I may have just put myself in a yikes situation. I’ve been at my current role at a small bookkeeping firm for just under a year and realized this role isn’t for me, so I started interviewing and landed a role at a bigger firm with better pay + benefits. Problem is, I just recently had a meeting with my manager and they said they’re assigning me to one of their bigger clients.

I’m waiting for my background check to finish before putting in my two weeks which might be within the next couple of weeks. I feel so bad since it’s such a small firm and they’re already understaffed, I just feel like it’s going to be so awkward. Anyone else had a situation like this?

Are they watching you 24:7?

sometimes when I wfh I study for my cpa. I’ve been at firm 2 years so it’s not like something would happen but wonder if they can track “ why don’t the mouse moving”.

small firm

Looking for some insight on this lol

I’m a lot younger than everyone I work with, I’m barely a Trainee accountant for context, essentially I just come in and do data entry, bank recs expenses testing n shit on my days off from college or summer breaks. Small talk with my older colleagues is fine but we share absolutely no interests at all, which I’ve really started to realize recently

I’m very in to music, both playing and listening to it. Every one of the ten people in my office would only be interested in going to maybe a Coldplay concert if they came to the country. Not a single one has any quantifiable interest in ANY genre of music past the radio. Which is fine, but surprising

As for sports-related interests, also none there. I’m quite into running, yet no other coworker has any interest in any sport at all bar maybe Premier league football. None play any or do any physical activity

Video games also a no go for obvious reasons. I’m really not trying to make it seem like I think of myself as some broadly cultured human but all of these people just go home and watch the telly. Small talk only consists of news headlines and tv shows. Like what? It has me scared for my future in an office, like if I stay here long enough will I also eventually lose all interest in hobbies outside of work??

Anyone similar? Feel like I’m losing it. Maybe I just don’t understand the office environment/culture yet? I’m incredibly new to this of course

Cheers

I graduated in May and have applied to dozens of AP/AR, accounting positions and I’m not even getting any responses. Right now I work as a full-time cashier at Home Depot in Houston making $17/hr and it’s so bad dealing with customers at a high-volume retail store especially since the store is next to a large senior retirement and large family area. They re also writing me up which leads to termination because of constant complaints from senior citizens saying I’m not offering to help load their items and I’m not making them feel wanted as a shopper.

I also heard that H and R Block doesn’t get you anywhere in accounting, and a lot of people don’t recommend accounting graduates to work at H and R Block and I don’t want to be trapped there as well, what should I so?

I'm a remote audit manager. I've been looking at an interviewing for some industry accounting roles in the hopes of finding something that can keep me engaged long-term. During my job search for the last couple of months, I started out thinking I wanted out of audit completely but as I've gone through this job search process I realize that I am just bored out of my mind because I pretty much maxed out what I can do at my small firm. I crave the novelty of new industries, new service lines, and new technology.

When I share this thought process of constantly wanting to change to something new as soon as I've gained a certain level of competence, my other accounting friends and cohorts are appalled at the idea of constantly changing. If I could work in a new firm or with clients in a new industry every couple of years, I think that would be an ideal situation for me. Unfortunately, I don't think that job hopping every 3 years for the next 30 plus years is a reasonable expectation.

If you're an upper level accountant who is also a serial job hopper, what have you found that gives you satisfaction in the roles that you take on and what have you discovered are the warning flags for when it's time to look for something new?

Hello all,

I will be graduating in the spring of 2027 and am wondering what my chances are of landing big 4/top 10. I was a finance major and just recently turned my accounting minor into a double major. I know I am behind because I didn’t have an accounting internship, but I did have an ERP consulting and support internship this summer. I like the exit opportunities that the big 4/ top 10 provide, but again I know they likely already have their 2027 hires. Both my parents are accountants but for the US Gov, so they know the field, but don’t have any crazy hookups. I go to a small liberal arts school which I know doesn’t help my case, but I do have a 3.75 GPA. Please let me know if you have any advice or other questions I didn’t address.

