[Scared-cpa]

I am looking for a job and currently have two options although I’m not 100% sure I will be offered both. However I was wanting opinions on which is the better option for me.

Industry – staff accountant at private hospital. Full (free) medical insurance. 1 hr 30 min round trip commute.

Public – audit/tax/financial advisor firm. 2 hr 30 min round trip commute.

I received a potential offer from the public accounting firm and while going into public seems more beneficial, the commute scares me mainly because (1) it cuts in to personal time quite a great deal and (2) since winter is coming soon, I’m worried the weather will be bad for such a long drive. What do you all think? I will be keeping this job for a year to 18 months so it isn’t incredibly long term. I will be moving to a different city after that where commute will be cut drastically (less than 1 hour round trip).

I am 23 years old, no children, a significant other but we do not live together. I have 3 dogs though.

[M123]

Dogs are people, too 🙂

All things being equal – that hospital gig sounds pretty compelling. The whole healthcare world is a club unto itself. Building a career at the ground floor and being able to work up sounds real nice. Excellent benefits and hopefully sane workload. That next gig at a large healthcare provider may be an easy jump!

Commutes are very bad for me so less is more there. That alone would make the decision for me.

I stated at an 18 month job for over 10 years so tread carefully 😀

[Scared-cpa]

I am leaning the same way. Free medical insurance is great and I've been wanting to get my teeth worked on lately for cosmetic reasons which they offer a steep discount on.

However, I've got an offer for an interview from the public accounting firm but haven't heard anything from the hospital. I put my resume in about a week and a half ago and the position is still open for new applicants so I don't know how long it is going to take for a possible interview. I thought about calling the recruiting department tomorrow and telling them that I have a job offer in a different city but I would strongly prefer to work for their hospital if I knew the interview process was going to begin soon or if I had any idea if I could work for them. I don't know how to say this, though, withoiut sounding like a weirdo or being rude. Do you think this is an acceptable thing to do?

[Scared-cpa]

Oh, and I agree. Dogs are indeed people, too! I wouldn't trade my three babies for anything! 🙂

And I am about 100% sure I won't be staying in this area forever so I sure hope I won't turn this short term career into a lifetime one. But I guess only time will tell lol!

[Sweet]

2 and a half hour commute daily would be insane lol.
But to your question I think you can try looking up the hiring manager, HR, or anyone in the team you are applying for on Linkedin, and shoot them a message. GL.

[Scared-cpa]

What would y'all suggest I say to the recruiter I speak to about the hospital position? I need to know when the application period ends, when they will begin interviewing, and if I have a chance at the position. I know they can't necessarily give me definitive answers but I want to make it clear that I am very interested in the position and would accept immediately if I could, but I just need more info about if/when that possibility would occur, otherwise I will be forced to take the second choice job

[Anonymous]

Is relocating to move closer to the public job an option? Even if it's just a year or two, that public experience is priceless and you can leverage off of that your entire career. CPAs often reference their public experience well over a decade old, even if it was just for a year, it's like a badge of honor.

[Scared-cpa]

Relocating currently is not an option, no. Driving isn't that big of a deal to me. However, I don't know how I will feel about it one month, six months, or a year down the road. What is so valuable about public experience anyway? Everyone says it is good to have, so what makes it more valuable than industry? The public firm is relatively small. It has four branches, the location I would be working at has less than 50 employees.

[TommyTheCat]

IMO you get exposed to so much more in public than you would working in industry. The volume of clients you'll work on with all of their unique situations is a great thing to bring into your future career in industry if you so choose that route.

[ultrarunner]

Please go with public if you can. A chance for working in public is very limited. You will have plenty of opportunities to work in industry in your lifetime. Once you work in industry, it is almost impossible to switch to public. Even industry prefers to hire people with public accounting experience.

FAR 72,67,79 (Roger+Wiley test bank)11/15
AUD 80 (Roger)10/15
BEC 80 (Roger)4/16
REG 63,78 (Roger+Ninja MCQs)5/16

[Scared-cpa]

Well, at this point the only thing I am weary on is the commute. My boyfriend (who commutes 1 hr 30 min a day) says it's not a big deal. My mom said after a long days work, an hour on the road is going to be a big pain. The hiring manager is trying to get me to move so I can be closer and get established in the community, especially since it's a public accounting firm. Which brings me to another worry.

Should I tell him I don't plan on working at his firm long term? A recruiter I talked to at Robert Half said I shouldn't mention it because you're never 100% sure how long you'll be somewhere so there's no point in telling him.

I have an interview with him next Friday so we will talk about the commute then. I will tell him my whole back story then and maybe he will give me better options (i have to stay where I live now because I have to be a caregiver for my father while my mom works). So hopefully we can get something figured out. I really wish the hospital would get in contact with me though.

[ruggercpa2b]

I would not mention it to the manager that you do not plan on being at the job long term. Another thing to remember is the commute during busy season. When I worked in public there were nights we worked till 11pm at the client site and still had to be back by 830 the next morning. We also had to be in the office on Saturdays if we were not at the client site. The worst thing to do is to be driving while tired. If anything take the job and see what else comes your way.

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[Scared-cpa]

Would it be rude to ask the hours during the initial interview if he does not bring it up? I feel like asking about hours isn't a bad thing like asking about pay or compensation packages because, like you mentioned, if I had to stay late and be back early the next morning, I wouldn't take the job. Currently I have no idea what type of role I would be filling if I got hired. All the application said was accountant/CPA. The firm does taxes, audits, and financial planning so it's up in the air as to what my official position would be.

[Bourne]

All three of those positions require long hours. Either way, I would expect to work long hours.

[Scared-cpa]

Well now I feel kind of silly like I am wasting this guys time. My problem is that I live in a very small town and there's no one here hiring. Heck, theres only one public accounting firm in town and they aren't hiring although I gave them a resume/cover letter/reference list, anyway. The closest town is 45 minutes away, where the hospital job is. There's also no public accounting firms hiring there, either, I've called and asked. So I feel like I'm forced to take the hospital job if I can get it even though public would be more beneficial for my future career. So now I don't know what to do.

[Bourne]

Personally, I'd go with the public job if the opportunity presents itself. Yes, the time that you're there will be difficult due to the commute, but it'll be more beneficial. I think that you're thinking too short term. Nothing compares to public accounting experience and employers love to see potential new hires with public accounting experience. If you do not like the hospital job and leave earlier than expected, will your next future employer prefer you having public experience or the hospital experience? It just kinda depends if you plan on staying in a hospital environment. But, if you want to work your way up and work for other companies in different industries, future employers are much more likely to value your public experience as opposed to the private. Think a little more long term.

[Author]

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