[Allergic2CPA]

So I’ve been struggling to find a supervisory role in industry mainly because my background is in higher education and have not acquired such supervisory role anywhere.

I currently work for the equivalent of a “big4” in the oil & gas industry in Houston (reputable with instant name recognition, $45+ billion in revenues, 120k+ employees worldwide) doing full P&L and balance sheets for Latin America. I have 16 months exp. with this employer and received my first annual review rating of “exceeds expectations.”

I’ve been searching the Houston job market and have this offer.

A Staff Accountant role with a small international manufacturing company using Cognos, Standard Cost accounting, IFRS, FX translation, and financial reporting. Will work on optimizing the system. The idea is to groom this position into a Senior Accountant/Assistant Controller in a year or two with supervisory role with 1 or 2 direct reports.

Salary and benefits are comparable.

My Dilemma:

Since the future is unknown regarding my career with current and prospective employer, what would be the smart move here?

Stay with current employer and see what they have to offer in a year or two OR take the offer?

Worst Case Scenario:

I accept the offer and I don’t get promoted into supervisory role after two years. I think this will set me back because I will be asked why I left such a good company. It would not be wise to say “because I wanted a supervisory role but didn’t get it.”

What to accept

If your of the opinion that I should reject the offer, what would have to change in the offer in order to accept it?

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[ruggercpa2b]

No one will ever ask you why you left a great company and look at your sideways. We all have our reasons and looking for professional growth is never looked down on. You have only been in your position for 16 months, what is the career track at your current firm? When I worked at Big 4 we would get promoted to senior after 3 years if you were performing well, with people getting promoted early. Maybe with you getting exceeding expectation I would ask how I can get to the next step. Maybe going from being a staff to senior and see if they will help you achieve that goal. Sometimes if you dont speak up management doesnt know what it is you want out of your career and they just assume you are content. Take on more responsibility. Every job I have ever had I always try to be groomed for the next position. In my current role as a senior the step will be manager. I am going to work hard and then try to take on more from the managers I work with.

Sometimes you have to take a gamble. Companies will take you on with the promise of you getting direct reports and then it doesnt happen. Just make sure you make the right decision that will help your career down the road.

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I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Allergic2CPA]

@Rugger

Career track? Well not good since there's like 300 or 400 people with the same title and responsibilities with limited supervisory roles. Management is aware but as you can imagine, they can't accommodate everyone. There is certainly opportunity to indirectly develop leadership skills but I have to really brainstorm how to go about it.

Yes…it's a gamble either way. Thanks for the input :).

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[ruggercpa2b]

If there is no opportunity for advancement or at least a clear path then I would look at options. But dont take a job for the sake of taking a job. Make sure its the right position and with the right company. Are you looking just because you want a role with direct reports?

AUD - NINJA in Training
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AUD - 1/6/18
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AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Allergic2CPA]

@rugger…yes as I feel this will catapult my career into the next level.

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[ruggercpa2b]

I honestly do not think having supervisory experience would catapult your career vs the actual experience you get from a position that you hold. I say this because I worked in public accounting and am now a senior at a healthcare company. I dont have any direct reports but have visibility with the VP of audit and top executives within our company because that is how our department is structured. For me having that visibility and working hard will help catapult my career because I will make sure those people notice my hard work and enthusiasm. My friend is an Accounting Manager with no direct reports.

AUD - NINJA in Training
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REG - NINJA in Training

AUD - 1/6/18
FAR - TBD
REG - TBD
BEC - TBD

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[mla1169]

I'd be asking a lot of questions-is this a newly created position? If not how long was your predecessor there, and why is the position open.

The answer to those three questions (which you are entitled to ask, even at the interview point let alone before accepting an offer) should make the answer to your dilemma perfectly clear. If someone had the job before you and moved on, chances are they too were promised “being groomed for……” and moved on.

Truthfully if its a job you'd like and excel at, take it. If the most attractive part of the offer is the discussion of growth in “a year or two”, I'd think twice about getting my hopes up.

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Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

If the Staff Accountant role didn't have the move to Senior Accountant/Assistant Controller, and didn't have the future direct reports, would you still take it? What about if it just had one or the other? Don't take a job for future promises unless the promises are written down, cause talk is cheap. I have seen arrangements where someone was hired at xx wages for xyz position, with an agreement that after certain parameters were met (for example, after they became a CPA or after they'd gained a years' experience or after they completed some specialized training) then their title would change or their pay increase etc. If the only reason you're considering this job is because of the future title and direct reports, then I'd want that written down before accepting the job. If, on the other hand, it's a good opportunity anyway and you're looking forward to earning that title/those reports but know that it might not happen, then it sounds good as it stands.