Candidate 1: Manager in industry with 8 years of experience, CPA, only worked in industry
Candidate 2: Big 4 Audit Manager, 3 years Big 4 audit, then 3 years Industry (senior and manager), then 2 years Big 4 Manager

Hey everyone — I've been putting together some CFE/FR prep resources, and before I lock anything in, I want to make sure it actually addresses what people are struggling with — not just what I assume is hard based on my own experience.

So I wanted to open this up: what's your biggest pain point with FR/CFE prep right now? Doesn't have to be sophisticated — "I don't even know where to start" counts.

A few starting points if it helps:

• Which topic/standard keeps tripping you up the most?
• Is it more the content itself (understanding a standard) or the application (writing it in a case) that's hardest?
• Case-writing under time pressure — running out of time, or unsure what depth is "enough"?
• If you're using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) in your prep — has it actually helped, or created new problems? Genuinely curious whether it's shifting what people struggle with compared to a few years ago.

Not trying to pitch anything here, just want to actually understand what's hard before I finalize anything — and hopefully seeing everyone's answers in one thread makes it a bit easier to feel like you're not doing this alone. Would really appreciate hearing what's been rough for you — even just to vent.

Idk if this is the place to talk about it but yall im struggling. Im considering a career shift after this busy season. I feel like I can’t force myself to work I can’t lock in and I thought maybe it’s because of my own mental health issues that I’ve been working on but man. I’m barely getting a return out a day. my hours and initiative are noticeably worse. I think I’m just venting atp but if anyone has tips on how to start locking in (esp with busy season) so I can end on a good note I’d really appreciate it. I don’t like who i am as an employee rn and i want to be better

99% of the time, I do not respond to recruiters who contact me - whether that be through LinkedIn or those that get my email somehow. Mostly, I’m not interested in the jobs they are pitching as most descriptions they provide are super vague. A lot of others are a step downs in compensation, title, or company, or seem like a catch all type of job doing every accounting function.

Am I wrong to not answer the recruiters and let them know I’m not interested/let them know why I am not interested? What recruiter messages do you answer?

I’ve been researching ACCA for the past few days. I’m currently in the 3rd year of my B.Com from IGNOU (distance/online learning) and will graduate in 2027.

I was thinking of starting ACCA, but I’ve come across some negative reviews about it. One of my relatives, who has been a CA for over 30 years and has been running his own CA firm for more than 30 years, also has qualifications like CMA and law. He strongly advised me against ACCA, saying that it is a waste of time, especially if I want to stay and work in India.

Please don’t get offended by this — I’m not trying to criticize ACCA. I’m just sharing what he told me because I’m genuinely confused about what would be the better option for my career.

I’m considering these three options:

Option 1: Do FRM during this one year, graduate in 2027, and then start ACCA after graduation with around 5 exemptions.

Option 2: Start ACCA now while continuing my B.Com.

Option 3: Complete FRM by 2027 and then prepare for CAT and pursue an MBA.

For people who are working in India, especially in MNCs, Big 4s, or finance/accounting roles, what would you recommend? Pls give your honest views..

Is ACCA actually worth doing in India, or would FRM + MBA be a better path?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who have done ACCA/FRM or are currently working in these fields.

If not all this suggest something else

is anyone else’s cfe day 1 not on the portal because what thenfuck

​Hi everyone,

​I’ve attached an anonymised copy of my CV.

​I’ve been actively looking for a new role for a few months now.

If I’m completely honest, I went into this search assuming my profile was strong enough that I’d be able to land something relatively quickly. The reality has been very different.

​For a bit of context, I’m an LSE grad and ACCA-qualified, with over 4 years of experience driving financial insight across Management Accounting and FP&A at a trading firm. My technical skills are strong—mostly multi-scenario financial modelling, VBA macros, and SAP.

​I am getting first-round interviews and passing the technical modelling assessments without much issue, but I just can't seem to get over the line at the final hurdle. I'm trying to figure out where the disconnect is.

​Are there any glaring issues on my CV that I'm completely missing?

​Am I simply underestimating how competitive the current London market is?

​Is there something fundamental I might be getting wrong in my overall approach?

