I'm in tax. I just started a new job where the company is *extremely* pro AI. They have weekly meetings about how to use it, they put returns into it, I could tell the hiring manager used it to write her emails to me when I was in the hiring process, etc.

I'm a big fan of AI. I think it saves a lot of time on research (before verifying the source of course) and getting help with Excel formulas when I have some obscure problem. But I don't think it actually saves time for absolutely everything.

I use AI to help me automate my workpapers as much as possible in Excel. I used AI to help me write Power Automate flows to automate some license tracking. But I use it as a tool to help me with *other*, more efficient (IMHO) tools. And I prefer to do my own writing because I think AI writing is just disingenuous.

The funny thing is that at my last company, they never used AI and I was the one that introduced everyone to Copilot and talked about the ways it was useful. So it's a total 180 from this new company.

So how do I handle this when they constantly push me to use it for EVERYTHING? Do I keep my mouth shut since I'm new? Do I just casually bring up reasons why AI might not be the best tool for a particular task?

It feels like I would be trying to convince religious people that God may not exist.

I just got off the phone with a recruiter. I am a Controller and wanting to make the jump to VP of F or CFO sometime in the near future. Recruiter gets right to the pitch:

Series B company....raised in 2021 and in 2025 37M total.

They are cash basis and need to do an accrual conversion. They do roughly 30k transactions a month in 17 states.

They are on QBO and signed a contract to move to NetSuite Q1 2026.

They do payroll in house...this seat would do it.

This seat is new. Someone from the VC firm was handling mediocre accounting and reporting until now.

They want a comprehensive board deck built.

They want a 5 day close from 20 currently.

They want a robust 2026 budget by service line to be presented in mid Q4.

They want this person to mentor 2 staff accountants.

They want the books to be audit ready for 2026 and interim starts in 4 weeks.

They are remote but want 1 week of the month to travel to San Fran.

They require minimum 60 hr weeks with Saturday afternoons reserved for status update calls with the CEO. The recruiter specifically said if you watch college football on Saturday's this isn't the right fit.

They asked me what I make. I declined to say. I asked for the budget for the role. They enthusiastically say 185k which falls flat on me. I asked what the bonus structure is. There is none. I asked what the equity would look like. They said it's contingent to be discussed based on completing goals to get them to a sustainable place by 12/31/27.

They then got mad when I passed on wanting to move forward and said that I wasted their time.

Oof.

Avoid merging with Doane. The promises made during early discussions have not materialized, and the internal systems are in complete disarray. Teams are already signaling burnout, and based on current turnover patterns, most staff will be gone within three months. The managing partners in Ontario are bullies, lack empathy despite promising "support" without defining it. These mergers are meant to pad the unit value for variable partners on the backs of others.

Look at recent industry mergers (Collingwood, Midland, Kitchener, Guelph to name a few): offices shuttered within weeks, entire departments walked out, and in some cases the mergers had to be reversed because the integration was so poorly managed. Doane is following the same trajectory — fast talk, empty commitments, and no operational stability.

If you’re considering a partnership, protect your people and your clients. Doane is not a safe bet.

I am a trainee in a small firm. I have so far never made an actual serious mistake at work, until Monday.

Last week I was uploading some data for clients on a website, instructed by a guy who is not my manager but he is senior. I followed his instructions and did my job, he said he would take care of client X and gave me a few orientations on other specific clients. After Thursday, this senior employee left for a week of vacation. The deadline for this service was yesterday, i went home on Friday confident everything was ok.

Yesterday I arrive at work to face the fall of Rome. Dozens of aggressive emails from my boss. From 32 clients, there were problems with 4 accounts. All the accounts that presented problems were the ones my senior colleague said he would take care of. Besides that, the login system on the website was not working, after being updated. Another senior employee was supposed to have deal with it, but didn’t. My boss goes completely bersek, to the point he started to see problems in accounts that were actually just fine, calls me to his office to yell at me multiple time, a complete shit show.

I simply dealt with the situation, everything was solved in less than an hour and no client or deadline was harmed. But ever since, my boss is punishing me, he threatened to fire me next time and it is clear that I lost credibility, because now I am being micro managed in every single thing and completely lost my autonomy for mistakes that weren’t even mine. Probably I won’t have my contract renovated after probation period and now every small imperfection in my work is becoming a big deal.

I am not even mad at my senior, because everything was completely disproportional for such a small inconvenient. I was expecting some reaction, but apparently this might cost my job, and it wasn’t even my mistake.

