Quit during busy season BUT now want to go back to public accounting?

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  • #193515
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    hey guys, i’ve been looking around this forum for a while and finally had the courage to post this.

    well long story short, i quit a Big4 a while back during busy season and had no job lined up didn’t even finish my first year as A1 (i know i’ll be getting many hateful comments on this)… Mainly because i was dealing with major depression and had negative thoughts constantly. I had absolutely no interest in what i was doing and couldn’t take it anymore.

    well i know i was naive….and since i’ve started my new job search (mainly staff accountant & financial analyst jobs), they all require at least approx 2 years in public accounting and this really made me wonder if I should go back to public? I am definitely not looking at a Big4 again and I’m thinking a mid-tier firm might be a better fit for me….

    I also got my depression under control but i don’t know how to explain to recruiters that i was really struggling with depression and had no other choice but to quit and take care of myself NOT because i was lazy or some kind revenge on team. Given the timing of this how likely is it for me to go back being a first year starting this Fall? I’m scared to reach out to public accounting firms again because I did quit during busy season (as noted on my resume) and the first thing they’ll notice is this and it will sure throw them off.

    advice appreciated….

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  • #662854
    Missy
    Participant

    ” how to explain to recruiters that i was really struggling with depression and had no other choice but to quit and take care of myself”

    No, just no. Don't ever go there. What the recruiter will hear is “there is always a chance that this can happen again if I stop taking my meds or the dosage is no longer appropriate. Hiring me is basically a crapshoot.”

    Just say at the time you chose to take time off for family/personal reasons but are ready to get back to work.

    Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

    Finance manager/HR manager

     

     

    Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
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    #662855
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Yeah it does not sound like public is for you. I'd really try working with recruiters – ppl are understanding when ppl quit public due to the hours (so I'd explain it that way) and recruiters place less than 1 year big 4 drop outs all the time. Also remember – job ads ALWAYS list higher experience than they actually need. I left before the 2 year mark, interviewed at around 10 placed, at which at least 8 had a higher experience requirement listed on the job ad. The offer I got had more than three years required. Some of the positions said more than 4! That's also why it is good to work with recruiters- they will know what tge hiring mgr is really looking for.

    #662856
    y_u_no_pass
    Participant

    This is really wrong. I wish the world was not like this. I have suffered from severe mental illness in the past. Fortunately I haven't had anything lately, but mla is right. You will be judged for it. Would you be judged if you had to quit because you had cancer and couldn't work because you were too tired from chemotherapy? Of course not. Some serious changes need to be made to the average person's understanding of mental illness. Maybe if people weren't concerned about this more people would open up. I open up personally, but I tend not to in work situations. I hope you find something. I would offer one piece of advice though. Maybe don't start immediately in public. People with mental illness tend to have a hard time taking on accountability. I went from a high school dropout to a nearly straight a accounting graduate and a CPA, but I did it little by little. Definitely don't take a full time position with a ton of hours immediately. Maybe start part time or look for something with fewer hours, like government. Good luck!

    Florida CPA!
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    #662857
    Missy
    Participant

    Agreed Y U NO, mental illness is kind of my soapbox issue and I won't get on that box here, but think for now its better for someone to see how great you are FIRST then share that there is a chronic condition but you're still the same person.

    I agree with the others about not going back to public. You say your depression is under control now but a very significant part of that control is the fact that you are not currently working in public. This is another landmine when you're dealing with a mental illness the notion that “I feel better now so I will go back to…………….” (insert stressful career, going off meds, getting back together with an ex, etc). and the whole cycle does start over again.

    Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

    Finance manager/HR manager

     

     

    Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
    Finance/Admin/HR Manager

    #662858
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I would say that something along the lines of “I had to resign to take care of some medical issues, but they are resolved now” is better than saying anything about any mental illness. I agree with the others that it's sad you have to worry about it, but fact of the matter is, saying you dealt with ______ isn't going to help you at all. Even saying you have a medical issue has potential to make them worry that you'd have things come up in the future that made you miss work, but being non-specific and stating that it's been fixed should help alleviate their concerns.

    Whether or not public is the place for you is another question altogether. My only “public” experience was 1 year in a micro tax firm, so not the “public” people seek, yet I've been able to progress in my career without any problems. I would suggest seeking out a non-profit if you want to do accounting – they generally are lower-stress and better hours. Government would be another route worth considering. Private accounting may work fine, depending on what you can handle, but “real” public is a stretch for anyone. You *can* have an accounting career without working for B4 or large accounting firms. (My boss is the CFO and never worked in public at all!)

    #662859
    fsugirl2005
    Participant

    @ bezwx

    Even if you still aren't sure about saying you had a medical problem and it's been resolved, just tell them you had to take care of a sick relative. Well, in this case the sick relative is you. You are your own relative and your biggest fan. =)

    I know what you're going through. I almost flunked out of college due to physical and mental issues. Most depressions are situational and typically are alleviated by removing yourself from the situation if possible. My issues were deeply rooted and involved something that happened to me as a child. I'm all better now and you will be fine too. Just stay away from public accounting if it's a trigger. Corporate may suit you well because it's routine, you may get a nice paycheck, and you typically work 9-5. Sounds good to me.

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    #662860
    MaLoTu
    Participant

    If you are going to state extenuating issues as your defense, then I would go with personal and non-medical. If you truly had a sick relative to care for then you would have been eligible for FMLA.

    I know that medical (especially mental illness) is discriminated against, sometimes unintentionally, but lying is a slippery slope. I definitely agree that you can not tell them you quit because of your mental health problems. However, your explanation for that event should be as grounded in the truth as you can make it without revealing too much.

    Are you worried that going back into public might trigger another episode? I don't know if you can “mind over matter” the stress involved if your only motive for going back is to get another job. It sounds, from your post, that you truly did not enjoy being in that environment.

    Almost always from my phone... please excuse my typos!

    All 4 passed - 2016

    CA CPA

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