[Anonymous]

…in public, private, government, or anywhere for an accounting-related job?

There’s more to life than just work, right?

[LoveEventing]

I can't seem to find a balance. I really miss my job in public accounting, but I was miserable there too. Here is my dream job… anyone know if its out there?

Senior level position at over $75k

40 hour work week

Advancement opportunities

Educational opportunities

I went from one extreme to the other. I loved public accounting, but hated the travel/hours. Now, I work in internal audit, barely work 40 hours but I feel like my career is at a dead end here. 🙁 Not sure what to do once I finish the CPA.

BEC - 68, 76
AUD - 90, 91
FAR - 63, 83
REG - 55, 79

FINALLY DONE!

[Anonymous]

I doubt you'll find over $75k and a 40 hour work week…maybe I'm pessimistic, but it seems like once you get into bigger numbers like that, your hours go up whether you want it or not…

[LoveEventing]

No, that's what I figure, too. Oh well, it was worth a shot!! haha

For what its worth, I do get paid over $75k and work an average 40hr work week. But I'm not satisfied with my development here and being new into my career, I feel like I still want to be growing professionally. This type of environment really drains your motivation.

BEC - 68, 76
AUD - 90, 91
FAR - 63, 83
REG - 55, 79

FINALLY DONE!

[Anonymous]

Well…if you've got the hours and the pay, then I guess I was wrong! If it could be replicated in a more enjoyable atmosphere, I'd guess it would be in the governmental or private side of things. Like, CFO at a small university – not big enough to be taxing time-wise, but a high enough position to be good pay-wise. Or if you don't mind some longer hours (like through tax season….), you might be able to achieve the pay by being owner or partner in a smaller public accounting firm. My boss makes well above the $75k, and works about 32 hours through the summer…but works till 11 most nights for most of tax season, so there's a trade-off.

[neika822]

Sorry I'm just seeing some of these questions now!

@CPApracticer – my title is “Senior Accountant”. So definitely not a professor! I do a lot of what a staff accountant does, but my boss wants to transition me to take on more of the higher-ed accounting tasks and working more with grants. We've had a lot of transitioning lately, though, so it's tough. But for now, I'm happy!

@mena – I randomly found this job by looking at the college's career site. Check out local colleges frequently. I live in a city that has a ton of colleges, so I always see them up. However, you will likely be pigeon-holed into all higher-ed/nonprofit jobs after this. I'm fine with that, especially since my city has a ton of colleges that I could transition to.

R - *77*(02/'13)-Becker & NINJA
A - 71('11); *87*(04/'13)-Becker & NINJA
F - *76*(08/'13)-Becker & NINJA - "server upgrade" survivor
B - 60('11); *82*(10/'13) -Becker & NINA

DONE, DONE, AND DONE.

CPA in Massachusetts; issued 01/24/14

[Maxx71]

Neika, I have some questions about accounting for colleges…

I am starting a job at a public accounting firm and I am beginning to think I may have made the wrong decision due to the crazy hours. I am willing to sacrifice a bit of my paycheck to be able to have a life outside of work.

How difficult was it for you to find a good job at a college? Did you come across a lot of competition for your position? It seems to me that a uni job may be a good exit opportunity from public.

Is there a decent amount of upward mobility in a college setting? or is it more limited?

[HappyDayss]

YES, OCt – APR can be hectic but not too bad. APR-SEP easy living, doing nothing but watching youtube, yelping for good lunch spots, and studying of course.

I am in government contracting btw..

Done ^_^

[ssiegri]

Yes, it exists in every sector except public virtually..

[Anonymous]

I work for a major university in the Midwest and make a decent salary (but raises will be announced any day, fingers crossed). I started as an Accountant II and recently was promoted to Business Operations Manager for a large department. I work 37.5 hours/week and I even lucked out with an off campus site and FREE parking…which is a super perk! In the Acc II position I worked 65-70 hours per week because the department was severely understaffed and I couldn't get anyone to HEAR me (this was a major part of failing exams and probably why I've had health issues this year.) I LOVE working for the university but I am somewhat bored in my current position. I have a staff of four now and I've gone from one extreme (super busy) to the other. I start a masters program in the fall which is free as a benefit of my employment. I have several friends on campus with the CPA/MPA (Public Admin) combo and they are all at 100k+ annually. (Salaries are posted publicly so its no secret as to how much folks make.)

Maxx71 – Watch their job posting website and apply for all jobs you feel qualified. Take whatever job is offered (that will feed your family) to get in. Once you are in and learn the systems and how the work flows, you will be able to watch jobs and move up quickly.

l left a CPA firm and a two-hour per day commute after I fulfilled the experience requirement (two years) and took a large pay cut to get on at the University. I started out at 42k and thought I was going to starve to death… then jumped to 55k and now I have this new job.

Also – pick your poison…don't limit yourself to only looking at accounting jobs…there are jobs in compliance, government costing, internal audit, grant administration, etc.

Oh – I also can wear jeans every day if I want…but I usually limit it to Fridays. Another perk: My husband is a professor so we both work on campus and if he decides to move to another university…they have to find a job for me too! =) He is interviewing in Hawaii next week but that is a LONG shot because I don't want to move there at this time.

[Ntw6817]

I work in the tax department of a public accounting firm and we're on summer hours so right now, we just work 36 hours a week 🙂

I'm sure it'll be a whole different story come tax season.

[number_cruncher_24]

I work for a Fortune 500 company, only work 40 hours a week, and make over $75K, so it does exist, but it depends on the company.

[Anonymous]

After almost 3 1/2 years at a Big 4, I was determined to find a normal person's job hah. I found one with 9-5, no OT ever and very competitive paid. However, after two years on that job, I started to get bored and it was a specialized field in accounting. I wanted to open up more career choice in the future. Now I am working for a big pharma company and doing the SEC reporting role. The hours arent all that bad, during Q2, had to stay late for 6 days in 3 weeks and no weekend. During non-qtr, its 930 to 530-6.

[Author]

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