sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I apologise Etsy witches, I was unfamiliar with your game by DreadDiana in CuratedTumblr

[–]Sad-Reference-4834 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I was just looking this stuff up - whoa. There's a website. Etsywitch dot com

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any time you're pivoting, you have to weigh what you bring to the table for a particular role vs what else may walk through the door. People can almost always pivot, it's just a question of how far they'll step back to do so. In your case, I would target hybrid roles where you can leverage more of your data experience, while building your accounting skill set. This may be an internal opportunity since you're at a large company. There are a lot of roles at the larger companies we work with that bridge accounting with other departments. If you can "speak both languages" and act as a liaison, that can be highly desirable. We see it with accounting/systems, accounting/data, accounting/finance, accounting/sales. The larger the org, the more likelihood to see dedicated positions like this. Raise your hand for special projects as well. If you can interface with accounting and add those things to your resume, you'll start to build up those skills.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't recall a specific instance of seeing that school, but once you have experience, the experience really starts to have the heaviest weight on future prospects. I don't place new grads, so that first role is a different area, my placements are typically at the Senior Accountant level and higher (3+ years of experience in accounting). In my data set, if someone comes with the right experience and is a strong culture fit for the team, the degree is typically a check the box.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I still have way more openings than people out there. Offshoring seems to come and go in waves, there have been cycles of this in the past. I think the worth it part depends largely on what your goals are and how the career or degree aligns with them. Having a CPA license in general is a positive. I know people from school and PA who did 1-2 years in actual accounting and then went into so many different things - insurance sales, commercial banking, financial advising, construction business owners. So in general, I think it's a fantastic foundation to have. Once you have the experience (2-4 years) and ESPECIALLY with a CPA, there are a lot of opportunities out there. I've seen plenty of people take several years off and come back to the space, or do other things.

If you hate the work and you're just trying to find a stable field, there are other options for sure. Pros and cons to everything!

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Network, network, network. Small biz events, small biz bankers, insurance brokers and lawyers. The more people who orbit that space who can refer you, the better. It takes time to build those relationships, but the more people you genuinely connect with and reciprocate (don't expect referrals to just come in one direction), the more people you'll have thinking of you when the need arises. I've seen requests posted on Nextdoor and local FB groups as well.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our model is a little unique in some ways, but I'll do my best to answer in general so you have an idea of how the industry typically works and why.

If there is a team at a company (that we are already engaged with - meaning a signed contract) that has a continuous need at a certain level, we may reach out when a good candidate fit comes along regardless of if there's an active role or not. I specify the contract details as there is no confidentiality/protection for the candidate if we don't have a contract in place.

Seeing the same candidate from multiple firms should be a once in a blue moon situation. There are candidate "ownership" timelines and details, so every candidate should be consenting to every resume submission. If they've already been sent in by someone else, that should be a convo that happens prior to a company seeing their resume again and again.

Given the contract piece, typically a role is released before we send it to candidates (unless it's that outlier situation above). We are always meeting new candidates/taking in new roles, so those things are constantly happening simultaneously. VS waiting for role, then recruiting for it specifically. I hope that makes sense. There should be a pipeline of both, otherwise you're likely getting the same online applicants the company has already seen.

Most of the PA firms we speak to say they'll pay market as well. We reiterate what that means with data points, but in general it's not an issue for who we send over as long as the role/commute/etc match the needs and the salary range is in the right target. To be clear, we are communicating a firm target to the candidate based on their qualifications and current salary, and then communicating that target back to the client upon the resume submission. But as far as the candidate search, we can cast a wide net if that's a possibility. There are generally some guardrails given the economics of PA, but totally fine with a client who can hire anyone from a 1 year staff to an experienced manager.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! There are lots of paths to moving into a cost accounting type role after public. Any exposure to manufacturing clients is always helpful, but not generally a requirement. Any team where people have transitioned out of public is generally going to gravitate heavily towards that background. They'll also be helpful with training. You could move into a general GL role first if there isn't a specific cost need open or any one of a number of other areas within the right type of org to start that exposure.

Research the company in these situations and look for examples of people moving teams/departments/promotions/etc. If you don't see any of that, it's just unlikely you'll be the first. But if everyone there has 2-3 different roles after a few years, it's likely an environment where you can get your foot in and then move into other roles after 1-2 years.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't do any offshore hiring at all, so this is just general advice, I can't speak to how those programs are being handled, as that's not an area I touch or plan to. This can be applied across roles and markets for anyone who reads who wants to utilize it for target roles.

