[Anonymous]

I have a year of mid-tier experience and a year of big 4 (currently with big 4 firm) and I honestly just hate auditing. I’m in a city that I don’t want to live in and I don’t want to be an auditor anymore. I’d rather get a financial analyst/accounting position in the city that I want to live in. I’ve been fantasizing so much lately about quitting my job, buying a plane ticket to somewhere random, etc. I honestly feel like I’m losing my mind. I have my CPA license and I’m almost a senior at the big 4 but i just feel as though my happiness is more important. I am worried about quitting with no back up plan but I just don’t know where to draw the line. I want to switch to industry in the city I want to live in but I am scared. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you.

-Anonymous

[CPA788]

This might be annoying coming from someone who didn't work at a Big 4 firm but this is what I've seen. I went straight to small firm/industry right out of school. Finishing my exams now. I am surrounded by people who came from Big 4 firms with 3+ years of experience and they have much more career advancement than I do. Common theme though – they HATED their lives in audit. They tell me audit was the worst of their days, and they sold their soul to the devil for a few years. But it was great experience. Being one who does not have that experience, I might recommend sticking it out for a round 2 years? I think you will be glad you did. Easier said than done, I'm sure. But the older I get the more I realize how impactful you can make your first few years of your career. And everyone in industry LOVE a cpa from the Big 4.

BEC - 74, 77
FAR - 72, 71 (retake 7/29)
REG - 69
AUD - Q4 '16

CA Candidate

[letsrun4it]

Don't worry about working at the “big 4” you don't know where life will take you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find a better job and quit.

BEC: 85
REG: 74, 78
AUD: 86
FAR: October?

[Anonymous]

I would start looking for something else. It took me almost 4 months to find another job after leaving with nothing lined up. And we were relocated as well.

Definitely have something lined up unless you are fine not working and not getting an income during that time.

[Reverie]

Can you transfer to tax?

Seems alot of people dislike audit. What about tax? Is it as stressful? I wana work for the Big 4 too but I don't want to be stressed out and bored to death.

[C / X]

Honestly to me health is more important than anything else and if your mental health seems like it's cracking, I would suggest you get out now, and start looking. I don't know about outright quitting, but if you have the means for it (meaning you can budget it and have enough cash flow to pay at least the min on your credit cards, rent, etc) I don't see it being hard to get a job in a few months esp with big 4 on your resume. It's busy season soon so as long as you don't “leave them in the lurch” I think they'll also be more likely to give you a favorable reference.

You're not stuck with your job forever so you can try and stick it for a few months, but if you're thinking about quitting, it's time to take steps and do something about it. There are people that just complain and they drive me crazy because it doesn't help anything and it doesn't change anything. So hopefully you're also not taking it out on anybody because that will hurt you too.

Unless it's gotten to the point where you feel like you're going to break (then you best get out pronto as having a mental breakdown isn't going to look good on ya mate) I think you need a plan to decide where you want to go, and how long you can either be without work (I mean if you really need a vacation, go for it – just be reasonable about how long and how much money you should spend or how much debt you're willing to rack up). My suggestion: If you can stick it out one more busy season and save enough moolah, take a long summer relaxing vacay and regroup after and start looking.

Life's too short. If money, prestige, etc. isn't worth the sacrifice to you, then don't take it. For some people it is and some people it isn't. Do what's best for you try not to burn any bridges.

[Anonymous]

Switching jobs = yes

Quitting with nothing lined up = no

Someone who posted earlier said it took them 4 months to find a job after quitting with nothing lined up; I'd consider that a huge success story, since I've seen many people on here and in real life who had a much, much longer job search after quitting a job. If you're made of money and could support yourself for over a year with no income (plus the cost of moving on top of that), maaaaaybe quit with nothing lined up, but I doubt you've got savings that substantial this early in your career. So, start job-hunting like crazy in the town you want to live in, but don't quit your current job just yet. (Thought: can you transfer to a branch of your B4 in the town you want to live in? Could be that you don't hate audit as much as the audit you're doing currently, or even if you still hate it, it could still give you an opportunity to move with more security and get the town you want, then work on getting the job you want.)

