[NYCBig4]

Hey Guys,

I actually used to be a regular on this website, but chose to make a different username for this post as my normal username includes my last name and doesn’t leave me with a lot of anonymity especially since I know colleagues of mine frequent this website. So my background is that I have an undergrad degree in accounting, a masters in accounting from a very strong school, and have passed my CPA. I am currently a second year Associate at a Big 4 in NYC, after starting with the firm in January. As such, I expect that I will be a Senior in a year when it is promotion time again. However, I am legitimately dying to leave the Big 4 and have decided in my mind to stay until I get the CPA necessary experience and make that senior promotion. I expect that come this summer/fall I will already be senioring my engagements as that is generally the trend.

My question is what kind of positions within accounting, or even finance I can realistically expect to get as a Senior 1 leaving the Big 4? I spent a few minutes on Linkedin looking at Senior Accounting positions and I saw that a lot have 3 years of experience requirements so essentially if I was to apply there they would shuffle me into a Staff accounting position which would be taking a demotion for me at that point. Have any of you left at Senior 1 and gotten Senior accounting positions? I physically do not believe I can hang in there for an additional two years for the 3 years experience benchmark.

Thanks so much!

[vanadium3]

Typically the longer you stay the higher position the jump, but you always struggle with which position is “ideal.” That's why a lot of your peers are still in public lol.

After 2nd year you can be senior accountant no problem (depending on which company you applied), or you can be financial analyst, which is really common.

Assistant controller if you are lucky 🙂

I wonder if grass is really greener on the other side..

CPA

[vanadium3]

Typically the longer you stay the higher position the jump, but you always struggle with which position is “ideal.” That's why a lot of your peers are still in public lol.

After 2nd year you can be senior accountant no problem (depending on which company you applied), or you can be financial analyst, which is really common.

Assistant controller if you are lucky 🙂

I wonder if grass is really greener on the other side..

CPA

[NYCBig4]

Thank you for the reply! Yeah I definitely want to get out but seeing Linkedin positions for Senior accountants requiring 3-6 years experience is pretty intense. I just wanted to make sure that the suffering I'm going through for another year is not in vain to only be offered another staff position!

[NYCBig4]

Thank you for the reply! Yeah I definitely want to get out but seeing Linkedin positions for Senior accountants requiring 3-6 years experience is pretty intense. I just wanted to make sure that the suffering I'm going through for another year is not in vain to only be offered another staff position!

[Anonymous]

I would def stay until you get promoted to Senior. After that, shouldn't be too difficult to get a position as a Sr Accountant

[Anonymous]

I would def stay until you get promoted to Senior. After that, shouldn't be too difficult to get a position as a Sr Accountant

[jeff]

I know who you are! 😀

(Your secret identity is safe)

Welcome back 🙂

[jeff]

I know who you are! 😀

(Your secret identity is safe)

Welcome back 🙂

[NYCBig4]

So the fact that I'll be a senior accountant according to my Big 4 firm trumps not having the full 3 years of experience that these firms state are required? Just want to make sure. Have any of you left at Senior 1 for a corporate accounting Senior position?

Jeff, I think my email address gave it away! Although I don't post anymore, I am always lurking around & miss you guys! I hope that all is well. Come January I can finally apply for my license! 🙂

[NYCBig4]

So the fact that I'll be a senior accountant according to my Big 4 firm trumps not having the full 3 years of experience that these firms state are required? Just want to make sure. Have any of you left at Senior 1 for a corporate accounting Senior position?

Jeff, I think my email address gave it away! Although I don't post anymore, I am always lurking around & miss you guys! I hope that all is well. Come January I can finally apply for my license! 🙂

[Anonymous]

I never worked at a Big 4. I can tell you I've been in interviews with people who were applying for positions in industry from Big 4 who couldn't do a basic accrual because they had really only been exposed to Cash and A/R. A lot of times the work you do in a Big 4 doesn't translate exactly so it's important to try and get experience doing a lot of different areas of accounting. I don't want to put down Big 4 but the first two years of work isn't exactly challenging and hiring managers know this which is why you see them asking for 4-5+ years for Senior Acct positions.

I think 3 years of experience + title of Senior at your company will at least get your resume read and possibly some interviews.

[Anonymous]

I never worked at a Big 4. I can tell you I've been in interviews with people who were applying for positions in industry from Big 4 who couldn't do a basic accrual because they had really only been exposed to Cash and A/R. A lot of times the work you do in a Big 4 doesn't translate exactly so it's important to try and get experience doing a lot of different areas of accounting. I don't want to put down Big 4 but the first two years of work isn't exactly challenging and hiring managers know this which is why you see them asking for 4-5+ years for Senior Acct positions.

I think 3 years of experience + title of Senior at your company will at least get your resume read and possibly some interviews.

[mla1169]

Just know this one fact about job searches. Much of the time the candidate who gets the job does not correspond perfectly to the ad on craigslist or linkedin. They just put that out there to screen out people who don't even come close.

I was 40 years old before I had my bachelors degree. EVERY single job I had listed a degree as a requirement. I applied anyway and often got the offer. So if you match 8/10 of the requirements for a job, apply anyway. Sometimes it really is a requirement but not always.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[mla1169]

Just know this one fact about job searches. Much of the time the candidate who gets the job does not correspond perfectly to the ad on craigslist or linkedin. They just put that out there to screen out people who don't even come close.

I was 40 years old before I had my bachelors degree. EVERY single job I had listed a degree as a requirement. I applied anyway and often got the offer. So if you match 8/10 of the requirements for a job, apply anyway. Sometimes it really is a requirement but not always.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[nbad311]

My impression while job searching was, having the senior designation was the key factor ( having an extra year on top of it wasn't what would get you the interview).

I didn't work at big 4 but I did work at a large public accounting firm for 3+ years, got promoted at the 3rd year mark, then worked a few more months and finally got a job offer (I was interviewing/searching the few months after being promoted). I was DYING TO LEAVE my firm. I got a job which like someone else mentioned, is techincally “financial analyst”. I do everything from internet control to journal entries to financial statement prep in my job duties. And like mla said above, sometimes you won't fit a job description to the tee, but you might be a good candidate anyway; if you see something you're interested in, pursue! I think you're in a great place (job-searching-wise) as big-4 senior, even if you're a new senior, who has passed the CPA exam.

REG - 65, 70, 80!
BEC - 35, 62, 79!
AUD - 73, 75!
FAR - 65, 73, 70, 75! DONE.

[Author]

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