In my country, most people avoid this area of ​​accounting, viewing it as a dead end—it involves long hours, low pay, and a poor work environment driven by high stress. Overtime is unpaid, and the work is almost always required to be done on-site.

I don’t live in a wealthy country like those in Europe or the United States—I’m not sure how this field is perceived there or what future benefits it might offer—but here in Paraguay, the work doesn't feel rewarding in the short, medium, or long term.

People generally only take these jobs out of necessity, or because they aren't aware of what working in auditing is actually like.

I got a meeting invite with my manager and HR today. During the call they had a big spreadsheet of all my time entry over the last 2 years. They brought multiple examples of entry that doesn't make sense and time that shouldn't be put towards certain client codes. I know I am getting fired. I have no idea what I should do, if I should quit before getting fired, or anything.

Can anyone offer advice? I feel like I'm freaking out

Edit: Thank you guys for the responses. I went on a walk to try and clear my head it helped along with every comment below. This job is not the end of the world, this career is not the end of my life, and it's ok. Gonna just keep applying to other jobs and maybe provide an update when I hear back from HR.

I remember being sent on my first year at a firm to go count pigs in a farm. Learning the accounting for livestock was quite something.

🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚

I imagine Ill be in my mid 30s when I finish my degree, is that an awkward age to start in the field?

I don't get how people can say to avoid being so overworked to just set better boundaries. I'm in industry and these industry hours are not it either.

I worked til 1am last night. I could work 100 hours a week and still not get everything on my plate done. It is impossible.

If I decided to set boundaries in terms of not working so much it would mean not getting my assignments done by the due date. Miss enough due dates you get dinged in your performance review. Get enough dings and you get a bad rating. Get enough bad ratings and you get managed out, laid off or straight up fired.

If I set boundaries in terms of telling management I have too much on my plate, which I have, at best it falls on deaf ears. At worst it puts a target on my back. The fact is we're understaffed, as everyone is, so there is no one to move the extra work to. So if I make it clear I can't do it all it just means I'm not a team player to them.

And I've already changed jobs too many times trying to find somewhere better. Every place is like this. Except the government, which I joined, then got fired by DOGE after a few months.

I recently found myself very burned out at work. I had assumed that I could not possibly be burning out, because I was working mostly normal hours. I had found myself living with obvious cynicism - I was blaming clients, managers, myself, and everything around me. I had gotten to a point where I couldn't even control my disdain for wasteful meetings. I would get a very serious look on my face and become the "no" in almost every room. At the start of the year, I started therapy. I assumed it must just be some inherit attitude problem - like I could not accept just being happy. Things came to head recently, and I found myself in deep work avoidance. It was scary, and painful for me to work. The avoidance had gotten so bad, that I would fantasize about trucks hitting me on my commute, so that my family wouldn't think it was on purpose. I would think "how can I feel this way? I'm medicated! I'm not working crazy hours!"

As a last-ditch effort to justify how I was feeling, I decided to read about the stages of burnout. I found myself in stage 10, verging on 11. I was emotionally shutting down. I had literally had conversations about every step on this list with my wife in the past few years. I now know that yes, you can completely burnout without working long hours. Factors that directly impacted my burnout progression:

Things I could control, but didn't:

• Longer Commute - This was an onsite job for 4/5 days of the week. I was commuting two hours each day in office in start and stop traffic. The long commute kept leading to resentment. During a period of 3 months, my transportation was completely upended, and my commute climbed to four hours. I had been granted an extra day to work from home, but the expectations were clear that I should be in person for any and all meeting scheduled. I later resolved my transportation issues, but I know now that I am not built for it.
• High emotional stakes - I had tied my identity to delivering the best work possible. Whether I had acknowledged it or not, I had a deep fear of being "the worst" at my job. This caused me to overperform whenever I had energy, and ultimately set me up for a lot of fear, guilt, and paranoia.
• Complete People Pleaser - I would always say yes. Friends, family, coworkers, etc. If I had a calendar invite, I would accept it, until I had progressed to stage 7. At that point, I began to eliminate any event or activity that was not work, doomscrolling, or sleep. The isolation made me worse off in every way, and likely accelerated it for me.
• Fear for job search - I had tried to move away from this job multiple times in the past few years. I would get interviews and leads, and then they wouldn't materialize. I was beginning to fear that I would be stuck in this role forever, or worse, eventually fired and unable to land a job.

