[Anonymous]

Hi all,

After 3 years, I left public accounting (got my CPA). My 3 years in public is my only relevant work experience at this point. I now have to choose between the following two private sector offers:

(a) Revenue Analyst – Position is at a large publicly traded company. I am told the person in this job is to be groomed for a Senior Revenue Analyst role. Responsibilities will include reviewing/analyzing legal agreements for revenue recognition to ensure GAAP/SEC compliance.

(b) Senior Accountant – Position is at a large locally based firm (basically on the client side of the work I was previously doing as an auditor). This position would provide me G/L experience and month-end close experience which I currently lack.

– Which of these positions should I take and why?

– What might the long-term career tracks be for each?

Thanks guys

[MaLoTu]

In my opinion, it is really going to boil down to the career path you envision. If you want to get to C-level, the revenue analyst with the compliance exposure would probably be more beneficial. If you want to be a controller or something more in technical accounting, then the senior accountant is more inline with that path.

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

All 4 passed - 2016

CA CPA

[Anonymous]

There are probably pros and cons to either path, but the senior accountant position seems like it would probably provide broader experience than the revenue analyst, which I would think would translate into more opportunities. However, you have to look at the company, too. For example, if the company hiring the revenue analyst position is a lot larger than the company hiring the senior accountant, the revenue analyst position might help you get your foot in the door and allow you the freedom to move into a more general accounting focused role (if you wanted).

[fuzyfro89]

Somewhat of a hierarchy I have, you can adjust however you see fit.

1) Choose the best company/dept/manager … your career development in the next 3 yrs and potential future at a certain company outweighs what you may be doing in the immediate future

2) Choose the best/largest/most prestigious company … right or wrong, name recognition matters and counts for something

3) The job itself. Which will be more challenging? Which may lead to other opportunities which would be favorable?

Now to the options you presented. Both will keep you within the controllership/reporting tree. A controller at a mid/large company will need both skill sets at some point so they at least understand what's going on. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their experience, but once you're the leader there are no excuses… you have to figure it out… no matter what the issue is.

Personally, I'd go for the revenue analyst position. GL accounting is very mechanical. It can be taught/learned by anyone with a base set of skills. Revenue analyst/technical accounting is more complex, and takes a higher degree of skill. Whether you stay in that industry or not, searching/reviewing/summarizing reporting guidance and writing technical memos is a very advanced skill, and a good thing to have exposure with in your career. GL accounting can be learned at any point. Heck, you may do that in your next role, which, again, brings me to my points above. Look at the company first, because having a good company/manager/department will give you more opportunities in the near future than whatever you may be doing next.

Don't be silly and think that what you do in the first few years of your career will pigeonhole you… unless you're in tax, in which case be more careful.

Congrats on two great offers!

[jm962011]

I was a “Revenue Analyst Intern” through my last two semesters of college at a large public software company and LOVED it. (Some how I thought going into tax after graduating would be a good idea…) and the month-end/quarter-end was just as busy as everyone else so I'm sure you'll get some experience there. It is a technical role and you have to understand the business.

The problem I have with industry is that you won't move up as fast, even if it is a “growing” company… you literally don't move up to the next level unless someone quits/retires/doesn't come back from maternity leave/etc.

[JohnWayneIsGod]

Not sure why a GL Accountant would be reserved for a senior. At most I'd call it a staff level position. Reason being that GL Accountants spend much of their time doing journal entries and reconciling accounts. For me, the first couple of months of being a GL accountant was a learning process, and then it got boring because so much of it became routine. Everyday your are just building towards and getting ready for the same thing…month-end close. And there is a good chance that you know more about the GL than you realize from your years in audit. On the other-hand, the revenue analyst may be more rewarding as you have to analyze agreements to determine whether or not revenue can be recognized, and you'll be kept on your toes with the upcoming change in revenue rules from ASU Topic 2014-09. At the end of the day, it is all about how you feel about things and what you like and don't like. I like revenue recognition and like reading contracts where you may hate those things.

FAR - 80

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

-John Wayne

[Author]

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