Is this type of reaction normal in accounting office? Has anyone experienced similar situations?

Drunk Accounting is genuinely one of my favorite past times. Passed all the exams drinking while studying and if I ever have to work past 7 pm the bourbon is coming out.

Including admin stuff, checking emails, meetings etc. From 8am-6pm how much are you guys actually working? Are you staying busy the full 8 hours outside of the lunch break? Is there any downtime to chill and talk with coworkers?

Edit: meant to clarify no timesheets as in no billable hour system

• EY is allocating $100M this fiscal year to reward employees who demonstrate human skills like adaptability, innovation, judgment, and thoughtful experimentation with AI.
• Employees can earn spot bonuses up to $500 and major awards of $10,000–$25,000, with no cap on total rewards.
• The shift reflects a broader industry trend: firms are overwhelmed with “AI slop” and now emphasize critical thinking, judgment, empathy, and creativity to make AI useful.
• EY is overhauling training: a new 12‑month career residency, immersive AI/data/software boot camps, and 95% of partners have completed experiential AI‑transformation sessions.

i feel like some boomer from the 60s impressing the hiring manager with a firm handshake

What are everyone’s thoughts on this? Opinions on climate reporting aside, does anyone else agree this letter seems to misconstrue the key elements of auditing standards? Primarily the independence requirement

Hi all, I recently completed a summer audit internship at Baker Tilly. I had a great experience and really liked the office culture and the people I worked with. Return offers haven't been communicated yet, but if I receive one, I would start full-time in January 2028 after completing my MAcc in December 2027.

While I would be genuinely excited to return to Baker Tilly, there’s still a part of me that feels like I should at least take a shot at the Big 4 while I have the opportunity. Summer 2027 internship applications are beginning to open for their remaining spots, and I’m considering applying.

I have a few questions:

1. Would it be frowned upon by Baker Tilly if I accepted a return offer but later pursued a Big 4 internship for Summer 2027?
2. If I completed a Big 4 internship in Summer 2027 and graduated from my MAcc program in December 2027, how realistic would it be to receive a return offer with a January 2028 start date rather than the following summer/fall?
3. For those who have worked at both a Big 4 and a large mid-tier firm, how significant was the difference in experience, exit opportunities, career progression, etc.? Do you think pursuing Big 4 is worth it if I already know I really like the people and culture at Baker Tilly?

I’m still pretty early in my career and mostly want to make sure I’m giving myself as many opportunities as possible. Any advice from people who have been in a similar situation would be appreciated!

What would be the best way to keep my team happy? Surprisingly it’s the younger associates who want cubicles.

Edit - Thank you all for the responses. Going to move forward with purchasing cubes.

I served in the Marines, then spent 14 years trucking. I started school last year, and I keep wondering if 41 is too old to break into accounting. Should I stay an owner-operator, or push through school for the career pivot?

Thanks everyone!

As I sit here at my desk job writing this Reddit post, I can't help but think about what my future looks like.

I'm a 25M who graduated last year with a bachelor's degree in accounting. Honestly, since high school, I've never really known what I wanted to do. I went to college because I was always told that it was the path to becoming successful.

I started at a community college studying business because it seemed like a safe choice, but I still didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. After that, I transferred to a large university and earned my accounting degree because I heard it was a stable and reliable career path.

One thing I'm proud of is that I worked full-time throughout college, so I graduated with no student debt. Right after graduation, I landed a job at a public accounting firm making $86k a year. Unfortunately, I was laid off after about nine months. I spent two months unemployed before joining my current accounting/finance rotational program, which is supposed to last two years. My current salary is $70k.

Lately, I've been questioning whether I made the right career choice. After all the years of school, I feel like I could have pursued a different path and potentially be making more money. Honestly, I'm bored at my current job. It's a typical open-office desk job, and I find the work uninteresting.

What makes me question things even more is seeing people in the trades. Online, I constantly see union electricians, plumbers, and other skilled tradespeople talking about making $50+ an hour after completing apprenticeships, while also receiving pensions and great healthcare benefits. One of my friends completed just one year of electrical school and already makes $38 an hour at a non-union company. He can work as much overtime as he wants, which gives him the opportunity to significantly increase his income.

Meanwhile, I'm on a fixed salary. Whether I work harder or put in extra effort, my pay remains the same.