Things I could not control:

• Chaotic environment - The department director had checked out entirely, and the managers were not empowered to steer the ship. This meant that engagements didn't have budgets, deadlines were too flexible, until suddenly they weren't, and turnover (which had been frequent) meant it was difficult to even plan who you'd be working with next month. No SOPs, everyone flying by the seat of their pants. Surviving here meant an entirely entrepreneurial mindset - you had to monitor all your hours (regardless of level) and prioritize deliverables, while still being the primary client contact. You had to remind your bosses that they needed to look at something. You had to come up with a checklist to decide if we were in compliance with our contracts. I was resentful because I had seen many different leaders show up with great ideas to fix the chaos, and then there was no internal requirement to stick to those ideas. They would all be pushed out over time. Whenever a new member of leadership would arrive, they would come with the same observations, and ideas.

I still have this job. I've started the process of recovering, but I wanted to share this because I feel like I see these traits in the r/Accounting sub. I see people panicking, on the edge of quitting with no notice, people feeling like complete failures, etc. If you see yourself in this list, its not too late. You can intervene for yourself - you can stop your burnout. You can change. You can eventually see a future that's worth living for. You can enjoy lounging guilt free. You can do the dishes and the laundry at a normal time. You can open Outlook without feeling queasy. You can feel optimistic about new initiatives. You can become better.

The 12-Stage Model (Freudenberger & North)

1. The Compulsion to Prove Oneself: Excessive ambition turns into an urgent need to demonstrate competence and worth, often leading to taking on too much responsibility.
2. Working Harder: An inability to switch off. Work hours expand, personal time shrinks, and boundaries begin to erode.
3. Neglecting Personal Needs: Sleep, nutrition, exercise, and social relationships are deprioritized or treated as inconveniences.
4. Displacement of Conflicts: Awareness that something is amiss surfaces, but the root cause is ignored. Early physical symptoms (sleep disruption, headaches) appear.
5. Revision of Values: Core values shift. Personal relationships, hobbies, and downtime lose meaning; work performance becomes the sole measure of self-esteem.
6. Emergence of Denial: Impatience, cynicism, and irritability toward colleagues or clients grow. Blame is shifted entirely to external pressure, the workplace, or other people.
7. Withdrawal: Social isolation sets in. Contact with family and friends is minimized; coping mechanisms (alcohol, excessive screen time, emotional eating) frequently increase.
8. Obvious Behavioral Changes: Cynicism, anger, visible exhaustion, or defensiveness become obvious to colleagues and loved ones.
9. Depersonalization: Feeling detached from oneself and others. Life feels mechanical, and individuals view their work and colleagues with apathy or contempt.
10. Inner Emptiness: A pervasive sense of emptiness, numbness, or panic, often masked by compulsive behaviors or avoidance.
11. Depression: Exhaustion turns into despair, hopelessness, and severe apathy. The future feels bleaker, and daily tasks feel insurmountable.
12. Burnout Syndrome: Total physical, mental, and emotional collapse. Immune function drops sharply, and medical or psychiatric intervention is typically required.

So i got let go on 10/6. i have about a little over 5 years experience and this was my third job, what should i do? is it time to change professions? move to private/industry. please help, constructive feedback only.

Im an experienced staff and have just been reassigned to a new team under a new manager. I was reassigned because the last person who worked under them was fired. I recently found out the last 4 staff that have worked under this manager have also been fired.

Supposedly this manager expects you to be on your A game, not make any mistakes, and expects you to know the client in and out. I also heard that if you make a mistake this manager runs and tells other managers in the office about how bad you are and gossips about you.

This manager is supposedly known for working late and expecting their teams to work late, throwing their staff and seniors under the bus to make themselves look better, and has no interest in developing their teams to improve.

I do not want to work with this manager for fear of losing my job. I’ve already went to the director of scheduling and asked them to please reassign me but it can’t be done. Should I just leave?

My daughter recently started her first full-time audit job at a larger regional accounting firm, and so far, she's really struggling with it. She says the workpapers involve a ton of reading and detailed instructions, and she's having a very hard time focusing and figuring out what she's supposed to do. She's already feeling like the job is going to be too stressful for her.

The confusing part is that she already passed all four CPA exam sections. She did well in her accounting classes, but says the actual work is nothing like what she expected from school. She's finding the day-to-day work much more overwhelming than she anticipated.

For those of you who have been in public accounting, especially audit:

- Did anyone else feel this way when they first started?

- Does the work get easier once you gain experience and understand the workpapers better?

- Is it worth giving it more time, or is this a sign that audit might not be a good fit?

