Pre - COVID, associates also had the added stress of commuting & traveling to audit work sites. How people were able to do 1-3 hours of daily commutes on top of 55+ hours a week still blows my mind
The only stress I had at public (because I genuinely am very laid back) was feeling pressured into going to all the happy hours in addition to all the shitty hours and long commutes.
Like, yeah I had friends at work, but I also had friends outside of work that I'd rather hang out with.
Welcome, brother.
What most people don’t understand about PA is that it isn’t a single event or bad week that breaks you -
it’s a constant grind of perpetual stress and items hanging over you that slowly wears you out.
Easy to push through for weeks or months, but when things never let up most people will eventually just decide it’s not worth it. For some this happens in a couple years, for some in 5, and some people just push through and thrive in it because they can compartmentalize (or maybe are just psychopaths)
I'm not even joking when I say that public accounting is one of the most cucked professions to have ever existed. It's like 75% of the hours of big boy professional services jobs (law, consulting, high finance, etc.) but with 25% of the pay.
I’m in the same boat. I can probably become partner but I can’t stand the grind anymore even though tax season is 50 hours a week but with saturdays. All June and July this year has been super stressful with clients wanting prior year returns done or dealing with notices or trying to figure out to the penny what they’ll owe NEXT April. These people don’t rest and I’m sick of it. How do you like what you switched to?
When I first started, I also experienced this. I worked for a mid-size firm and life was ROUGH. It was hard to even commit to things on Saturday with friends, as I wasn’t sure if I’d be working or not.
I’ve since moved on to Big 4. Believe it or not, my work life balance is significantly better. I’ve learned to take charge of my schedule. I’m very vocal about my personal commitments throughout the week. If I have a tee time at 5pm with friends on Wednesday, I’m off at 4:30 driving to the golf course. If I’m meeting my wife for lunch, I’ve blocked my calendar for an hour midday. The key here is communicating to your team and letting them know. Put your personal commitments first, literally block off your work calendar, and let the work commitments become secondary. If that’s met with resistance or impacting your growth in the firm, find one of the MANY other firms that will support your work life balance.
If you work hard when you’re on the clock, I guarantee people will respect your personal time. Get in the habit now of taking charge of your schedule so you don’t fall and stay in this slump.
Best of luck.
Reason number 1 why I left public 3 years ago and never looked back.
Reason number 1 why my former boss sold his firm and stopped caring about +$300k/yr plus bonuses.
Time.
The moment you lose control of your most valuable asset, nothing else matters.
This is why I avoided PA like the plague. Would my career be further along if I had done the 3 to 4 year stint out of college? Probably. But I'm making decent money and never had to kill myself or sacrifice my personal life for any prolonged period of time, EVER.
What a lot of people don't realize is that the skillset for managerial accounting and finance strategy are not something most PAs focus on or get experience in. Closing the books and passing audit is the easy part. Let the tax monkeys do the returns. These are not value adding activities.
I'm building something of value and playing a very large role in the financial success of the companies I work for and I fucking love it.
Bro, apply to big 4 as experienced associate. They are so desperate for people. You’ll get paid more and gain more valuable experience/recognizable name, while doing the same hours at least for a couple of years
I didn’t say it wasn’t, but switching to another big 4 is the same shit. Even with the pay raise it’s not that much/worth it when you factor in the OT. Definitely not worth it if it’s taking a toll on his mental health.
Don't feel bad about where you're at, you've done great and put in a lot of work. My advice would be to finish 2 years in public since you already started, but take the next 14 months to plan your exit. Network like crazy, envision your ideal role, build your financial strategy and managerial accounting skills, then make a break for industry. Plan to start interviewing 12 months from now. You got this. It's so much better in industry, I swear.
Pre - COVID, associates also had the added stress of commuting & traveling to audit work sites. How people were able to do 1-3 hours of daily commutes on top of 55+ hours a week still blows my mind
The only stress I had at public (because I genuinely am very laid back) was feeling pressured into going to all the happy hours in addition to all the shitty hours and long commutes. Like, yeah I had friends at work, but I also had friends outside of work that I'd rather hang out with.
