to public after getting bored, but was able to keep the same pay. I’ve had 5 jobs, 3 on my resume. It has a very defined career path. It’s official, I’m going back to school and quitting my job. Then a small company as accounting manager and promoted to CFO after 5 years. Every industry job I had were with middle market companies. Kids don’t do accounting because it is “safe money”. But you can tell from early on who is getting groomed to make manager early. I do only tax, but the firm does audit, CAS and financial services as well. Oct 12, 2022 · In interviews I was honest and said PA burned me out and that I was working til 2-3am 6 days a week and when you work that much in an area of accounting you're not as passionate about it is draining. I left public 20 years ago, but it really gave me a firm foundation for my career. In conclusion, there is no exact timeframe that you should be looking to leave public accounting, but you should try to stay at least 2 years to boost your resume. I know have to work during the whole 4th of July shut. I would be there approximately three years and then the company would sell or in one case go out of Should you leave Public Accounting after one year? What's the ideal time to spend in Audit if you want to be a Controller. Basically, I wanted to post this cause all the negativity I see in this sub all the time and to show that good positions are there and that accounting can be a really nice field to develop. It taught me a lot, both on technical and soft skills matter. In a couple weeks I’m going back to public but working “no more than” 40 hours per week year-round (I got it in-writing). Raises are not nearly as good as public but the bonuses are insane. I’m now paycheck to paycheck after 3 years of public (still in public)! I took my first lunch break after an entire year of working 70 hours year round. Specialized in fixed assets and learned how to use an ERP, Workiva, and some good Microsoft application skills. Was in public for >3 years and saw myself get bigger despite not eating much purely because work didn't afford me the time to work out. Went to a tiny tiny firm, that's actually 40 hours a week, fully remote, and got a pay bump that was ~18k higher than what my "best case scenario" was. Now I have an offer to go back to public at 75% of full time but higher base pay. Jun 8, 2015 · My performance manager hasn't been transparent about the roundtable process. This subreddit has turned into some sort of public accounting bashing party, especially in the past 12-18 months as pay in public accounting has skyrocketed. I want to move on to something different and new. I liked the [tax] work I did in public, just not the insane hours. I have screenshotted some of the points too. The people I’ve seen who leave after a little while longer, say 4-6 years, almost always make more, get a better job, and something “cushier”. 5 years since. Jun 13, 2019 · Don’t worry about it. At the same time, a few guys I started with are partners looking at retirement in the next 10 years. I left for a senior tax role after 4 years (non big 4, mid tier). Was a senior in public. Aug 7, 2023 · I get roughly the same pay ever since college due to 3-5% annual raises. I trapped myself for years in a spot I was overworked because "it'll be better in 6 months" 6 months never happened. Corp finance role, was maybe 60-80ish or more for the first 6-9 months (huge ramp in skill set and acumen that I didn’t get at the PE accounting role, + going public after my 2 months of being there). Accepted an accounting role at a public REIT with about $6. 5 years later and total comp is 150K. All in this video🔥Enroll in my on May 31, 2022 · Look for accounting roles in an industry you love. My team is very short-staffed due to a lay off and someone quitting. Apr 4, 2021 · View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. 5 months. I’ll take 40k, 50k and a 37. The hours were getting to be ridic, and I hadn't even become a senior yet. I’ve yet to tell my counselor and engagement team just because I accepted the offer yesterday. I’ll never got back to public accounting. It wasn’t successful coz I had no experience in that area also my degree is in accounting. After 3 years left senior accountant at 65k and Masters in Fianace. I left public one year after being an audit associate. Remember: one year in public accounting is like 2 years in industry when you factor in the hours you work during busy season. For my last 2 years in college, I’ve had great professors that taught really well. My HR site has a whole guide on leaving and I haven’t filled that out yet because I want to talk to my counselor and engagement team first so they don’t get surprised by the notice. I work in tax and have my exams passed just waiting for the year mark to get the hours requirement so I can get my license. I left public accounting after a good 10 months and it was just because I wasn't feeling it was for me. Three day weekend every week, four day “weekend” at least once a month. Or check it out in the app stores Pay bump after leaving public accounting in tax? Agreed, I left B4 tax after just 1 year and got a 16% raise in industry. Jan 21, 2024 · Primarily for accountants and aspiring accountants to learn about and discuss their Cowboy8310. If OP stayed 2+ years he should get at least 20%+. Company email not allowed on our phones. The partners and senior managers sit 2 floors up from us at the client site. Just wanted to share that I received an offer from a public company and will be leaving public accounting after nearly eight years. I think best exit points are after 2 years, after one year of being a senior, and after a year of being a manager. Most of my coworkers were shocked to find out how old I was! Yeah, they want young blood because fresh graduates are easier to overwork, but you should be assured that you're far from unhireable due to your Jan 17, 2022 · I was expecting to grow my career in public accounting for the next decade or 2 and live the American dream as an adult. My upcoming busy season is going to be rough due to the staffing issues and I'm likely looking at a pretty shit pay bump being promoted to Oct 25, 2022 · I’ve been at the job a little over a month now and I already know it’s not for me. I wasn't happy at all because I was placed in a PIP after the manager got in trouble for not giving me work on time. I worked government, industry and spent 8 years in public. Feb 2, 2021 · I know everyone says make it at least 2 years in public but at this point I can’t imagine feeling this bitter and anxious towards my job for another 1. I just want to get a feel for success and horror stories from people leaving public accounting/big 4 before making senior. Here are a couple of thoughts from my experience. 1- My boss (director level) earns over 200k. When my colleague gave 2 weeks notice in January, the partner stormed downstairs and told him to pack up and leave. 2 busy seasons and 1. A few things - number one, leaving public is one of the better work related decisions I've made. I'm getting a 2 which means I'm not meeting expectations. Edit: I don't have my cpa. Moneys tight but my mental health is so much better. I left again after 1. Mar 6, 2016 · No. Was working insane hours, juggling 20 clients and no raises or bonuses. It was all about planning and patience. People tend to use their own personal public tenure as the benchmark for what's "acceptable". Position is the Director of Internal Audit of a consumer products company. Nov 6, 2023 · I'm in consulting related to accounting. I worked in big 4 for 2 years, felt so miserable so I left the job and looked for job in business dev. Or perhaps that's typical at bigger firms? At the 2 year mark in public for me, I was the primary point of contact for the client on a few smaller / less complex engagements, and was preparing more complex C. There will be BS work in I've heard from recruiters that the optimal times to leave public accounting are after years 2/3/5. Fast forward to now and I’m a month away from the end of busy season but can’t help but thinking about quitting every second I’m at work. Below is some general info and salary progression. May 25, 2022 · Anyways, I left public accounting after about 4 years after that, this is my 6th year in accounting, and I’m currently Director of Finance and Accounting in private sector, and just recently got my CPA license approved. I’m currently doing my second internship in audit, and I don’t love the work. If you take away people that are forced to stay at these firms (visa holders and offshore employees), big firms have entered the death cycle of turnover, and they know it. I’m doing well leading a sector at a Fortune 500 company from my home office. I will be leaving public after 5 years for an industry role. Some industry jobs are great right out the gate after leaving public, others aren’t and you have to hop around until you find a better fit. Apr 7, 2022 · I majored in accounting because i like numbers. 11 years later I’m trying again lol do not fret!!!! Jun 5, 2023 · I have one more year of my bachelors. I plan to stick It out for one or two years and get the experience. Could I just leave with 1. Oct 18, 2021 · Go into Industry and look for: Senior Accountant/ Accounting Manager/ Assistant Contoller/ Some larger companies have tax departments I did 4 years in tax in public, 1. 