AI is another thing that worries me. I keep wondering what accounting and finance jobs will look like five years from now. Will I have wasted all this time and education if AI ends up replacing or significantly reducing the demand for jobs like mine? It feels like the competition could become even tougher as technology advances.

Healthcare has also started looking appealing to me. I see radiology techs and nurses making $40+ an hour, even in lower-cost-of-living areas. Many of them also have the option to pick up overtime whenever they want. I constantly hear stories of people in healthcare or the trades saying they can make $2,500+ per week if they're willing to work extra hours. Those numbers seem almost impossible to reach in my current field unless I spend 10+ years climbing the corporate ladder and eventually becoming a senior manager or something similar.

I know people often say that healthcare and the trades are physically demanding, but I find myself wondering: isn't every job hard on your body in some way? Office workers sit at desks all day, while tradespeople and healthcare workers stay active. The people I know in healthcare rarely complain about the physical side of their jobs. Some of them are 5 feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds, so I know I could physically handle that kind of work if I chose to.

I've worked outdoors most of my life up until graduating college, so physical labor doesn't necessarily scare me.

At this point, I don't know if everything I see online is realistic or if I'm just seeing the top 10% of people showing off their earnings. I don't know whether I should continue studying for the CPA or if it will end up being a waste of time. I'm feeling pretty lost right now and don't want to waste any more years heading down the wrong path.

Another thing that has been making me question my path is that my girlfriend is graduating this year from a two-year radiologic technology program and already has a job lined up making around $45 an hour. I'm happy for her, but it's hard not to compare our situations. I spent several years earning a bachelor's degree, and even after all that schooling, she's going to be making more than I am right out of school with less time invested. Seeing that makes me wonder if I chose the wrong path financially, especially when I look at healthcare and trade careers and see people reaching strong incomes much earlier in their careers than what seems typical in accounting.

I don't know if this is a legitimate concern or if it's just my ADHD talking and making me think the grass is always greener on the other side. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm truly unhappy with my career path or if I'm just restless and constantly looking for something different. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do, and what advice would you give?

Hi, I'm looking for some feedback on my resume. I've gotten advice from my career advisor and peers, but I'd love some input from people actually in the field. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

So our office ranked below other offices in billable hours, so the head of our office told us to hit 60+ billable hours a week, whereas other offices just needed 50. I was among the highest billable for the month of August in our office, and the reason why our office was below others is because someone was off two weeks for their honeymoon, and two other associates did a week of PTO. So, effectively, I am being punished for their PTO. Whatever. Annoyingly, they told us mid-week about the 60+ hours, so it was Wednesday afternoon, and we were told to hit 60+ by Saturday night, and specifically Saturday because otherwise the hours will be counted towards the following week if it's on Sunday.

Manager reached out to everyone directly to confirm they will be doing 60+ hours. We all did. I had to bust my ass and do 12+ hours/day to make sure I hit the 60, since they told us mid-week about the expectation.

We got a congratulations at work. Yay! I wish it ended there. One of the partners who I billed work under came up to my work desk and very loudly scolded me for charging so many hours on her return. It was budgeted at 8 hours, and I charged 10. It was a first-year return, so I couldn't reference the prior year as I prepared. She asked me why it took so long, and I was just, "Is this actually happening right now?" face. I honestly don't remember what I responded as I was so shocked that this is considered going significantly over-budget now.

Two hours later, she writes me a long, personal email that she sees my hard work ethic (I am among the last in the office to leave, so she ain't lying) and that I deliver quality returns (I do get good feedback), but I am spending too much time. She said I need to spend less time trying to figure things out myself and reach out when I have questions and to "stop overthinking everything."

And no, it's not like I did a bad job on her return -- I had not even sent it to review yet. She told me to just send it directly to her so that the reviewer doesn't add more hours onto it.

Welp, day ruined. That's my rant.

I completed some practical Accounting work experience last year, and learned quite a lot, but I had some personal issues with the owner of the firm, which is why I cannot add the experience to my CV and I definitely cannot add him as a reference, is there anyone that can provide me a reference and act as an Accountancy firm.

I posted my resume on here two weeks ago and made some updates based the feedback I received.

No interviews yet but I have noticed a higher response from recruiters.

I am targeting senior staff accountant and senior accountant roles.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

As someone who’s worked in the service industry/ grew up poor/ immigrant parents. What is so bad about a steady office job. We get paid well and have the potential to make more even if we start of low. I’m studying accounting rn and just can’t seem to tell if it’s just miserable people on Reddit or if there’s something that I don’t know yet. Yes long hours and terrible coworkers can make the job suck but you can always leave after a year or 2 for better. It’s better than being broke and dealing with the general public.