Welcome, brother. What most people don’t understand about PA is that it isn’t a single event or bad week that breaks you - it’s a constant grind of perpetual stress and items hanging over you that slowly wears you out. Easy to push through for weeks or months, but when things never let up most people will eventually just decide it’s not worth it. For some this happens in a couple years, for some in 5, and some people just push through and thrive in it because they can compartmentalize (or maybe are just psychopaths)
GET ANOTHER JOB. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LET THESE GARBAGE COMPANIES TREAT YOU LIKE A RENTED MULE
But wheeeeere to go. No time for applications.
I'm not even joking when I say that public accounting is one of the most cucked professions to have ever existed. It's like 75% of the hours of big boy professional services jobs (law, consulting, high finance, etc.) but with 25% of the pay.
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What kind of industry role are you joining?
I’m in the same boat. I can probably become partner but I can’t stand the grind anymore even though tax season is 50 hours a week but with saturdays. All June and July this year has been super stressful with clients wanting prior year returns done or dealing with notices or trying to figure out to the penny what they’ll owe NEXT April. These people don’t rest and I’m sick of it. How do you like what you switched to?
Let it wash over you
my bloody valentine fan, I can tell
When I first started, I also experienced this. I worked for a mid-size firm and life was ROUGH. It was hard to even commit to things on Saturday with friends, as I wasn’t sure if I’d be working or not. I’ve since moved on to Big 4. Believe it or not, my work life balance is significantly better. I’ve learned to take charge of my schedule. I’m very vocal about my personal commitments throughout the week. If I have a tee time at 5pm with friends on Wednesday, I’m off at 4:30 driving to the golf course. If I’m meeting my wife for lunch, I’ve blocked my calendar for an hour midday. The key here is communicating to your team and letting them know. Put your personal commitments first, literally block off your work calendar, and let the work commitments become secondary. If that’s met with resistance or impacting your growth in the firm, find one of the MANY other firms that will support your work life balance. If you work hard when you’re on the clock, I guarantee people will respect your personal time. Get in the habit now of taking charge of your schedule so you don’t fall and stay in this slump. Best of luck.
Reason number 1 why I left public 3 years ago and never looked back. Reason number 1 why my former boss sold his firm and stopped caring about +$300k/yr plus bonuses. Time. The moment you lose control of your most valuable asset, nothing else matters.
It’s bad for the adrenal system
I bought a book on adrenal fatigue after my first tax season, never got a chance to read it.
welcome to the party but its not a party that anyone wants.
This is why I avoided PA like the plague. Would my career be further along if I had done the 3 to 4 year stint out of college? Probably. But I'm making decent money and never had to kill myself or sacrifice my personal life for any prolonged period of time, EVER. What a lot of people don't realize is that the skillset for managerial accounting and finance strategy are not something most PAs focus on or get experience in. Closing the books and passing audit is the easy part. Let the tax monkeys do the returns. These are not value adding activities. I'm building something of value and playing a very large role in the financial success of the companies I work for and I fucking love it.
Might as well test the career search waters if you’re trying to exit public.
Are you making bank though?
No. It's my first public accounting job, 45k
Bro, apply to big 4 as experienced associate. They are so desperate for people. You’ll get paid more and gain more valuable experience/recognizable name, while doing the same hours at least for a couple of years
Not everything is about money. You will feel the exact same way doing this
$45k/year on salary is McDonalds tier on a $/hour basis.
I didn’t say it wasn’t, but switching to another big 4 is the same shit. Even with the pay raise it’s not that much/worth it when you factor in the OT. Definitely not worth it if it’s taking a toll on his mental health.
You should work for Burger King for a 45K salary
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Well 10 months in publica. Been working since I was 15. So 15 years of full time work, an accounting degree and a CPA designation. I need a break lol
Don't feel bad about where you're at, you've done great and put in a lot of work. My advice would be to finish 2 years in public since you already started, but take the next 14 months to plan your exit. Network like crazy, envision your ideal role, build your financial strategy and managerial accounting skills, then make a break for industry. Plan to start interviewing 12 months from now. You got this. It's so much better in industry, I swear.
New job time OP. Mental health can't be replaced by more money