But…on the other hand…if you love adventure, and want to have fun stories to tell 5-10 years from now, and aren't as worried about its impact on your career, then maybe just cutting free is the right plan for you. My boyfriend, at one point in his life, basically climbed in his car and drove till the tank got low, then found a way to make things work where he ended up. Slept in his car for awhile, worked whatever quick jobs to make a few bucks he could, etc., but ended up having some crazy stories to tell from it. Part of me wishes I'd done something like that before my career started, cause I can't really see doing it now, but I know the reason I didn't do it then is the same reason I won't do it now: I'm too risk-adverse. If you're not as risk-adverse, and more willing to jump without knowing where you'll land, and truthfully and honestly willing to live out of your car/parks/etc. for awhile till you figure out something better, then heck, go for it! Live a little. Make life a roller coaster. It might make getting back into your career a little rough (you'll have to convince people you're not just a hippy after you've got 1+ years of random odd-jobs and floating around on your resume), but in 5-10 years it won't make a huge impact if you can pull it off, and you'll have more stories to tell. Then on the other hand, some people don't pull it off, and then it would still make a big impact 10 years from now…but hopefully you'd be in the group that could pull it off. 🙂

[Trele6]

@Lilla,

How is your studying going at LSUS? If you want I have a bunch of material from my classes if you ever need some help. I graduated from there in 2015.

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[ultrarunner]

anon-1236, I don't see that you will have any problem finding a new job in industry. You are a CPA with Big 4 experience. It seems a perfect resume. Life is short. If you feel miserable and don't learn anything any more, then, you should move on. I know what you mean by auditing. I don't like it at all. I am preparing for switching to another field as well, but I don't have a license yet. So I have to wait 🙁 Anyway, wish you the very best of luck. You will be fine though.

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

[Missy]

Make a plan, decide what your expectations are from a job and what exactly would make you feel fulfilled with a job vs just taking one to get out.

Grass is always greener on the other side, and all.

Then, find another job before you quit your current position. Chances are it won't take you that long to find something new, but give yourself time to find just the right fit rather than finding yourself miserable again in a few months.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Accountant183748]

I think it depends on the city you are in. Here in my city there is a lot of demand for staff/senior accountants. Almost everyone I know was able to find a job in less than a month with about 2-3 years work experience and no CPA. Pay here is pretty good too, in my opinion. Finding a job to relocate can be pretty difficult though, one of my friends has been looking for about 3 months in a different city and hasn't gotten any interviews. Her resume is pretty solid too.

Do some research on the city you are planning to move to and see how the job market is! If you don't mind sharing, where do you want to relocate to?

[Anonymous]

If you hate your job and hate your city, find a job somewhere else, then quit.

In that order, unless you have six figures in savings or trust fund. 😀

[Anonymous]

@trele6 One class down (FIN710, Contemporary Investments), one class about to start (ISDS-something, Quantitative Analysis for Management). First class wasn't bad, but have to admit the info on Moodle for this 2nd one is intimidating. 😛 Are we connected on LinkedIn? If not, click my name on here and look me up on LinkedIn (in the end of my summary in my profile here). 🙂

[Anonymous]

I would say, if you are gonna quit – do it now. Tax/audit season is right around the corner and quitting in December/January would be very bad form.

[cool_kid]

With your Big 4 experience and CPA license, you are in a very good position and you will easily be able to find job. I will tell you from experience, do not quit without a job lined up. Even with good qualifications, you will be passed on for some jobs just because you are currently not working. It sucks but it's the truth and it happened to me. However, I will say that I really lucked out. To make a long story short, I quit my job without one lined up and was lucky enough to receive an offer within one month with a substantial increase in salary.

[accountingisfun]

I wouldn't recommend leaving without lining something up first. I do – as I do with all my staff – recommend that if you're not happy – and YOU SHOULD KNOW if you're not happy – talk to a recruiter, take some interviews, and look around.

At worst you get a read on what your market value is, best case scenario you find a job you're actually motivated to do and make more money to boot!

Best of luck.

[Author]

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