[Mr.NiceWatch]

Hi everyone…

I have been at public accounting for a little over 2 years now and want to jump ship to industry. My question is how bad would it be if I left at the start of busy season? My intention was never to leave during busy season but I got put on one engagement after another and was literally working close to 55 to 60 hours the entire summer. I wasn’t planning to leave until recently but even if I did, I would have zero time to apply for jobs, interview, etc. Honestly, I am completely burnt out and haven’t taken vacation in over 10 months. I think I have worked 6 out of the last 8 weekends. I think the only way to keep myself sane is to leave the firm (big 4).

What is A71’s thoughts on leaving in the beginning of busy season?

Journey begins in July 2012.

FAR - 87 (8/7/2012)
REG - 89 (11/19/2012)
AUD - 95 (1/17/2013)
BEC - 81 (2/26/2013)

[Anonymous]

Don't feel bad. Burnout is very real – and the firms absolutely know they are doing it but don't care.

Your firm will be completely fine without you. I wouldn't ‘plan' to leave during busy season – but if that's how it ends up, then that's how it ends up.

I'd start looking for jobs ASAP or, if you have enough savings, leave right now so that you can have a nice vacation before jumping into another role.

If you know you'll be leaving before the new busy season (and it sounds like you are 100% ready to leave) you can tell your firm to give them a head's up – but only if you have good safety fund.

[MUCPA]

I agree with anon. Don't intentionally leave during busy season, but do what's best for you. The firm will continue on without you. The firm will continue on with surprisingly little change, and other bots will pick up where you left off.

Definitely, definitely don't miss an opportunity because of the time of year it happens to present itself.

- 2.5 years experience in Public Accounting (Audit)
- 2.0 years experience in corporate accounting
- All 4 CPA Exam sections passed first time
- Currently CPA & Controller at a small manufacturing company

[kat1985]

I concur with the above. Firms will use you until you can't take it anymore. I'm in a similar boat….transferred to assurance from advisory and worked 3 busy seasons from September of last year through the beginning of August. I did take a vacay but b/c Advisory “borrowed” me for the summer, my 4 days in Mexico were filled with trying to find Wifi to respond to emails.

I wouldn't hesitate to jump if an opportunity came up now. I was just waiting to get through CPA. good luck to you!!

AUD 2/2014 95
BEC 4/2014 92
FAR 7/2014 92
REG 8/2014 TBD

[impska]

Don't hesitate. Do you think they would hesitate to lay you off if they were overstaffed? Your firm would not think twice about how bad the timing was before they fired you.

Do not pass up an opportunity out of some misguided loyalty to your firm.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[alboreland]

Someone once told me that if you want loyalty then get a dog.

[StephAV]

I'd say try avoid leaving during busy season but if you do leave give proper notice. I'm several years out and it is amazing what a small world it is. My friend is hiring and she saw a name of a girl who worked at the same public accounting firm as us and there was overlap and the conversation was like “well, I know she quit, and it might have been because her friend was fired? Remember that…” Yes we do remember that. Leave on good terms!

FAR - 7/13 - 72, 11/13- 74, 2/14- 82!!! Best score ever (for me)!!!
BEC - 1/14 - 75!!! Perfect score! First Pass! YAY!!!
AUD - 8/14 - 80!!!
REG - 5/14 - 72, 10/14 - 66, 1/15 - 78 - DONE FOREVER!!!
I did 5 of the UNA and CPAExcel classes to earn units.

[mystical guy]

Any sweat shop will take you back so long as you gave the required notice and you are leaving on good terms. I know several people that left Big 4, got to industry, got bored, and returned “home” where they belonged.

CPA - Since 2015
CISA - Smashed 2012
CIA - Passed 2015

[zkaraca2012]

I am also working at a big4 and did my enough rounds of back to back busy seasons. I would totally avoid quitting right before/during busy season. Not just your managers/directors/partners, but EVERYONE on the team will remember what you did. Because the budget/team planning is done couple of months ahead, every single area you were supposed to take will be dumped over to others shoulders, cause the team can't find anyone to replace you. And people do not forget who wasn't the team player. I for sure do remember a few names.

Did you talk to your counselor? Sometimes talking directly to your partner can be a little intimidating. I personally had a conversation with my counselor then partner, and I was given a month off to regroup because I was literally on the edge of losing it. Talk to people, let them know. Tell them that you're not being efficient anymore and not putting your best game out there. They will listen to ‘efficiency' and ‘quality', use the magic words.

AUD 78 Lost Credit, retake after FAR rematch
BEC 83 (Expires 2015-02-28)
FAR 71 Failed (2014-09-09), retake in Q4'14
REG 80 (Expires 2015-11-30)

[Anonymous]

I agree with Steph. It is a small world and people do remember.

My opinion may not be a popular one but I'd say stay until you have time to go to interviews. It is VERY hard to find a job when you're unemployed. Even if you left for good reasons, people are suspicious and sometimes tend to shy away from such candidates. Stay, suck it up for 2-3 months, and start looking for a job right after. Time will fly by. I've been with a Big 4 for 5 years and have had it all: long and tiring commutes, super late nights, ridiculous clients, and poorly staffed audit engagements, etc. You can do more than you think you're capable of! BUT, I repeat, it is much easier to land a job if you're employed. At least from my personal experience.

And yes, the firm will not care. They will quickly find a poor soul (or several which would suck for the audit team) and everything will be ok. The audit will get done. It always gets done.

[Anonymous]

“The audit will get done. It always does”

[Hank Scorpio]

Do what you have to do. I got hired at a firm right before busy season because someone had just quit. So it may be an opportunity for someone too.

AUD - 71, 79
BEC - 69, 74, 75
FAR - 71, 74, 80
REG - 74, 78

FAR - 10/3/16
BEC - 69 - 10/31/16
AUD - November 2016
REG - December 2016

[Mr.NiceWatch]

I am pretty much set on leaving the firm. I am just waiting on the right opportunity. I understand it sucks, puts the team in a bad spot, and trust me I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to. But I have to take care of myself and do what is best for me. I honestly believe either a) the firm doesn't care about well being of it's employees or b) isn't aware that some staff are working 55-60 hrs during non busy season time. For this reason, I don't see a reason for me to be the ‘nice guy' and stick it out another 6 months. The firm definitely wasn't nice when they put me on one year-end after another after another, asked me to work 6 weekends in a row, and asked to ‘reduce' my summer vacation (I didn't take vacation at all, btw). The firms talk about flexibility but in my 2 years, only flexibility I have seen is staff taking a day off for CPA which is great but they're usually asked to make up those hours by staying late other days of week or working on weekends. Maybe its just me but almost every engagement I am on has kind of issue (i.e. client delays, first year client, associate quit, manager quit, staff are slammed with other work). It gets old really…. you can only handle so much before you've had enough.

Journey begins in July 2012.

FAR - 87 (8/7/2012)
REG - 89 (11/19/2012)
AUD - 95 (1/17/2013)
BEC - 81 (2/26/2013)

[fuzyfro89]

Yes, it will annoy your team if/when you leave (especially if it's shortly before busy season)… but that's not really your problem.

At the end of the day, would you pass on a great opportunity if it came to you?

Almost any time of the year is inopportune, as there is a busy season, interim, quarters, planning, etc. It's always inconvenient.

[Anonymous]

You said it yourself, you need to do what is best for yourself.

Being unemployed sucks. I know that firsthand. But if you stick with it, you will find another job. So if you have the savings or the ability to quit and find something you really like, I'd say do it. A miserable job is worse than no job a lot of times.

[Author]

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