[mla1169]

So I left my accounting manager/controller gig in January. Good thing, everybody was cut back to 3 day workweek about 2 weeks later! Found a new job in less than 2 months (you’ve seen me mention 300 resumes and 40 interviews in that time!) love the new job, pay is great, people are fabulous but it’s not what I want to do-its a financial analyst for a very small company. So I glance every few days at Craigslist.

Applied for an office manager/accountant position at a very small public accountant. They are very interested! Have an interview next week. I know the hours will be intense during tax (however I’ll be pulling long hours and weekends where I work now because any time there is a snow or ice event its all hands on deck-24/7 including holidays) , the pay is the same, but OH to have Fridays off during summer vacation! It nags at me a bit to be a CPA who never worked in public and at my age these opportunities to make a complete 180 are becoming fewer and farther between.

Just sharing because you never know what twists and turns your career may take, and one door closing by losing or leaving a job isn’t the end of the world!

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[fuzyfro89]

Congratulations on the move. Sucks when things change, but it can be a good thing too.

One of my managers at old Big 4 firm and I didn't really get along. We had a perfectly fine social relationship, but when it came to review time, wow, he was such a… let's just leave it at that.

In any case, he didn't like me and was no fun to work for, I didn't like him because I seriously beat annual billable targets by 20%+ for 2 years, and that still wasn't enough to make him happy.

Such is life. It's not my job to change people who don't want to change. But, for some reason, he kept requesting me on his client. Go figure? FWIW, I had other colleagues who worked with this same person on other clients, and none of them had great experiences either.

In any case, I knew it was time to leave, because I wasn't getting the recognition I wanted and wasn't being recognized as a top performer. Whether I truly was and wasn't being recognized for it, or even if I wasn't and was just delusional, either way I knew I wouldn't be able to continue working somewhere to just get by…

If I didn't have that poor experience, then I probably would not have looked for work elsewhere in 2013, and would not have lucked out and gotten this sweet gig. I would have had to stay and make manager to beat my current salary today.

Long story short, change is good! You just have to keep your head up, and find opportunities even when you're not perfectly ready. As long as you keep your head up, and know what your interests are (and are not!), we can all make it!

Btw, any thoughts on what the experience at the small public acct firm might do for you? Do you hope to return to financial reporting at some point, in a larger company environment?.. Just going with the flow for now?

[mla1169]

No my ultimate goal since about 2004 has been to have my own bookkeeping/tax business and work out of an office in my home. I've been afraid to initiate it though because I don't have tax experience specifically. But the thought is so engrained in my family that whenever we drive past office space for rent my kids say “that would be a good place for Muffins & Taxes!” (Did I mention I also love to bake and the kids have decided a tax accountant who offers fresh baked breakfast goodies is my niche? Lol)

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

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Author]

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