5 years total experience. After 2 years got another senior accountant role. 41 votes, 31 comments. I will be starting in audit, and don't plan to stay for more than 2-3 years, but the career of a self-employed CPA who does tax and accounting services for small businesses is greatly Mar 20, 2022 · I'm in the middle of my second year as an associate and I'm planning on leaving soon. Meanwhile in industry you can be the best accountant in the world but you have to wait until Cheryl who has been a senior accountant for 27 years to retire. A few things that arn’t exclusive to public accounting. Let’s be real, it is mostly for the large pay increase of approx 20k. I always see posts about people leaving public so my big question is this: if you left public accounting, what sort of job did you leave for? Any advice would be welcome :) Aug 16, 2023 · I left public accounting for school district finance. Just ignore half of what your leadership says and leave when you have enough experience. I felt like garbage in public and now I feel like a hand on the back of the front line medical heroes 🥲. The people I’ve seen that leave early in their careers mostly leave for mid level jobs where salary growth stinks. May 8, 2022 · Didn’t leave accounting but left B4/corporate. Oct 4, 2022 · I worked in public accounting tax for 3 years and left for an industry job about 6 months ago. I would not leave for a staff role unless you plan to hop to a senior role after 2 years, don't plan on any promotions ever. There are a bajillion threads on this sub from people who want to leave accounting. But I am also 7 years into my career w CPA, experience in public and a challenging role with a fancy title in industry. I started in the fall and planned on making it 2 years and leaving with my CPA. Feb 9, 2014 · i was in big 4 audit for just under 2 years, left about 4 months before coming senior. I could spend the rest of my life not regretting not doing public and leaving public. That's right. You only have to grind for 2 years!! Then you make 70k! And it only goes up! !! Honestly, no thanks. Agreed, I left B4 tax after just 1 year and got a 16% raise in industry. May 29, 2021 · Hi, I've been working an accounting job for a boutique investor for around 6 months now. Aug 18, 2022 · The PTO accrual rate isn’t wonderful for the first 3 years, but will be much better at 3 years and unbelievable at 15 years. I’ve been in the promised land (corporate) for about a year and a half after almost 4 years of public accounting. Hope this helps some younger folks. Thanks for posting on r/resumes!Please read the sub etiquette page to learn about proper post etiquette and remember to: . 5 years. I left public after 1 year into the CPA program (Canadian candidate here on the west coast), and now work at one of the largest coastal forestry and lumber manufacturing companies in the province and is publicly traded on the TSX. 5-2 years then leave for industry. Thanks for this. 8 years ago, I left public for a revenue manager role 2 years in and took a bump from 50 up to 75k. OR, if you plan to pursue something other than your CPA certification, leaving for an industry role closer to the 2-year mark may Sep 7, 2023 · From my experience the fastest way to have a raise is by switching jobs honestly. It is not enough There was a ton of turnover in experienced staff and seniors (the only people that I actually liked in the firm as well), which left me as the only remaining staff with 2 years of experience and a bunch of new hires. Need Career Advice - Leaving Public Accounting after a year . Sep 23, 2022 · After deciding that consulting and Big 4 life isn’t for me, I’ve accepted a new job offer. I know another guy who doesn't have big 4 experience and CMA instead of CPA, it took him 8 years to become a manager at fortune 500. I'll be leaving public accounting to help save my sanity, mental health, and life. Aug 16, 2022 · I jumped after a year and I’m doing well (130k TC w/ 4 YOE in Austin) But I do have some regrets and wish I would have stayed at least two years. It took a little while with life and all, but it’s fantastic! I am glad I decided to make the move to accounting. maybe go for atleast one and half years. I'm exhausted and I'm very burned out and I don't think i can do another busy season. I have never had public accounting experience. I tried to sit and gave up 11 years ago. 2 extra months of job searching is way easier to explain than quitting with nothing lined up after 2 months. My only regret is not leaving public earlier. They're also each only offered once a year (except L1 - that's offered 2x a year), so each time you fail is another year of your life lost. e. Jul 11, 2017 · Conclusion. Be smart and don’t make this any worse for yourself. Yea, you might burn a few bridges, but only with your current engagement team. Currently working a low wage- low stress job in the mean time. Follow the money and opportunity. Nope, I'm just not fit for this type of industry and I'm glad I realized that early I've been applying for jobs and had a decent amount of call backs. I knew what was expected of me and felt I was pretty good at my job. I make about 20k more and my days are a lot more routine. I still want to work on getting my CPA but I only ever see people getting them while they are in public accounting and wanted to get feedback from Nov 26, 2022 · 3 years Big 4, moved to a resort town, 2 more years of public at a mid-tier public firm. Aug 21, 2023 · I left after my 2nd busy season and only stayed for 1 year and 9 months. Anybody who’s been in one role more than 4 years is either paid to be very comfortable, or not competent enough to leave. Left public just over a year ago. Learn how make journal I’m considering leaving public accounting and willing to take a pay cut. And you’re promoted faster. 