[That_one_guy]

Long time lurker, first time poster. Here’s my situation:

I recently passed all four parts of the CPA exam, and I currently work for a small-medium sized CPA firm (about 50-60 employees). I have worked at my current firm for the last 2 years, first as an intern before staying on full-time as a staff accountant after graduate school.

Although I was not actively looking for another job, I received a job offer last week in private industry with a starting date in the next month. Again, this was completely unsolicited. The job offer is too good to pass up, but I am hesitant to leave my current job right in the middle of busy season. I’ve always understood that it is very bad etiquette to leave a public accounting firm in the middle of busy season, and I don’t want to completely burn all bridges (even though it is probably inevitable if I do in fact make the move). The main reason I am hesitant, though, is because I would be leaving my co-workers to pick up the slack. So I have these questions:

1) Does anyone have first-hand experience with this sort of situation? How did it turn out?

2) How should I go about putting in my two-weeks notice and making the exit as smooth and least awkward as possible?

[fuzyfro89]

Bumming out your co-workers is an unfortunate byproduct of leaving the firm.

I assume you have already asked the new firm if it's possible to delay your start date? If so, you can either decline the offer to be nice to your current co-workers… that would be very nice.

Honestly, it's not your problem. Sucks, but it's really the firms' fault for planning so poorly and not offering incentives to keep people around. For them to ask that you “Please promise to stay until busy season is over so we can hopefully have some of you quit once business slows down, but don't you dare quit before that!”.. a bit unreasonable, huh?

[retro1312]

I'm going through this exact situation as you are currently. Been at my firm for 2 years, just recently passed the CPA. I just received a job offer from another firm.

If the other firm likes you enough, they will be willing to wait for you to finish out the tax season at your current firm. I spoke with the new firm about this, and they would love for me to start ASAP but agree that it is for selfish reasons. They understand that I have obligations at my current firm and are willing to wait for me.

I suppose if that is not an option, you have a hard decision to make. However, you may need them as a job reference in the future and it might not be good to burn that bridge.

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[Anonymous]

You gotta do what you gotta do.

your boss would have no problem laying you off during slow season so eff him.

Just be humble and gracious and give ‘me two weeks.

No bridges will be burned.

[Anonymous]

Put it this way, most people would leave and hand you work to do. You should not feel bad about leaving a firm, at any point in the year. It's business, they will find someone to replace you and move on.

[Anonymous]

I left my firm at the start of busy season (many years ago) to take a higher paying industry job. Let me stress this point: YOU DO NOT OWE YOUR COMPANY ANYTHING!!!! They pay you, but you work for that money….

People are brainwashed to think that they owe their company some type of loyalty. This is absurd! Your company will not be loyal to you, so why give loyalty to them? Take it from someone who has worked in the Big 4 and 2 leading iBanks: your company would not hesitate to fire you if it was beneficial to them, and they will not give you the courtesy of notifying you two weeks before your final day (although they expect this courtesy from us)….

I have seen 12 year firm veterans given no notice and fired immediately just so the business could trim costs and hire younger people on lower salaries. During 2009, my firm fired something like 30% of the workforce over 2 weeks, again no notice was given….

Don't forget that it is a JOB, and that's all it is….

[Anonymous]

did you have to interview before your job offer?

[Anonymous]

I, too, am in this exact situation. I currently work for a Big 4 firm and we are right in the middle of provision season. I received an offer too good to pass up with another firm at the end of December. I asked the firm making the offer to allow me to delay my start date until my current engagements were completed so that I would not be leaving in the middle. They wanted me, so they obliged. I notified my current firm immediately and informed them that I could, and would, be willing to stay until mid-February to get through the two engagements I was currently working on.

It's never easy, but you should try to leave on the best terms possible. Good luck and congratulations!

[Jenny]

If you are going to accept the new job and are truly worried about leaving your co-workers with a lot of slack, inform your company now so that they can replace you. That's what the 2 weeks notice is for, so they can get a replacement.

AUD - 76
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[Peterman25]

Another thing to keep in mind….The longer you delay your start date with the new job after giving notice to old job the greater the opportunity for new job to rescind their offer. Happened to a fried of a friend. Businesses always do what they have to do to survive and that is typically at the expense of employees.

BEC 7/14 - PASS
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AUD 1/15 - PASS
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[jess919jaf]

I made that choice now 4 years ago. I was working for a firm as an tax accountant for about 2 years (same, started as an intern and then came on full time after graduation). Problem was my commute, I live in NJ and with the traffic it was 1.5-2 hours one way (and forget about it if there was an accident or snow.) I was planning on looking for a new job closer to home after busy season and to make the move come may or june (after tax season). In february, an offer came up out of the blue. It was another public firm and they wanted me to start right away (or in two weeks). Things were moving so fast and I was torn. I ended up taking the job, giving my notice on Feb 11th and starting my new job on Feb 14th. Noone in my old firm ever talked to me when I left. The partners all ignored me and bridges were definetly burned. But now here we are 4 years later and I am still with that firm, It was the best move I ever made. I was miserable before and now I love coming to work and the people I work for.

You have to think about yourself at times. A job where you may be happier is not worth losing because you are afriad of putting the burden on other employees. In my firm now I have delt with people leaving during busy season, we all buckle up and get the work done and usually end up closer because of it. The company will survive and move on.

AUD - 69, 74, 74, 76 --> PASSED
BEC - 72, 70, 76 --> Lost Credit
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FAR - FAIL

[ThisBetterBeIt]

I would ask if you could extend your leave to 4 weeks so that you give them longer to move work around and hire someone, but if your new job won't oblige then I would leave. I truly believe as a manager that you should always plan for these situations. People move around, especially now. Beyond that, no time is a good time to leave… some times are just a bit harder than others

[Tux]

Your posting definitely shows your concern, commitment and integrity.

Make sure to communicate those same qualities in the same way to your current management that you did to us in this forum.

Let them know that the offer was unexpected, but too good to pass up.

Let them know that you feel terrible for leaving during busy season. You don't want to inconvenience anyone, but it's the right move for you, and you hope that they'll understand.

Communicate that you want to leave on good terms.

All of that is just being honest, humble, sincere, and professional.

It's the mature and responsible way to handle it. You can't control how others react to you, so all you can do is be as respectful as possible and you should be able to move forward with no regrets. No matter how they respond, just do what you can and have peace knowing that you did everything that you could do to handle it the right way.

You'll do fine. Congratulations on your offer!

Best of luck in your new position.

Pray that God's strength will be with you when you give your resignation, and also during this time of transition with the new job.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
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BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
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