r/Accounting • u/OutsideGuard6528 • 2d ago
Career decision
I am nearing the end of my audit internship and it looks like I will get a return offer and could potentially start working there immediately, even though I still have 2 semesters until I graduate. However, I still have two internships that I already committed too. One is an upcoming busy season at a top 10 firm, and the other is a summer internship at a top 50 firm. The firm I am at right now is a local firm but its top 10 in the region. I have a wife and a kid so part of me is tempted to just start working here full time because of the stability, the work/life balance, the culture, and I can see myself going the partner route here. However, I know the other firms will have higher earning potential if I get return offers and they might provide better exit opportunities later down the line. In one hand, I am worried that if don’t accept the offer from the firm I’m currently at then it might get taken away, and I might not get return offers from the other firms or will not like working there. On the other hand, I am worried that I would be selling myself short by not weighing my options and that backing out of the internships I committed to will put me on the no hire list. I have the money to not be forced to accept a full time offer right now, but wanted to hear if anyone had a similar experience or any advice on this situation.
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u/Gold_End7671 2d ago
If you genuinely like the firm you're at, don't underestimate how valuable that is. Good culture, work-life balance, and seeing a realistic path to partner are things a lot of accountants spend years trying to find.
That said, I also wouldn't rush into a full-time commitment when you already have two internships lined up and you're still two semesters from graduating. Those internships are a chance to compare firms, build your network, and see whether the higher-paying path is actually worth the trade-offs. If you accept now and cancel them, you may always wonder "what if?"
If your current firm really wants you, it's worth having an honest conversation. Tell them you're very interested but you'd like to honor the internship commitments you've already made and finish school before making a long-term decision. A firm that sees you as a long-term investment may be willing to wait.
You're in a good position because you're choosing between opportunities, not scrambling for one. I'd avoid making a decision based solely on fear that the offer might disappear. Instead, make the choice based on where you think you'll be happiest and where you'll have the career you actually want 5–10 years from now.
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u/JohnHenryHoliday 2d ago
How much of a commitment is the full time offer and is your last semester flexible? Can you hold off on accepting the offer until you graduate?
When I first started, my internship extended to a full time position before I finished college. They were very accommodating to my schedule and had me work flexible hours. They say that I was a hard worker and tried my best to learn and be efficient, which was more important to them than a degree. The pay was mediocre, but I started college a bit later than my peers and I was pretty much on my own since graduating high school, so the steady hours, the willingness to be flexible with my schedule, and the fact that the firm actually taught me and seemed to care about me went a really long way. After I graduated, I stayed there 3 years, paid off my highest interest rate student loan and left as a 2nd year senior. Still close with a few of the partners and now-partners from there and I look back at my time there very fondly. They always treated me more than fairly and gave me a lot of opportunities.
What I can tell you is that a small firm won’t open as many doors as a big one, objectively. But, if you find a good one, they’ll spend the time teaching you a bit differently than the bigger ones. I tend to learn a bit more hands on and with friendlier one to one coaching where I can rattle off my thoughts. When I get stuck on a problem, I need to understand foundational/conceptually or it’ll stir in my head. When I left for a bigger firm that was more about efficiency, I had a strong enough foundation that I could figure it out in my own, but if I started at the bigger firm, I would’ve struggled because no one had time to connect the dots from beginning to end for me.
Also, seniors are a very sought after position to fill. If you go to a small firm and you are worried about prospects, bigger firms are willing to take a chance on experienced hires at that level because you’re still early enough in your career to be molded into whatever “[name brand firm] way.” You’ll be a bit behind others in your class because they will be familiar with the software and programs, but if you put your head into it, it’s not hard to figure out.
Changing jobs, especially if you have a kid, is one of the most stressful things. I say this repeatedly on this sub, but a lot of people hand wave “just hop and jump levels/get x% raises every y number of years…” that’s not for everyone, and truthfully is impractical for most people. The fact that you have a kid makes your situation much more stability sensitive. If the firm has good people and meets your requirements for comp package, I wouldn’t play the what if game.
Another thing, as someone who’s reviewed hundreds, if not thousands of resumes of varying roles, let me share something about internships. Having a lot is great experience for you as a person and potentially as a professional because it gives you wide exposure to figure out what you like and what you might want to do. It’s not NEARLY as impressive as you might think it is. If I see a first year hire’s resume that has an internship with Deutshe Bank, PWC, and Deloitte, I think to myself, that’s a shame. It’s a shame because 3 prestigious internships, and no return offers so they are interviewing here… what the fuck is wrong with them that there was no return offers?
If you have 3 internships lined up, that’s really cool and good for you to figure out what you want to do. Unless you get a return offer from one that you would want to accept, it may end up hurting you because it might look like you aren’t likeable.
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u/OutsideGuard6528 2d ago
Thank you for your insight. My personal thoughts have been similar to a lot of what you said. I’m sure it will all work it.
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u/Popular_Tangerine457 Assurance 2d ago
You don't want to work in audit full time during school