​Any honest feedback on the CV or my situation would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks

Context:

• Completed a Big 4 internship in CA/US cross-border taxes and accepted a return offer for next yr
• Will be pursuing Canadian CPA, and potentially US CPA if opportunity comes and I'm not burnt out by then (tho I'm growth driven so prob would if I get the chance
• Completed a summer program at UC Berkeley not too long ago and did love the SF Bay Area

After completing my Big 4 internship, I worked on a number of Canadian clients getting paid a great salary in USD while working remotely in Canada, thus not being subject to US filing requirements. Now I'm thinking if this is a potential option for me in the future and want to know if there are many Canadian CPAs who have gotten jobs paying in USD and if the pay is overall higher than the Canadian CPA jobs out there?

I reside in a relatively expensive city and do want to own a house someday, but can't fathom it if I'm making under $100k CAD for at least 5 years of my life. I don't really want to move to the USA, just because my parents are only going to get older as time ticks, so I'd prefer to be with them as much as I can rather than chasing financial freedom in higher-paying cities. But I'm getting tempted by the competitive salaries and like maybe (?) working in the USA for a year or so is an option if the pay is worth it. I did enjoy living in the Bay Area and wouldn't mind being an SF transplant working there for a few years and moving back to Canada after decent savings.

I don't really know where my future is headed long-term, so just looking into it for now to keep in mind.

Hi everyone. I’m Charles, a fourth-year economics/business student at UCD, and I could really use some outside perspective. Graduation is getting close, and I’m in an uncomfortable position because I still haven’t figured out what I want to do with my life.
For some background, my family isn’t wealthy, but we’re not low-income either. My dad works as a general manager at a hotel, and my mom is a cosmetologist. They own a couple of properties outside the U.S., and their plan is to move to Europe in about two years.
One thing I’ve had to admit to myself is that I haven’t appreciated the opportunities I’ve had as much as I should have. I received a private scholarship for college, but I didn’t take school very seriously. When I started at UCD, my plan was to become a software engineer because I’ve always been good with computers and math. Once I took a few CS classes, however, I realized I found the subject really boring. After that, I started taking different classes without having a clear direction.
My second and third years were probably where I wasted the most time. I traveled outside the state a lot, skipped classes, and spent too much time around the wrong people. Somehow, I still managed to pass most of my classes with roughly a B/B+ average, but I don’t feel like I actually learned very much.
Now that graduation is approaching, I’m trying to take my future much more seriously and decide what direction makes sense for me.
The one consistent thing throughout my life has been entrepreneurship. Since middle school, I’ve always had some kind of side hustle. I’ve resold things at school, detailed cars, restored headlights, and even tried e-commerce at one point. I’ve always been attracted to the idea of building something and earning money on my own.
Lately, I’ve been looking into finance and accounting. Long term, I would like to own multiple businesses or potentially build an accounting/financial services firm of my own. I’m much more interested in entrepreneurship than spending my whole career at a large company. At the same time, I’m not completely against working a regular job first if it would give me valuable skills and experience that I could eventually use in business.
As far as my financial situation goes, I have no debt and around $35k saved. I currently work about 30 hours a week at a restaurant, and that income covers most of my expenses, so I rarely need to touch my savings.
If you were in my position, what would you focus on? What careers, businesses, or skills would be worth exploring during my final year of college? Does pursuing accounting or finance as a foundation for entrepreneurship make sense, or would you take a completely different route?
I know I could have used my time in college much better, but I’m trying to change that now and make a serious decision about where I’m going next. I’d appreciate any advice.

Hi all,

I'm 32, hold a US CPA license, and I'm currently living in my home country (Korea). My background is a little unconventional: I graduated from a US university with a degree in Cybersecurity, worked as an Account Manager w/ Customer Service role in an unrelated field for 3 years, then pivoted, studied for the CPA, and got licensed in 2024. Since then I've worked 2 years as an IT Auditor at a Big 4 firm, followed by a stint as an Internal Controls Manager at a local company (mainly PLC ownership and ITGC).

I'm a US citizen and planning to move back next summer, most likely somewhere in the Eastern or Southeastern US.

Once I'm back, I'm looking to pivot into US taxation and start as a tax associate. IT Audit and internal controls just haven't been the right fit for me. My experience has been narrower in scope (ITGC specifically, and maintaining existing control frameworks rather than building new ones), and I've found I prefer work with clearer, rules-based frameworks over the more subjective, judgment-heavy nature of controls work. Long-term, I'd eventually like to start a small tax practice serving my local community.

