How to tell your manager you want to quit industry and go into public accounting

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  • #187529
    jlondon
    Member

    Here’s my story: I currently work in the industry doing accounts payable (like an accounting clerk basically; I’m 28 and have never done public accounting) , and the entity is in the public sector. We have 2 of the big 4 firms auditing us (internal audit & external audit). I got to know the auditors from both firms, and started talking to them and anyway, long story short..the topic of employment came up while speaking with the external audit manager.

    I told him I was very interested, and he gave me this advice – to bring this topic up to my controller and have him push my resume in instead of him taking it from me. He says, it’s more of a courtesy issue since it wouldn’t be right for him to “recruit his client’s employees”.

    I’m kind of hesitant to bring this issue to my controller; since it’s almost like telling them “hey, i’m going to quit”.. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about this, and I feel like it’s worth the risk – so now I’m just contemplating on how to start about in this conversation. Does anyway have any advice for me? How should I start , and when would be the right time to bring it up? Or should I even do this at all?

    BEC: 69, 57, 72, 73, (anticipated for 4/4/2015)
    AUD: 65, 63, 74, 84!!! (expires 7/31/2015)
    FAR: 63, 57, (scheduled for 4/1/2015)
    REG: ... 42, (Anticipated to be around 5/20~)

    -Every Set Back is a Set Up for a Major Come Back #motivation

    "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost over 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot, and missed. I've failed, over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed." - Michael Jordan

    "You are not your past, but the resources and capabilities you glean from it" -Jordan Belfort

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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  • #585844

    In California (I learned this on the ethics exam), you can't work for the auditor for the year they are conducting the audit, for independence reasons.

    MBA Candidate - UCLA Anderson School of Management

    REG 89 - 4/9/2012
    BEC 88 - 5/29/2012
    AUD 93 - 8/20/2012
    FAR 83 - 2/4/2013
    -All passed on the first attempt!

    CFA Level 1 - Passed on first attempt in June 2014

    #585845
    jlondon
    Member

    @Partially Deaf Yes, that is true. But that would mean, I just wouldn't be assigned to this engagement.

    BEC: 69, 57, 72, 73, (anticipated for 4/4/2015)
    AUD: 65, 63, 74, 84!!! (expires 7/31/2015)
    FAR: 63, 57, (scheduled for 4/1/2015)
    REG: ... 42, (Anticipated to be around 5/20~)

    -Every Set Back is a Set Up for a Major Come Back #motivation

    "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost over 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot, and missed. I've failed, over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed." - Michael Jordan

    "You are not your past, but the resources and capabilities you glean from it" -Jordan Belfort

    #585846
    mla1169
    Participant

    I think you were given bad advice. You can't ask your current employer to help you land a new job lol (unless you work for a company where layoffs are imminent and you've already been told your job will be eliminated.)

    Besides unless your controller is an alumni of that firm (doubtful) he or she has no more clout in the recruiting process than you do personally. I think the auditor who told you that was trying to cover their backside so nobody could say they lured you away.

    FAR- 77
    AUD -49, 71, 84
    REG -56,75!
    BEC -75

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #585847
    QuesoDip
    Member

    I think it depends on your relationship with your controller. I know that at my previous job I would have no problem talking candidly about issues like this. This is an opportunity for you and if your controller is personally opposed to it, then he is not someone you would want to work for anyways. Best case scenario, he gives you the seal of approval and the manager can hire you without reservation or guilt, worse case scenario, you come to the conclusion that your controller is against your success and therefore you should be looking for another job anyways. I don't see why he shouldn't support you unless he has a personal vendetta against you or you're a terrible employee who he doesn't want to put his reputation on the line for. I don't mean offense when I say that finding another A/P clerk shouldn't be too difficult for him and hence it shouldn't be a limiting factor to him on whether to endorse you.

    REG - 88 - 8 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio/Flashcards, Wiley TB)
    FAR - 87 - 10 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio)
    AUD - 98 - 6 Weeks (Becker, Ninja Audio, Ninja MCQ)
    BEC - 87 - 2 Weeks (Becker & Ninja Audio)

    #585848
    jlondon
    Member

    @mla1169 I think you're right. I kind of feel that too, he probably has some hiring authority, but not 100% hiring authority. I feel like I shouldn't bring it up then huh? I mean, the auditor is a manager on this engagement. But you might be right, in saying that he is trying to cover his ass and not say they lured me. But at the same time, I feel like if I don't do this, how can I get my resume in? They don't even look at my resume anymore, it seems like I get auto rejected since I don't have public accounting experience, so that would mean, I can't go in as a campus hire.