However, I am curious to know more about how you feel about your current employer. You say you've been searching the job market; why? What makes you desirous to get out? Do you hate your job, or just want to see what else is out there? If you like your job and pay fairly well now, and if this Staff Accountant gig isn't quite exciting you, then there's no harm in sitting tight and seeing what else comes up. It sounds like the Staff Accountant job doesn't really offer you anything that you don't already have, except maybe more potential 2 years down the road. However, you don't really know what your exit opportunities will be with 3 years' experience at your current company, so it's hard to say if Senior Accountant with direct reports would be any better than what you could be in 2 years if you stay where you are for now.

[Allergic2CPA]

@rugger

Yes it's good to have visibility to upper management but it doesn't always lead to greater things as evidenced by my exp. with prior employer. If I stay, I plan trying to get that visibility and hopefully it works out.

@mla

It's a new role due to growth but then again that could be a lie. I basically see the question as to what happened to the predecessor almost irrelevant since they can lie about what really happened. The most appealing aspect is the growth so like you mentioned, I'm certainly not getting my hopes up and I'm being very cautious.

@Lilla

I'm not sure if I'd take it without the “growth potential” but the international manufacturing aspect is certainly appealing as I'd be learning a new skill.

I'm comfortable with my current employer but I feel I wasted enough time with my prior employer trying to get a management position so that gave rise to my job search. It's difficult what my best exit opportunities would be hence my dilemma.

However, you gave me a great idea having them put on paper. I can make that request and since its a smaller firm, I can let them know that if I don't get the higher roles/responsibilities, that I will search for a new job after a year or two. They wont want to waste resources on someone that will have that short of a stint.

This gets tricky because they may still say no since they don't know what type of job performance I'll have. Prior reviews in my previous employers may not suffice since it's a “new environment.” They may also talk about the company not growing as strong as they hoped or bad economy and whatever else they can think of for not promoting.

Basically if they're non-committal, then I won't accept and move on.

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[JS867_5309]

When people ask my why I plan to leave my company (an international NFP with major name recognition), I always kindly say that there is no growth opportunity. Among friends I can be more specific, but no one looks down on me for that. It shows ambition and motivation. I could easily stay where I am forever; I make a decent salary and get regular cost of living increases, the responsibility is high but not overwhelming, and I'm good at what I do. Within about 5 years I could completely revamp and optimize our local accounting and have a regular, reliable, non-stressful job. BUT, I want more.

If you feel like there's nowhere for you to go where you are, and you think this is a good step in the right direction, go there. I have chosen to stay the course until my CPA is under my belt, then take a step up the ladder in a year or two. I have had offers to move laterally for identical compensation and a near-identical job, but with less of a supervisory role. I don't think it's right for me given my current title and experience, but it could be the right choice for you. Good luck!

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[Allergic2CPA]

@JS867

It's definitely never bad to leave for career growth but figuring out the right direction as you mention is sometimes tricky. Thanks for the input.

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[Anonymous]

@OP Just to make sure I didn't mischaracterize things, having a written agreement for future promotion and/or raises etc. is definitely not common, though I have seen it done. If it's the primary reason that you're willing to accept this job, then I'd definitely want it in writing cause I've seen way too many employers wave a proverbial carrot in front of employees' noses with no intention of ever giving it to them. However, it's likely that this company has never been asked to provide something like that and they may be offended by the request, so I wouldn't suggest it unless the future responsibility is critical for you to take the job, but it sounds like it is, so that may be a good route to take.

[Allergic2CPA]

@Lilla

I understand what you're saying and that it's not common making such a request. However, under these circumstances, I find it unfair to have to commit to the prospective employer while they don't have to commit. This seems more offensive to me than simply requesting from them the same they ask of me…commitment. I highly doubt they will agree to such terms.

Should their pay have been a significant increase than my current pay, then I would just accept without formal conditions but that's not the case.

It's a decent opportunity but I have “separation anxiety” from my current employer due to their prestige, my recent annual review and weakness of the offer.

Finding that management position does seem like I'm trying to find a unicorn who has a flying pig as a friend.

P.S. The closest I've come to seeing a flying pig is someone throwing me bacon.

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[Anonymous]

@Allergic How'd it go talking to them? Was thinking about this the other day and wondered. 🙂

[Allergic2CPA]

@Lilla

I just got feedback today. It turns out that they reduced the scope of the position and even the salary so I'm definitely not pursuing it any further.

it did have many good things except what I ultimately wanted.

I guess my eternal search for that mythic creature continues.

FAR 46*, 77
AUD 70, 79
BEC 67, 82
REG 75

Texas License July 2013

Used Yaeger lectures based on Wiley textbooks

*Studied less than two weeks, forgot I had purchased NTS.

[Author]

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