5 years making $60K. You gave up way too quickly and easily. ull be at the top of ur game if u stick around enough in a public firm. I do wish less of the time granted was in sick leave and instead given as PTO, but there’s still a lot of flexibility regardless. I've been here for 2 years since leaving Big 4 (I’m a year out of college, just left public for industry) I’m guessing you’re asking Reddit because you already know what you want to do and are hoping for some reassurance. I’m talking year end bank reconciliation not done, 4 months after year end, and they’re leaving for vacations at 4pm instead of reconciling the bank statement. I have seasonal depression which busy season just amplifies, it turns me into a dark, angry, bitter shell of myself and I don't like being this person. Jan 4, 2022 · Same OP. I'm doing well so I've been told, and have gotten a couple bonuses that were not across the board. He transferred into senior accountancy position and 3 years later became a manager at mid sized company. In total it took him 4. Oct 11, 2023 · I quit industry a month ago with nothing lined up. Basically, I’ve decided I really don’t care Hi all, I'm currently a senior auditor in public accounting with 3 years of experience, and I've been job hunting. I’m making 125k now and much happier. Mar 22, 2021 · And maybe, just maybe, the accounting team can work until the ungodly hour of 6pm instead of leaving at 4pm? Edit: y’all downvoting me don’t even know how bad this client was. I’ve left 2 audit jobs (fuck top 10 audit) within 1. After 8 years at a fintech May 6, 2022 · ponse to people leaving was “I hope there is a recession and these people come back begging for jobs. Fuck public accounting I left public accounting for internal audit. Feb 23, 2022 · View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Best decision I ever made. Aiden is a former Big 4 assurance senior manager who bounced between public accounting and industry three times during the past 15-plus years. More time for myself. I left B4 after 2. Any other time before or after that and you're missing out on the biggest percentage salary bump possible. But where it sucks for me, Dec 28, 2022 · I quit public accounting after three years and went back to school to be a veterinary technician. Is it silly of me for considering leaving PA before 1 year for a staff accounting position? And will I be looked down upon for leaving so early? I hated PA. So for example you start at 65k at Deloitte you get 5-7% raises and in promo years 5-10%. 40 hours weeks (if even that much for typical week), good money, low stress. But realized I don't have much knowledge or insights on the jobs I should look for/am qualified for. Apr 8, 2024 · If you’re not interested in pursuing that status, the ideal window to transition out of public accounting is after 2-6 years. I’m still working busy season hours and it’s almost July currently double booked on a client. I thought that was ok as a first year but my manager said that she doesn't know what will happen and that hr said what they have done with 2s in the past in either terminate or give them the summer to improve but it's not a formal plan. Can’t wait to go somewhere that when I’m not at work, I’m not working. Apr 5, 2023 · I work for public accounting firm with 6 partners and about 40 total employees. It’s unfortunate, because at the partner level, he or she will most likely not be held accountable for those kind of comments. My SO is in public accounting (MS in accounting, CPA) at a top 10 firm and is to the point where they expect to be promoted this spring/summer to "Senior. PE accounting role was alright, 40/50 hrs a week. Another thing you can do is to mention your company that you have other offers (get them for real) and you’re considering leaving in the next few weeks. Found the right job a few months latter. After a year I made Controller. Work 65 hour weeks with half days on Fridays through summer. May 26, 2022 · I was a non-traditional student when I got my accounting degree. I couldn’t be happier. This profession is seriously grotesque for the effort. For some people, this is as soon as they get their CPA, as soon as they make senior, or manager etc. For record I was in PA for a little less than 3 years. So after 5 years in audit, that some things I liked, and other I really hated (salary, extra hours mainly) I decided my time there was over. It was mostly good, but it's finally time to move on. I left my first job out of college after exactly 1 year. He was actually paid for those 2 weeks. Also, getting in 2 - 5 yrs public before going to industry would give you a much higher starting salary. I went from public accounting NTR preparer( however we did all their books) and doing clients payroll to being a controller. I feel healthy. I told my RL and keeps giving me working for the second engagement. 