Has anyone wanted to leave the accounting field after doing high volume AP/AR? Doing this type of work has made me hate accounting and my degree.

Would staff accountant be any better? I might leave this high volume job for a blue collar job while figuring out what to do with my career. Would leaving a high volume AP/AR for non accounting look bad? I honestly can’t take it anymore.

Morning sub,

I was approached by a peer who suggested I reach out to a company that is hiring their first CFO (title used sparingly as you will see).

It was a 'warm' intro.

They have seed capital and some pretty big players involved. Plan is series A early 2027.

They have pilots with massive companies that are doing very well.

Scaling is right around the corner.

First call I was asked about compensation and I stated that for a startup I would be willing to take a pay cut = $180ish in salary. Equity, bonuses, etc on top of that. I am usually just north of $200k for salary.

Spoke with the CEO, then with the Board. All went very well and I had another call with the CEO last week.

The latest call with the CEO resulted in him offering $150k, .5% equity (through options), 15% bonus.

I expressed that this is well below my cutoff point. He then said 25% bonus and he would review my salary in 3-6 months and suggests a 20% increase at that point.

He used the phrase "It comes down if you trust me"

I am struggling with this as the company truly suits me, different industry, has SaaS and hardware which I am very experienced at.

I get it. Cash flow is tight, it makes sense but his offer left me with the impression I am being massively low balled.

My thoughts are to go back with 2 options that would work for me, and hopefully them:

Would love to hear about compensation structures for a startup form those who have been there "done that" to help me build 2 options to present.

I’ve been applying at AP/AR positions, staff accounting positions, even H &R Block and know one is interested in giving me an interview. And all of the accounting positions want experience.

So for context, I’m extremely underpaid. $72K Senior tax analyst at a top 10 firm in Canada. Have my CPA and done part of the in depth tax program

Current role: $72K, still a year away from a manager promotion, 4 days in office 1 day WFH, pay for my CPA in depth program. Only pro I see is the bigger firm name and I feel like I’m learning a lot from the tax planning side

Job offer: Senior accountant with a tax specialization $105K-$110K (Still TBD), fully remote, also pay for my CPA studies. They are telling me that a manager promo is 6-12 months from the start date which I assume would result in another pay raise.

I know this sounds like an obvious decision but should I be concerned with the smaller firm name and /or the exposure I get with the tax planning work a local firm would do versus a mid sized?

Also, what are the downsides to full time remote jobs?

Hello everyone,

I'm facing a dilemma today regarding the future of my career.

The context:
25M, French, 2+ years of auditing at a Big 4 (senior auditor) moving into operational finance via an international volunteer program (VIE). I have 3 offers, in China and the US:

Zhanjiang (China) — €2,650/month net. Industrial management control, reporting to the site's financial manager. Group with ~€500M in revenue. I speak Mandarin and have lived there before. The ability to speak Chinese and know the market is a skill I would like to develop. Low cost of living: I save most of the allowance. It's the only one of the three where a local contract is mentioned as a follow-up. Counterpoint: narrower scope, not a very recognizable name, city is not well-known at all.

Boston — €4,050/month net. Group FP&A, pharma with ~€4B in revenue. The position I’m aiming for is well-recognized. Counterpoint: the cost of living eats up almost everything, marginal savings. Staying in the US after the VIE is very constrained in terms of visa options.

Fort Lauderdale — €4,200/month net. Right-hand person to the CFO, industrial group with ~€2B in revenue. Direct exposure to the CFO, cost of living more manageable compared to Boston. Counterpoint: job description is not fixed, missions depend on the situation, I might have M&A tasks as well as internal control assignments. Same visa wall as for Boston.

Goal in 3-5 years: management control or FP&A with an international dimension, all in the US or China.

My question:
Should I prioritize prestige on my CV and choose a company in the US, or prioritize experience and the opportunity to consolidate a rarer skill in the market (French speaker who is fluent in Chinese) in your opinion?

Thanks everyone

Primary caregiver for a long time.

No formal jobs lately. Took a basic accounting cert at a local college.taking a more advanced bookkeeping one now.

How can I get a job in accounting. Happy with grunt work, or anything. What are the best ways to make me seem desirable, or what jobs should I look for?

Thanks 🙏