    Which means, the only option for me is to go to a small firm ; take a pay cut, and work my ass off for a year or so, and Hope a big 4 will look at me. I feel like I'm so late in this game. But , after reading numerous posts on here about public accounting, I feel like this is wroth the risk. Sometimes I have to take a step back in order to move forward.. What do you think?

    BEC: 69, 57, 72, 73, (anticipated for 4/4/2015)
    AUD: 65, 63, 74, 84!!! (expires 7/31/2015)
    FAR: 63, 57, (scheduled for 4/1/2015)
    REG: ... 42, (Anticipated to be around 5/20~)

    -Every Set Back is a Set Up for a Major Come Back #motivation

    "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost over 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot, and missed. I've failed, over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed." - Michael Jordan

    "You are not your past, but the resources and capabilities you glean from it" -Jordan Belfort

    #585849
    mla1169
    Participant

    Queso, the controllers first responsibility for better or worse is to his or her employer. No boss is going to encourage a good employee to leave the company. Has zero to do with wanting to see an employee become successful. This is a sad result of the “everybody on the team gets a trophy” generation–people who actually believe the world should be nurturing and encouraging them or else they're out to get you.

    jlondon don't short change yourself. Of COURSE you can get in–network network network. I've got several great contacts on Linked who I've never met and was never introduced to. Landed me in a good position to be offered a big 4 job but the particular position they were courting me for would have involved leaving home every Sunday night and not coming home until Friday. I don't mind long hours and late nights but being away from home 5 days a week is something that doesn't work out for Moms.

    FAR- 77
    AUD -49, 71, 84
    REG -56,75!
    BEC -75

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #585850
    Gonzo30
    Member

    I would talk to the staff there and see if they can recommend another Big 4 manager you can take out to lunch (NOT on your engagement) and charm him or her and then have THAT manager submit your resume.

    #585851
    jm962011
    Participant

    DON’T TELL YOUR MANAGER!!!

    I work in tax in industry and desperately want to go to Big 4.

    I actually work for a Fortune 50 company who has a big 4 auditor and then uses the other 3 for TONS of consulting, not necessarily tax work. The one I want to go is NOT our auditor, but one of the others. So I met with a manager at the one I want to go to who pushed my resume to HR and I got a call immediately. They told me the process… if we interview you, you have to tell your manager… Ok, I can do that if I have to. A couple of weeks go by and the partners put the brakes on everything because my company gives so much consulting work to this firm that they won’t want to risk my company getting mad at them, pulling all the consulting work if this firm recruits me. HONESTLY… I am nothing to my company. I am not some executive, I am an entry level staff accountant.

    I also applied to another firm that is our auditor… my previous job had a well known tax guy (I only left that position after the well known guy did, he was basically my mentor and that company was struggling). So my mentor has lunch with the tax partner at this firm and says we can’t even talk to her unless she’s off ABC’s payroll….

    My current manager likes to think he is more of a mentor so I asked his opinion about industry and public and it came out that I wanted to go into public for the experience and the training (honestly, industry jobs are so short staffed they don’t have the time to teach you anything… especially in tax, the firms have training and things). It has gone downhill since there.

    All of this was back in Feb… I am waiting until the September fall recruiting season to see if I can get into a midsize firm.

    I have honestly calculated my savings vs monthly expenses to see how many months I could be unemployed if I were to quit my current job, take a “cooling off” period (not necessarily needed though because I am in tax). And then go to big 4.

    #585852
    Lindrobe
    Member

    jm962011, I am so afraid that the same thing is going to happen to me! I work in tax at a large, very prestigious University. I want out so bad!!! I applied for an entry level job with a large regional firm that is always “courting” the University. The University does not use them for any services except it does buy some software from them. I am worried that they will not call me when they see the University name on my resume.

    FAR 12/3/14, 87
    AUD 2/3/14, 90
    BEC 4/1/14, 88
    REG 5/27/14, 94

    Licensed CPA, Indiana

    "Successful people do things that unsuccessful people don't want to do"

    #585854
    jlondon
    Member

    Thank you all for your opinions / responses.. I think I shouldn't talk to the controller.. I mean, at the end of the day.. It's not that manager who has the authority to hire me. I mean, there's HR to push the resume through, but of course I'll have to get interviewed by numerous managers and I'll have to pass them all, while competing against a LOT of people. So yea, maybe I just need to go to networking events to try and get my resume pushed in.

    Thanks again !