5 years of experience, or is 2 years some magical mark? I'm not going to be promoted to senior for another 2 years. Later on I joined a fintech startup in finance and accounting again, good salary but after almost 2 years working here I’m diagnosed with depression. The problem is Jul 5, 2018 · I recommend staying for 2 years. I started job searching in October 2022, planned to leave in Summer 2023. So I've decided after this busy season that I will be leaving public accounting. Jun 13, 2022 · After working in public accounting for five years law school was a three year vacation (and I graduated top 10% from a top 50 law school). Nov 19, 2019 · It’s been over 8 years since I left public and Open menu Open navigation Go to Reddit Home. If you can afford it, quit! Life is short. For any other former tax accountants, after leaving, what’s your preferred way to file your own taxes? I used to prepare and file for free at work (perk) but now after years of hating on TurboTax must I go to the dark side? Large firm public accounting for 2-4 years is hands down the best way to jumpstart a career in accounting for the vast majority of people. Can’t speak to your mental health or professional desires, but all things being equal, you should give any gig at least a year so that you can onboard and then execute your work well. OR, if you plan to pursue something other than your CPA certification, leaving for an industry role closer These days, your chances of becoming a CFO at a global 5,000 company get exponentially worse the longer you stay in core accounting—you only needed two to three years max at an accounting firm and then you should To those who left public accounting after less than a year, how is it going? What's up lovely accounting folk, Wanting to know what it's like for those who left PA after a relatively short There's no problem in leaving soon (I left after 2 busy seasons as well), but just be sure that you have a good role to go into. There's demand for tax people. 2) jumped to a fortune 200 energy company. After May 30, 2021 · Recently left public accounting at a T10 firm after 4 years in the audit practice (dabbled in some consulting work there too) concentrating solely on RE clients and specialized in the affordable housing/tax credit development space. While I believe I did a decent job given the circumstances that I was given(my manager at the time even said that I got screwed), I decided to look for another job where I might be valued more. I was at PwC so not a Senior and needed another busy season (the latter 0. Apr 3, 2023 · So this past summer I decided to take a leap and leave public accounting after working in it for almost seven years. I'm now ~9 years into my career and an Audit Manager at a F100. Also I'm fully remote now which I'll never give up Aug 12, 2021 · I’m considering leaving Deloitte (advisory specifically) after 1 year. I worked in public accounting for 1. I found out that nobody appreciates accountants but accountants. I do not regret my time in public accounting since I gained skills and it set me up for my new job, but I am glad I left. I never did get my CPA but I was currently studying for it when I decided to leave. Nov 8, 2023 · Big4 after college, left after 2 years. What i meant was if you stayed in public for 5-10 years compared to industry for the same amount of time then you'd be making significantly more in public. Jul 27, 2023 · I'm 28 and landed a Big 4 job in auditing. The barrier to entry is low enough that you get a lot of mean girls and bossy kids in charge. Less stress. The hours can be brutal, leading to a lot of attrition but also promotion opportunities. You don’t know how to use the coffee machine after 2 months. atleast. But I would never have considered, for even a half a second, choosing an AP job. Feb 23, 2019 · I can give you an explanation from my perspective. I don't need to track every minute, and all I have to do is make sure my items get Left after 3 years as well and No CPA. Then controller for a year at a new job. I'm not going to get promoted this year and it wouldn't happen till my 3rd year but I really don't want to do another busy season. And double check your states rules!! Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. Typically people say work in public accounting, preferably for a big 4 or other large firm for 2 years, and then you can go into industry with a strong resume. The constant juggling of tasks, not knowing/understanding the purpose of anything, and the constant shuffling between clients(due to Feb 5, 2015 · That's true to SOME extent, but to be honest that's also what partners at public accounting firms say to keep people from leaving. Industry tax is possible and the hours aren't as bad as public. Figured hey, some Apr 2, 2015 · I fully intend on leaving my firm, but for some reason people are advising to leave public accounting after 2 years. Make some strategic job hops in the corporate accounting world. And that’s not billable hours. Don't just leave to get out. Only stayed for one year and I'm not seeing how any of this is important. Inevitably I became a de-facto senior because of this and I Aug 20, 2021 · I left a few months ago for a job in industry and am curious as to why others left. Having a family and a working spouse and public accounting at the staff and senior level is just a different kind on animal that I’ll wear as a badge of pride but be happy to never do again. Since I started my new job I’ve essentially only done admin work, data entry, etc. Nov 19, 2013 · If I go the "typical" path of 2-3 yrs Big 4 audit, then industry, I definitely see it as attainable (hence why I set it as that and not 150k hahaha), but I'm toying with many ideas. Literally duck this. , just looking to fine-tune, not getting any interviews etc. Aug 18, 2022 · Filing taxes after leaving Public . I'm absolutely miserable at my job, is the two year mark necessary in public? Nov 16, 2022 · Should I leave public accounting after only a year? I’ve worked in public accounting for a little over a year now but got an amazing opportunity to go private. Need some and shit. I quit and started working in sales for 40 hour weeks. Jul 2, 2022 · 15 year qualified accountant. I simped HARD for public, especially one particular national firm in town that just merged with another national firm and came up with the dumbest name ever for a public firm. This. Told them I needed 2 months to move and finish projects (really it was just because they had a bonus clawback that stopped after 1 year). If your prior firm accepts you back, don’t sugarcoat why it didn’t workout and be gracious. I was at Big 4 for 12 years, then quit the first job I took after I left after 3 weeks when it became clear to me that it was not a good fit. I even think about going back for a couple years so I can have that “2-3 years of big 4 experience” that I Feb 28, 2021 · Public. Feb 21, 2014 · Hello r/accounting!. Trying to become a firefighter. Life is too short to slave away your golden years. But once I’ve done my research, the average person to stay in a public accounting is around 2 to 6 years. I used industry experience under a CPA as well. The company never got their shit together, and it was the most miserable experience of my life. I left for a senior role in industry and make way more money, work way less hours, and enjoy my life infinitely more than I did in public. 1st Too many seniors left and these hours are ridiculous. Apr 14, 2021 · IMO it's 6-12 months after you get promoted. Better benefits. Am I making a bad decision. 2. This all happened within 4 years. r/Accounting A chip A close button. I doubt if I left after a year I would earn as much. I’m relieved to present that I am interviewing now and will be leaving public shortly. My public experience was relatively short, but well worth it. awards That averages out to 1 PIPs out of a teams in a department of 12 every 2. I'm in my second year at a big four accounting firm, and I think that through a contact of mine, I'm going to have the chance to interview at a major social media business as part of their financial reporting team. As someone who left public after 3. After 5 years, left there for a tax manager job in industry (and now in my 2nd tax manager position at another company). Now I’m watching people who are younger than me or the same age as me that did audit for 1 year transfer into my group at a level above me. Getting fed up with my job/situation and want to leave. Dec 14, 2021 · Bruh I barely eat 2 meals a day and if I didn't work out, I would be straight-up obese. People who have left public and went back understand. I'm thinking about leaving public for good. CPA here, just left tax firm for industry. Any other time and you're probably not gonna get as much as an increase in salary. 5 hr work week doing something I like. I'll be promoted to Senior in May 2024 with a 1 year 9 months experience. Oct 31, 2023 · Industry staff positions are not paying way higher than big 4. I’m early 30’s getting ready to leave public after 2 years. You need to do some more research because you're just the type of clueless goofball that gets burned out quick because you never say no Get app Get the Reddit app Log In Log in to Reddit. Recently left a job paying over £100k a year to do bits and pieces of non-finance related freelance work. If after 2 years in public you've only tied out check registers/ invoices and rolled walkthroughs, then you've really underperformed. I left public accounting for a senior accountant role in a hospital after the pandemic started. true. May 9, 2023 · I left Big4 after 2 years for job as tax senior accountant in industry. I do like what I do at the accounting firm I am at and am given a lot of opportunity because I am a stronger employee. ggmaezz brpwkyhw ljyxea bccmi jfwsqqeq sfrxez mfgtczk xyk jdzls bbxkra