Leaving Public Accounting After 8 Years

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  • #188031
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I have been in a small public accounting firm for 8 years. I finally got fed up with “busy season” and decided it was time to make the switch. I have been applying since June and have had a handful of interviews but zero job offers. I have met with a recruiter who is going to help me see if he can help me make the transition.

    Has anyone out there made the transition from public to corporate after 8 years? Most people leave after about 3. I waited to long. I was in my own little bubble, it’s comfortable in there you see. Most people I have spoken to question as to why I am just now leaving the public accounting world. I am worried that I may not get a job in corporate but I do not want to be here and longer.

    If anyone has any advice or similar experiences please share. As of late I have been feeling very demoralized and disillusioned with the job market.

    Thank you for reading!

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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  • #597003
    mena je twa
    Member

    allsgood –

    it will come down to what level you were at at this small public firm? associate, senior, manager?

    If you were a staff for 8 yrs, it wont look good, but if you were made senior or manager it will look better for prospective employers.

    You should be able to get something for sure, just hang in there.

    Licensed CPA, Texas - 2012

    #597004
    LongShot
    Participant

    I've never worked in public, but boss' boss was at big 4 for about 10 years before he left to become CFO of our bank about a year ago. Not super clear on what level he was at, but got the impression he was on a “partner track”, but just hadn't happened yet, so guessing he was at least senior/manager…and now his first job out of public is CFO of pretty good sized bank making I-don't-know-how-much money. It can be done!!

    FAR - 75
    AUD - 72; 87
    REG - 64; 74; 84
    BEC - 88

    Done!!

    #597005
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I never worked in public either – but I did get a job offer the other day after looking for five months. It can take awhile and can get very demoralizing.

    #597006
    tomq04
    Participant

    There really are jobs or there, but patience is key. A Brazilian model doesn't just fall into you're lap, you have to pay really good money for that.

    A great job is waiting, just keep putting in the time to find it.

    REG- (1) 76
    FAR- (2) 64, (5)74, (7)83 (Over achiever!)
    AUD- (3) 70, (4) 75
    BEC- (6) 75

    #597007
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Keep at it. Job searches can take time. Definitely work with at least a couple of different recruiters from different agencies in your area (different recruiting firms tend to work with different companies). The fact that recruiters haven't been helping you yet and you've been getting interviews says a lot about your experience.

    It means that you are definitely employable and that your experience is good for the level of positions that you are applying for. Add a couple of good recruiters to the mix and you'll be golden. Just keep working at it, as long as you haven't quit your job, I'm 100% confident you'll get some offers within the next 2-3 months. It's just the nature of the job search that it takes a while, you know what they say; 1 month for every $10k in salary.

    I'd also encourage you not to jump at the first offer that comes your way. Leaving just for the sake of leaving isn't good (I've seen too many fantastic auditors jump off to dead end positions that way). Be picky and confident in the experience you have (if you have this attitude it will also help during the interviews themselves).

    #597008
    LongShot
    Participant

    Everyone here is right in saying patience is key. I tried for about 6 months to get a job back in my small hometown where jobs are precious and few. My experience so far absolutely pales in comparison to yours. Eventually got 3 job offers in 3 days-2 were great jobs, 1 was ok. You should be fine!

    FAR - 75
    AUD - 72; 87
    REG - 64; 74; 84
    BEC - 88

    Done!!

    #597009
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thank you everyone for replying. A little encouragement goes a long way. I did get a call today asking me to go in for a second interview but I am going to have to decline. Like @annony said I do not want to jump at the first opportunity that comes my way. This specific company just does not seem to be a good fit for me and I know in the end I will regret it.

    I will keep updating this post just in case it is helpful to someone going through the same thing I am going through.

    Thanks again everyone!!! I really appreciate the encouragement!

    #597010

    I worked in two different CPA firms over a period of 8 years. I took a lower paying non-accounting job in the school system to start with because it had super flexible hours (Off by 3 each day, holidays and summers off) because I just had a feeling it was going to get me where I wanted to be – and it has. I had several other interviews and a few offers, but ended up taking less pay because I am so passionate about the field of education. I'm not even a CPA yet. I stayed there two years, but I'm now an accountant in a local college and I'm making more than I was in either CPA firm and am planning to work my way up since there is room for advancement! I love having State benefits! Just take your time like you said. The offers will come! Just consider all the possiblities of each offer – think long-term! Good Luck!

    #597011
    fuzyfro89
    Participant

    Allsgood:

    If a headhunter is willing to give you a bit of their time, they see potential fees from placing you, thus they believe in your background. Since you've had some interviews, just keep at it! Nothing magical happens overnight. 8 years is a LONG time to be in public, so your skills are going to be somewhat specialized. They can't just plug you in anywhere and leave you to go.

    There's a reason the 2-4 year range is common, and it's because they are still early enough to be trained into something else and not so experienced that their compensation will be too high to invest in further training. However, if you are more experienced in a skill set that's hard to find, you can definitely find a great role with a bit of effort and patience… timing just becomes a little more important and random… and it's also heavily dependent on the area you are in and what skills are in demand there.

    #597012
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi everyone,

    I just wanted to say that as of yesterday I was offered a job in corporate accounting. YAY!! I was so excited when they called me back with an offer. The best part is I found this job on my own, it did not come from the recruiter so that made me feel a little better.

    I'm so glad I waited and did not accept the first thing that came my way. This company seems to be everything I want. We shall see what the future holds. =)

    I used the following to find openings:

    Indeed.com

    LinkedIn

    Careerbuilder

    Glassdoor

    Best of luck to those job hunting

    #597013
    kat1985
    Member

    That is awesome!! Congrats 🙂 My boyfriend has been in public for 9 years and hates it but is afraid he won't be able to find something (he's senior manager level) with similar comp since he's stayed for so long.

    This gives me hope!

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

    #597014
    tomq04
    Participant

    Congrats! What will you be doing?

    REG- (1) 76
    FAR- (2) 64, (5)74, (7)83 (Over achiever!)
    AUD- (3) 70, (4) 75
    BEC- (6) 75

    #597016
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I left public accounting after 10 years, I have been in Industry now for 7 1/2. I get a lot of resumes for positions we hire for, I don't think its hard to get into Industry, you just have to know how to best present your qualifications. I oversee the Financial Accounting Dept so while I am not necessarily interested in tax return experience, preparation of Financials, Audit experience and business valuation experience is a great thing to emphasize. Also, helping clients with Financial Planning.

    For Financial Accounting, we want someone who can see the big picture and understand the processes/flows of accounting transactions. I would say if you are in Tax and want to get out (I would, lol!) try your best to get experience in those areas.

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