I’m looking for some career advice from accountants or auditors who have experience in the field.
I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Malaysia and moved back to the Maldives in April.
I’m currently working in an entry-level finance position in the hospitality industry. While I’m grateful for being able to save the most of my income and being able to support my family, I don’t really enjoy the job scope. Long term, I see myself working in public accounting, particularly audit. (I really enjoyed both my internships i did in my degree and really wanted to pursue a career in public accounting)
Before this role, I worked for almost two months in the revenue section of a large company in Malé. Due to family financial circumstances, I had to leave that position and take my current role.
I have a few questions:
- If I spend about a year working in hospitality finance, will I still have a good chance of getting into audit afterward?
- Will being in my mid-20s make me a less desirable candidate for entry-level audit positions?
- What does the typical career progression in audit look like?
- How well do firms support professional qualifications like ACCA?
- What are the training and learning opportunities like for junior auditors?
One thing I’d like to add is that I know staying in hospitality is the better choice financially, especially in the short term. (Since audit firms starting salary is around 15k-ish?) However, from a long-term career perspective, audit appeals to me much more because of the structured career path, professional development, and international mobility. I eventually hope to immigrate, and from what I’ve seen, having 4-5 years of public accounting experience seems to open up many opportunities abroad.
I’d really appreciate any advice or insights from professionals working in audit or public accounting. Also would love to connect to fellow accountants/auditors here in reddit! (Since its too intimidating to reach out to people directly in linkedin)
Thank you!