Accounting Exit Opportunities

I was recently laid off. Hoping to leave public accounting altogether - tired of no work-life balance year round but nervous that all I'll be able to get is another pressure cooker PA firm. I have a b...

Should I take the exit opportunity? Currently, M3 going to M4 (no promo to Sr Mgr for FY27), in MCOL B4 Risk consulting making $152k base + $7K bonus and in office 3x a week. Company is offering remot...

I have an interview for an Internal Audit role, and I’m trying to figure out how to lie and say I’m passionate about process improvement. The truth is I just want a job where I don't have to deal with...

I’m being asked for my salary expectations in the very first phone screen, and I feel like it’s a trap to see how low I’ll go. If I say $110k and their budget was $130k, I just lost $20k. If I say $14...

I found out my new Industry job has a Blackout Period for vacation that lasts from January through March. How is this any different from Public Accounting? I left the Big 4 specifically to avoid the B...

would you leave your firm if they made it clear that supporting you isn’t a priority? i’m a heavy senior managing a lot of engagements (many that are new to me due to turnover) but i struggle to get a...

I’m officially putting in my notice on Monday without a backup plan. I have six months of F-you money saved up, and I’m going to spend the summer actually living instead of auditing. My parents think ...

Am I crazy for turning down a Director title because of a 3-day RTO mandate? I’ve spent the last three years working fully remote, and I just got an offer for a Director of Finance role at a retail br...

Accountants: Would you trust AI to prepare an audit-ready workpaper? Not just a memo, a real Excel workpaper where every figure traces to its source and the math ties out. I’m working with a small t...

I just got an offer for a Controller role at a mid-sized manufacturing company owned by a PE. I’m currently in Public making $135k with okay benefits and the usual busy season misery. The new offer is...

I just found out the 401k match at the company I’m interviewing with doesn't vest for five years. Five years! In this economy, who stays at a mid-level accounting job for five years? What are some oth...

I’ve reached a point where I’m too expensive for senior roles but not experienced enough for manager roles. I’m 4 years in, I have my CPA, and I’m making $95k, but every Manager role wants 6-8 years o...

I got an offer for an Assistant Controller position at a stable, family-owned distribution company that’s been around for 50 years. They’re offering $125k, a 10% bonus, and the health insurance is 85%...

Has anyone successfully negotiated a sign-on bonus at a new job specifically to cover a repayment clause from their old firm? I’m currently staring at a $15,000 CPA bonus that I’ll have to pay back in...

I watched a Senior Manager get laid off after 15 years at the firm, and they were given ten minutes to pack their desk and leave. Loyalty in this profession is a one-way streetL. I’ve been staying at ...

My new CFO just told me that he doesn't believe in working from home because he thinks people just do laundry all day. I wanted to tell him that I actually do do laundry while I’m waiting for his mass...

I’m thinking about quitting my $120k Manager job to become a Bookkeeper for five different small businesses just so I can have my freedom back. I’m tired of the board meetings and the 50-person email ...

Anyone have any insight on FGMK?

I just found out that my corporate accounting team is using an external agency to hire a temp contractor for my exact level, and they are paying them $85 an hour. I am sitting here as a permanent fte ...

I haven't used a single thing I learned in my Advanced Accounting class in the last five years of my professional life. My entire day is just Excel formulas, accruals, and chasing down people who don'...