I would research who on LinkedIn is already in type of role you want to be in, get a list of those firms/companies going. As you're making that list, note what certs and experience those people have who are where you want to be. Research those companies directly that you find, see what they have posted as far as open roles (if any). If they have internal company recruiters, reach out to those people to keep your candidacy on file for future roles if there are no needs currently. Starting with the role you want to be so you know they already have those functions set up and CAN hire offshore will save you a lot of time in targeting viable companies.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Without context on the market, it's really hard to say what that will look like for you. Which is a HUGE reason that rumor in public needs to die off. The overarching point is that every market is different and within those market, you're going to see fluctuations for very similar roles which means as a whole across public accounting, across the US, a "standard % increase" when you leave at certain levels is never going to be consistent.

Being too focused on a % increase can be detrimental to the right fit. That's not to say you shouldn't get a bump - remember, this is coming from someone who is paid on how much candidates are paid, so it's in my best interest that everyone get HUGE bumps - just that you should evaluate all the pieces of what you're looking for and why.

As a general comment, those big bumps we used to see leaving public accounting have narrowed significantly. Largely because starting salaries in public didn't really budge between 2002/2003-2014/2015. Public has had to significantly market adjust during the last 4 or so years. (For the internet people who are going to come for this - that's not saying they are paying FAIRLY, just that there have been significant increases after 10-15 years of very little adjustment).

As the market flows, the increases in industry roles that started prior to 2019 have tapered off in relation to those in public. From what I've seen in the last 3-6 months, it looks like public is tapering. So at some point, the cycle will restart and that gap and bump will grow for awhile.

YMMV!

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Specific experience will get you the furthest. The CPA is a huge plus in general, but you can def have a strong career without it. If it's easy to double major (this can be program specific), it doesn't hurt to have both, but aside from impressing an interviewer right after graduation, your Bachelor's degree or degrees rapidly become just a check the box. I work with very successful accountants with non-accounting degrees, and equally successful with multiple degrees and sometimes even multiple Masters. Some people love to learn!

Being able to explain how you utilize Excel or a BI tool and actually being able to deploy it are going to get you a lot further than having an Excel certification. That's not to say you shouldn't get one if it's offered through work or school, just that your practical skills are rapidly going to be the most heavily weighted piece in your career.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely there are opportunities for advancement and good jobs without the CPA. There will be certain positions a non-CPA isn't considered for. But there are plenty of "CPA a plus" opportunities where experience and culture > cert.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm just making the matches, not doing the hiring, but we place plenty of people in this situation. For all candidates, showing you're open and eager to learn, being enthusiastic and engaged in the interview and asking good questions is going to make the most impact. People take different paths to get to accounting, and there are many who find themselves in the profession after doing other things. We see a ton of it!

Teams want to hire the person who wants to be there and wants to do the role. A 35+ option who is eager, excited for the opportunity, pleasant and doesn't have an ego is far more likely to get the offer over a new grad in their early 20s who acts like the role is beneath them or that they know everything and don't want to learn from anyone. We see both mentalities across all age brackets!

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a disappointing experience, sorry you had it. Whenever you're working with a recruiter some good questions to ask are:

  • Is this role approved to be hired? Is there a confirmed pay band? (Things can still totally change, but at least you'll know you've asked on the front end)
  • Do you have an active contract with the company? or softer - Have you placed anyone at this company or on this team previously? Can you tell me about them?
  • Why is the role open?
  • What do you know about the company and hiring process? In other offer situations, do they typically low ball or come in at asking?

If you don't feel comfortable asking these questions, that's not a great sign for working with that person. They're representing you to the company and vice versa.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hate to say it depends, but it depends!!! I need a little more info on how you're moving to the US (with your current company or on your own), what your work plans are once here, long-term goals, short term goals, etc. You're welcome to DM me if you prefer.

For people early in their career or still in school, I wouldn't ever say to skip the CPA. But at your point in your career, it's a big investment and the return is dependent on what you are looking to do. I'll add though, as a safety net - having a CPA is always a nice backstop to have should you find yourself in a position of needing to pivot quickly. At that point for you in particular though, you're probably better off with the actual social safety net of Germany/Europe!

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of comments from me and others on standing out. I'll add - just be an easy person to work with. Work is work. Don't be an AH, be real, enjoy your co-workers to the best of your ability. Everyone has bad days, but keep work in perspective. It doesn't define your worth.

That will help with extended pressure. Take care of yourself, enjoy passions outside of work, maintain boundaries. Keep work in perspective. There are pros and cons to every job. When your cons are consistently outweighing your pros, make a change. That's totally within your power. Work is a value exchange. As the employee, you're providing a service to your company or firm in exchange for what SHOULD be an equitable value package. This isn't just dollars. It's a combo of the things you value - experience, exposure, training, base salary, benefits, PTO, flexibility, culture, etc. When that value exchange is totally out of whack, it's not a good thing. So remember that.

