Accounting Exit Opportunities

I am planning on using a competing offer I don't even want just to force my current company into matching a $20k salary increase. I love my current team, my commute is short, and I know the proces… more

I had an interview where the VP of Finance asked me how I handle ambiguity and frequent shifts in strategic direction. I’ve learned the hard way that this is standard corporate gaslighting for being a… more

I just realized that my highly niche experience in ASC 740 (Tax Provisions) is making me completely un-hirable for general Finance Manager tracks. I have a deep understanding of core corporate cash fl… more

What is the single best rewrite you did on your resume that actually got a hiring manager's attention? I stripped the words "assisted with," "responsible for," and "tested… more

How are you supposed to answer the "Why do you want to leave public accounting?" question? The true answer is that my mental health is in tatters, the billable hour model is predatory. Obvio… more

I am currently staring at an industry offer that is a direct match for my current $105k public salary, but it offers a massive 15% equity grant vesting over three years. The company is a privately hel… more

I just had a final-round interview where the corporate controller mentioned that their last three closes ran a bit long into the second week of the month. He tried to spin it as an opportunity for a n… more

Is a $140k SEC Reporting Manager role at a gas company worth a mandatory 5-day return to office? I am currently a Senior 3 in public making $112k, fully remote. This SEC reporting offer is a massive c… more

I just found out that the $115k Senior Accountant offer I received uses a bonus structure based on company performance rather than individual KPIs. The HR rep tried to sell me on the fact that the com… more

At what point do you draw the line and withdraw your application from a process that demands a massive take-home project? I was asked to complete a take-home case study involving a full 3-year financi… more

How do you highlight actual operational finance skills so you don’t get automatically denied? Staring at my resume trying to figure out how to frame "SOX compliance testing" so it doesn'… more

Posting here since we had some pinned posts here while building - Big 4 Transparency has just undergone the largest update since it launched.

Better interface, mobile friendly, better data input parameters and access to data… more

A boutique headhunter told me that listing my CPA exam sections passed (3/4) makes me look like a flight risk to mid-sized industry firms. Her logic was that the second I get those final three letters… more

Stayed in auditing to manager level. What are my options? I'm told not even experience to exit without taking a cut.
What are others' experience?
Tips?

I asked for $125k base for an Assistant Controller role, and they came back with $110k base plus a $15k sign-on bonus. A sign-on bonus does absolutely nothing when next year's percentage raises ar… more

Should I accept an Associate Director title at a boutique valuation firm? The offer is $155k base, heavy performance bonuses, and a direct line to corporate transactional work. My fear is that valuati… more

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 team to build a tool that does this and I’m l… more

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 … more

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… more

Thoughts on taking a government job with the current state of the economy/country? I know lots of layoffs are happening, but this offer is to fill a position that someone is leaving. County Auditor ro… more

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 any decent st… more

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 … more

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… more

How do you renegotiate a title and salary in a situation like this? I’m currently the only accountant at a 50-person startup. I’m basically the CFO, the Controller, the AP Clerk, and the Office Manage… more

I just found out that my promotion comes with zero raise because I’m already at the top of the salary band for my level. They essentially told me they can’t move me up, but they can't pay me more … more

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 … more

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 … more

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… more

How do you tailor your resume to appeal to smaller, family-owned businesses? Working in Big 4 is actually making me un-hirable for the small, local companies I actually want to work for. They think I’… more

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%… more

Our Tax Technology team is hiring at the Manager / Senior Manager level.

We’re a relatively small team (~30 people total), but we operate as a national team within the firm. The role is fully remote, though being near one of our office locatio… more

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… more

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… more

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… more

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 … more

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 … more

CPA with top 10 accounting firm, 9 years of experience in audit. Looking to pivot to industry in senior financial analyst or accounting mgr role. Low cost of living area. Is $120k minimum for base rea… more

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… more

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 … more

I’ve sent out 50 applications for Remote roles and I’m starting to think my resume is being auto-filtered because I don't live in a Tier 1 city. I have a CPA and experience at a top-10 firm, but I… more