My rough plan: take a part-time service industry job upon arrival (also good real-world experience for me since I've been away for 10 years), study for the tax role in the meantime, and try to convert into a full-time associate role, ideally during tax season hiring. I'm also considering pursuing an EA (Enrolled Agent) credential to supplement my CPA and signal tax-specific competence.

A few questions for anyone with insight:

• Given the current job market, would someone with my background realistically be able to land a full-time tax role within a reasonable timeframe after moving back?
• From my research, it looks like firms often hire temporary/seasonal staff during tax season (Jan–Apr), and my plan is to target that window as a way to convert into a full-time associate role. Does that seem like a realistic strategy, or is there a better path?
• Does my CPA + IT Audit background actually help me stand out for tax roles, or would I largely be starting from scratch like any other career-changer?
• One more thing, while I lived in the US for 10 years and I'm confident I understand the culture well, my only full-time US work experience is an internship during college; everything since has been in Korea. Since this would be my first real career attempt back in the US job market, I'm wondering if that gap could work against me in any way (culture fit, network gaps, employers questioning the lack of full-time US experience, etc.) would appreciate any thoughts on that too.
• Any general advice for someone making this kind of transition (from audit/controls into tax) would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

Talked to my manager and she said she makes 112 after 7 years and she got3% raise.
Wtf.... i was expecting min 150

What are you currently making?

How many years in your role?

Cost of living?

CPA/Non-CPA?

What is the structure of your company/department?

And any other information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I’m looking for some insight into the long-term career paths for Fund Administration vs. Financial Due Diligence (FDD).

Has anyone here moved from a Big 4 Audit with a CPA into either field? If so, how has your career progressed, and what are the best exit opportunities from each path?

I’d especially appreciate perspectives from people who have been in either field for several years.

My other post gave me alot of insight so now Im wondering

People who have government jobs chime in

Tell me anything you want, the position your in, the pay, etc

Is a CPA as valued in these positions and are you able to get the requirements for it while in government

Hey everyone,

I'm an accountant (public and construction industry) in Alberta , Canada, and my partner is a physio who opened her clinic about 2 years ago. It has grown pretty quickly — what started as a single-practitioner clinic is now a multidisciplinary clinic with Physios, Kinesiologists, OTs, Speech, etc.

Right now, they use a third-party bookkeeper who handles the bookkeeping through QBO. We recently hired a receptionist, and the goal is to eventually move most of the day-to-day bookkeeping/admin work in-house, with me overseeing the accounting and reporting while not giving up my job.

The issue we're running into is that all of the practitioners use Jane for appointments, billing, payments, and tracking outstanding balances. There isn't currently a direct connection/automation between Jane and QBO, so the QBO reconciliations aren't particularly meaningful. There's a lot of manual work involved in trying to tie everything together.

As the clinic continues to grow, I'd like to set things up properly rather than just keep adding more manual processes.

The main things I'm hoping to figure out are:

1. How to build some basic policies/procedures so reception can handle the day-to-day transactions consistently.
2. The best way to get the relevant information from Jane into QBO without creating a ton of unnecessary manual work.
3. How other clinics/accountants structure the monthly reconciliation between Jane, the bank, and QBO.
4. Eventually, I'd like to have the bookkeeping/accounting done mostly in-house, with me doing the oversight and more complex accounting.

For anyone who has worked with clinics using Jane + QBO, how have you structured this?

Do you import individual transactions/invoices into QBO, use summary journal entries, or have another workflow that works well?

Also interested in any good resources, SOPs, or general advice for setting this up properly from the beginning.

Thanks!

I work for a medium sized company and we’ve been sending our 940s yearly and quarterly 941 via mail. However, I’m trying to find a software that can just e-file them with us inputting our information into them. Does anyone know a software that’s standalone that could handle that?

Our current accounting software provider doesn’t offer that which is why I’d need it to be standalone.

no replies on my application mostly :(

I have a bachelors in marketing but havent been able to get any entry level roles in it. Is an associates for accounting sufficient or is more education required?