    BEC: 69, 57, 72, 73, (anticipated for 4/4/2015)
    AUD: 65, 63, 74, 84!!! (expires 7/31/2015)
    FAR: 63, 57, (scheduled for 4/1/2015)
    REG: ... 42, (Anticipated to be around 5/20~)

    -Every Set Back is a Set Up for a Major Come Back #motivation

    "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost over 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot, and missed. I've failed, over and over and over again in my life. And that is why, I succeed." - Michael Jordan

    "You are not your past, but the resources and capabilities you glean from it" -Jordan Belfort

    #585855
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    IMO: It depends on the relationship you have with your boss and wait for a perfect timing. I started as staff accountant and promoted as accounting supervisor so I worked more closely with the controller. Me and my boss have a good working relationship and there are times that we speak in a casual but respectful manner. During my last performance evaluation, she asked me what are my goals in life/career. So I've been honest with her about my plans to becoming a CPA and working in public accounting. I told her that I maybe able to complete my exams in a year (crossing my fingers) and then I will start considering looking for another job in public accounting to earn experience then eventually have my own firm. She's been very supportive, she just wished me luck on my exam and she said if the time will come that I decided to leave, she'll try her best to keep me as much as she could. We'll see…

    #585856
    fuzyfro89
    Participant

    It's more that the audit manager can't refer you since there is a conflict in his relationship with your company (the client).

    You don't need your controller's persmission, exactly, but you just can't get referred through the audit manager on your company's account.

    Two options:

    1) Get “permission” from your controller, and have the audit manager refer you.

    2) Apply on your own, or get a referral from someone else not on the audit team

    Problem is that the audit manager may be your best shot at getting the job, because their referral will be meaningful (assuming they have a positive impression of your abilities).

    As far as independence, it would be awkward for you to work for the audit team at your company in the next year, but otherwise I don't think it's an issue.

    #585857
    jaredo155
    Member

    I think both sides of the opinion have been stated here, but to give you a kind of novel approach, maybe you talk to the controller but don't bring up going to public specifically at first. Ask him if you can meet with him to discuss your career and where you want to go, and start off by just telling him the things you are doing to improve yourself and ask him what he would suggest you do to take that to the next level.

    You will get a feel from his response how supportive he is going to be of what is in your best interest. If he is clearly not going to be supportive, thank him for his advice and look for another way to get in with the firm you want. If he is being supportive, then just loosely mention you had talked to the auditors and you think what they do is really interesting and that you might like to try that out one day, and just see how he responds and go from there.

    I respectfully disagree with anyone who takes the position that it is not a “good” employers responsibility to look out for what is in their employees best interest. My first boss, and probably the best I have ever had, told me when I first started that his job was to train me so that one day I could take his job, and that if it was ever the case there wasn't space for me to grow at my current employer he would help me find a place where I could. This kind of mentality is not only good for employees it is good for employers, because it makes employees feel valued and makes them want to work as hard for you as they can while they are there. If a company truly doesn't have the resources to train and develop their employees, then they should understand most of their employees are only going to be short term, and whatever task that employee is performing should then be easily replaceable when that employee decides to move on.

    I saw this quote on linkedin that I think exemplifies my point:

    Two executives were sitting around talking and one says to the other “what if we invest in our employees and they leave?”, and the other executive says back to him “what if we don't invest in them and they stay?”

    AUD - 2/2013 - Passed!
    BEC - 5/2013 - Passed!
    FAR - 8/2013 - Passed!
    REG - 11/2013 - Passed!
    "Do or do not, there is no try." - Yoda

    #585858
    mla1169
    Participant

    Well don't misinterpret “no boss is going to help a good employee leave the company” as “that it is not a “good” employers responsibility to look out for what is in their employees best interest”. Two completely different sentiments.

    A GOOD boss helps the employee to develop new skills, continue their education, and take on increasing responsibility. A good boss does not help someone get a foot in the door somewhere else. Theres a difference between investing in an employee and helping them plan their exit.

    FAR- 77
    AUD -49, 71, 84
    REG -56,75!
    BEC -75

    Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

    #585859
    jaredo155
    Member

    A good boss knows when their organization can no longer help that employee develop or grow, and in that scenario helps them get their foot in the door somewhere that can. Most bosses are not in full control of their working environment and the resources they can offer subordinates, unless they are the CEO, so sometimes that means the only option left is helping them find another opportunity.

    This isn't just an occurrence at a “bad” company by any means. Sometimes an employee's skill sets just outgrow the need of the organization, and it wouldn't be wise for them to further invest in their growth. To say in this instance you do everything you can to keep them, isn't good for the employee or employer, because an employee who is seeking growth isn't going to work very hard when they don't feel challenged.

    AUD - 2/2013 - Passed!
    BEC - 5/2013 - Passed!
    FAR - 8/2013 - Passed!
    REG - 11/2013 - Passed!
    "Do or do not, there is no try." - Yoda

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