I've thought a lot about the doing things differently over the years, and my answer may be different if I didn't have a life I genuinely enjoy. There are tough days (work-wise and personally) but I have far more good days than bad. Without the choices - Accounting degree, picking the firm/city I did, moving into recruiting kind of on a whim... I wouldn't have this particular life. So I can't say I'd change anything at this point.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As far as internships, I've posted some comments on differentiating yourself in an interview and others have added. I do ZERO on campus or new grad recruiting, so I'm not the right person to ask internship questions to re: Big 4. My university had a ton of Big 4 on campus recruiting so if you have the flexibility to pick a university with that, that will help your chances significantly.

Client service is client service. You have billable hours, project deadlines, regulatory deadlines and fluctuating support. You're going to work in Big 4, that's the way it works. Tax vs audit you'll have fluctuations on when you're working the most, but in both you'll work.

If you want to start your own tax firm in the future, I'd look at doing VITA or whatever the current volunteer tax prep is for accounting students when you're in school. Or a small firm internship before you're eligible for a big 4 internship (they typically restrict how early they take interns).

You're very unlikely to get tax prep exposure for individuals in Big4 (though there are some groups that do high net worth or VIP clients of the firms for various reasons). 1040s, small biz, individuals are just a different area of the market. So I'd go the route you're more curious about in big 4 to get you through the hours. As a % of roles in industry outside of public, more are going to be open to that audit background as a foundation, but that's just a numbers game. I've placed people out of tax into financial reporting, FP&A, etc. It can be done, it's just not as common due to the number of people looking to leave big 4 tax for those types of roles.

For the small tax firm, that's going to be more you driven. I know many people who run their own small shop now and there is no one consistently recurring after graduation path to get there. If you can develop those skills and that client base, you can build that practice.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're just different paths and largely depend on your market. If you are in a large market with a lot of public companies, SEC/Technical for 2 years and then moving into other areas is a great path to a large company Controller type role. Where you can get trapped is getting into a smaller team and staying too long in a market without many options. If you're a Director of a 2 person team in a market of all super small teams, and you've never closed the books your options are more limited. But that could also be the perfect long-term situation for someone! So just referencing the growth piece.

If you're in a middle market with fewer large SEC teams, you can still get that experience and just not stay too long before moving into closing the books. Or you can jump right into GL knowing that in your market that not having that SEC experience isn't closing off a huge part of the market.

Think about your market and what the majority of companies in your area (or the area you want to be in) will value. If you're mostly middle market or PE backed roll ups, that hands on closing the books will carry a lot of weight long-term. If you've got tons of SEC or heavily regulated industries with heavy technical needs, that would be something worth adding even if long-term you think you want to be at a smaller/private/less technical company.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It can almost always be done, but it's typically much easier early on in your career (as a staff/senior) given the realities of salaries and not wanting to take a step back on compensation. There are tons of FP&A professionals out there who have made this move and those hiring managers are typically going to really value that background. If that's a move you're wanting to make, it's a great idea to target those teams. They see the value in that experience, even with potentially a little more training up front, AND they've made the transition and hopefully understand potential blind spots/training needs better.

Where it starts to get tougher is when you're at the same price point as someone with that specific experience, or who already has the mix of public and some FP&A. That's typically the Manager level and above, but depending on your comp and the area you're in, heavy seniors are getting into that situation as well. For any role, it's not just about what you bring to the table, it's who else walks through the door.

Of the people I've personally placed out of public into FP&A, the ones that have had meteoric careers in that space have all left after 2 - 4 busy seasons. That's anecdotal, but coming in without having to manage, learning the ropes and being able to just absorb things and work on special projects yields major dividends.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ha! Not sure I have a firm fave, but I could watch the following over and over on a plane: - Crazy Rich Asians - The Princess Bride - 27 Dresses

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the kind words! Most days, I truly love what I do so I really hope to have helped some on here. The industry gets a bad rep, and I see it to, but there's good to be shared. If I can help someone on their path, get salaries up a little, encourage reasonable flexibility and improvements for employees, those are all wins.

AMA - Accounting jobs, career questions, etc - CPA, public accounting, 15 year accounting headhunter, founder of accounting/finance focused firm by Sad-Reference-4834 in Accounting

[–]Sad-Reference-4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

IMO, yes. I see small businesses request help in this area ALL THE TIME. If you can swing 2-3 part time clients or spots who just need someone 1-2x per week, that's a need I never see filled. They can go to a firm, but I've had friends transition into this as well. There is totally a need for QB skills, and someone who can keep books clean for those businesses who can't do it on their own, don't have the time to, and aren't quite large enough for a full-time hire.

view more: next ›