How to not get into a dead in job at a company

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    Topic
  • #184208
    Jriver
    Participant

    I’ve got an accounting education along with a CPA, but the companies I worked for always end up hiring me for staff level work and wanting me to leave after a short amount of time. How do I get about landing a position where I can grow, learn, and possibly at least move to a senior level? What do I look at for when going on an interview? I’ve been bored with all these staff level positions and can’t seem to take the next step up. I”m sort of lost and not even sure what I want to do, just knowing that being in the accounting field for over 7 years it’s ideal to continue on this pathway. I’m guessing things get better once I get more experience and look forward to doing more analysis.

    Lost and needing challenge,

    Hwriver

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • #524173
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    What do you mean about them wanting you to leave after a short time? That part surprised me.

    The rest is very standard in the corporate world, whether accounting or elsewhere. If you want to move up, you usually have to move companies. Promotions are great, but seem to be relatively rare. I think this is unfortunate, since a Senior that is familiar with your work is more valuable than a Senior that's still trying to figure out how to spell the company name…but this still seems to be the standard.

    Part of that, though, is because your opportunities are greater if you're looking at all companies than just at your company. Like, in my company and location, there's only one person in the next role up from my current role. For me to get promoted, either she has to quit (and she's been there forever, plans to be there for awhile yet), or our department has to expand to have room for another person in that role…and if/when it does, then I have to manage to be the one picked out of the group of all of us that are in my position (or out of all the accountants in the area, if they open the job up publicly). So, I probably have a maximum of 2 shots at the next level in the next 20 years – one if she quits (before retiring, which would be about 20 years from now), and one if our department expands. Yeah, I can't see the future 20 years away, but slight extrapolation is useful for the point. 😉 In the job local market as a whole, in 6 months, there'd be at least 2 postings for the next level position…so that means about 20 times as many options, and that's in an area with a very low number of professional jobs/positions in general. I'm competing against more people in a publicly-posted job than in something internal, but at least there's more opportunities!

    Long explanation to say that your best bet to move up is to move companies, most of the time. If I was you, and my goal was Senior next, I would start looking solely at Senior job postings, and not apply to Staff positions unless your current job is in jeopardy.

    #524214
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    What do you mean about them wanting you to leave after a short time? That part surprised me.

    The rest is very standard in the corporate world, whether accounting or elsewhere. If you want to move up, you usually have to move companies. Promotions are great, but seem to be relatively rare. I think this is unfortunate, since a Senior that is familiar with your work is more valuable than a Senior that's still trying to figure out how to spell the company name…but this still seems to be the standard.

    Part of that, though, is because your opportunities are greater if you're looking at all companies than just at your company. Like, in my company and location, there's only one person in the next role up from my current role. For me to get promoted, either she has to quit (and she's been there forever, plans to be there for awhile yet), or our department has to expand to have room for another person in that role…and if/when it does, then I have to manage to be the one picked out of the group of all of us that are in my position (or out of all the accountants in the area, if they open the job up publicly). So, I probably have a maximum of 2 shots at the next level in the next 20 years – one if she quits (before retiring, which would be about 20 years from now), and one if our department expands. Yeah, I can't see the future 20 years away, but slight extrapolation is useful for the point. 😉 In the job local market as a whole, in 6 months, there'd be at least 2 postings for the next level position…so that means about 20 times as many options, and that's in an area with a very low number of professional jobs/positions in general. I'm competing against more people in a publicly-posted job than in something internal, but at least there's more opportunities!

    Long explanation to say that your best bet to move up is to move companies, most of the time. If I was you, and my goal was Senior next, I would start looking solely at Senior job postings, and not apply to Staff positions unless your current job is in jeopardy.

    #524175
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    They want you to leave after a short amount of time?

    I think you should focus on why they want you to leave in a short amount of time first. Not trying to sound negative, but usually companies don't want you to leave if your fulfilling the duties of said job. Is there any personality conflicts?

    #524217
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    They want you to leave after a short amount of time?

    I think you should focus on why they want you to leave in a short amount of time first. Not trying to sound negative, but usually companies don't want you to leave if your fulfilling the duties of said job. Is there any personality conflicts?

    #524177
    CPA soon
    Member

    Promotions come when you go above and beyond, and when you differentiate yourself from other and performance well. Nobody lets an employee go just like that, you must be doing something wrong?

    FAR - 71, 68, 74, (8/31/14) 78 ✔
    REG - 67, 71, 71, (10/18/14) 78 ✔
    BEC - (11/29/14) 86 ✔
    AUD - 73, (4/4/15) 86 ✔

    I can't believe this is over! 2 years and 3 months..

    #524219
    CPA soon
    Member

    Promotions come when you go above and beyond, and when you differentiate yourself from other and performance well. Nobody lets an employee go just like that, you must be doing something wrong?

    FAR - 71, 68, 74, (8/31/14) 78 ✔
    REG - 67, 71, 71, (10/18/14) 78 ✔
    BEC - (11/29/14) 86 ✔
    AUD - 73, (4/4/15) 86 ✔

    I can't believe this is over! 2 years and 3 months..

    #524179
    Jriver
    Participant

    They basically give me the feeling that I'm not there for the long-run. Companies I have worked for treat me business-like from the start and keep their distance the whole time. Am I applying for dead-end positions where I'm hired just to be a staff and then they want me to move on, or do they see something wrong with me from the start and decide I'm not their type to grow with that company? I feel like I'm not given the opportunity to ask questions where I have worked because of the reason they just want me at staff level. Therefore, I wasn't even given the chance to grow in the first place. If I hear the accountants there working there 10 plus years, should I be wary of this and not work there because I wouldn't grow there since people above me won't move on? Anybody get my drift? Either I'm applying to the wrong companies or there is something wrong with me from the start.

    #524221
    Jriver
    Participant

    They basically give me the feeling that I'm not there for the long-run. Companies I have worked for treat me business-like from the start and keep their distance the whole time. Am I applying for dead-end positions where I'm hired just to be a staff and then they want me to move on, or do they see something wrong with me from the start and decide I'm not their type to grow with that company? I feel like I'm not given the opportunity to ask questions where I have worked because of the reason they just want me at staff level. Therefore, I wasn't even given the chance to grow in the first place. If I hear the accountants there working there 10 plus years, should I be wary of this and not work there because I wouldn't grow there since people above me won't move on? Anybody get my drift? Either I'm applying to the wrong companies or there is something wrong with me from the start.

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