- If she decides to leave early on, would it be realistic to find another accounting job, such as FP&A, corporate accounting, or financial analysis?

- Are there other entry-level roles that might be a better fit for someone who did well on the CPA exams but struggles with the reading-heavy, documentation-focused nature of audit?

I'd appreciate any honest advice from people who have been in a similar situation. She's trying to figure out whether to stick it out, ask for more support, or consider a different career path before investing too much time in something that may not suit her.

I’m in school now for accounting after 12 years in the military doing unrelated work. Naturally I’m a lot older than other students which is a concern in and of itself, then I live in my own so continuing school after my bachelors (such as seeking a Macc) is iffy right now and internships are hard to swing because I need enough income to live off of. Then to top it off, I recently joined the subreddit and saw near constant posts about how the industry is getting cleaned out by AI. Was anyone here in a similar situation and what would you recommend moving forward? I’m not really sure what the most effective way for me to move forward is.

I’m just looking for opinions on what you think the going rate would be on this position. Local restaurant chain with 10-15 locations in the area. Approximately 25m in revenue. About 400 employees. Bank account sees over 1000 transactions per month over several bank accounts. They use 2-3 third party delivery providers, an event planning app for events, and Toast for POS. They also have clearing accounts for cash, and credit sales that need to be reconciled. There is one assistant for data entry. Located in a LCOL area in the Midwest.

My kid is a sophomore accounting major and just got rejected from PWC and KPMG. Has 3.9 gpa, very active on campus, goes to a target school in LA. She has applied for so many internships and has had no luck. Her one drawback that is see and we tried to warn her about is she goes to school in California but we are in the Midwest so she was wanting an office out here.

I’m so confused how they are recruiting for the summer of 2028. Is this the only cycle? Is she just done? Where does one go from here. I’m in healthcare so I have zero idea of how to support her as she is going through this. Please help me understand.

I’m 26 and have been working in public accounting for approximately 4.5 years. I’m currently a Staff Accountant making $60,000 after a recent 3% raise. I have bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Business Administration and am working toward my CPA.
My experience is primarily in tax, including individual returns, trusts and estates, gift tax returns, and C-corporations. During busy season, I typically work 40–70 hours per week.

Lately, I’ve been questioning whether my compensation and overall work environment are typical for public accounting.

One thing I’ve noticed is that certain employees seem to receive more flexibility, support, recognition, and opportunities than others. There also seems to be a difference in how employees with children are treated compared to those without. I completely understand that parents have additional responsibilities, but sometimes it feels like employees without children are expected to be more available and accommodating.

I’ve also noticed what feels like favoritism regarding workload distribution, raises, and professional development opportunities. Some employees seem to receive additional resources and support, while others are expected to figure things out independently.

Training and feedback have also been frustrating. Review notes often identify what needs to be corrected without much explanation of why or how to fix it. I genuinely want to improve and develop my technical skills, but I sometimes feel like the expectations are higher than the amount of guidance provided.

I’ve also been considering remote accounting positions, but I’m nervous about making that transition. I’ve only worked in a traditional office environment, and I worry about whether I’ll receive adequate training, communication, and support while working remotely. I also worry about expectations, job security, and whether my work and effort will be recognized when I’m not physically in an office. I like the idea of remote work, but I don’t want to leave one frustrating environment just to end up in another.

I enjoy accounting and want to continue growing professionally, but I’m starting to wonder whether I should explore opportunities at another public accounting firm or in industry. Ideally, I’d like to find somewhere with competitive compensation, opportunities for advancement, supportive management, and long-term stability.

A few questions:
Is $60,000 reasonable for someone with approximately 4.5 years of public accounting experience?
Have others experienced favoritism or different expectations for employees with and without children?
How does your firm handle training, workload distribution, and professional development?
For those who transitioned to fully remote accounting positions, how was the experience? Did you receive adequate training and support?
Are remote accounting positions generally stable, or is job security something I should be concerned about?
Would you recommend staying in public until obtaining a CPA or exploring other opportunities beforehand?

I’m not necessarily looking to leave immediately. I’m just trying to understand whether these experiences are common in public accounting and what other opportunities might be worth considering.

I’d appreciate any perspectives, especially from people who’ve experienced something similar.

I really need the experience but it would be a big pay cut. It is a cost accounting position to be specific. Also I live with parents so I'm not desperate for money week to week

Hey Everyone,

It seems like accounting firm owners are looking to cash out senior management and senior partners. it’s either big 4, PE or ESOP for anyone who wants to work at a larger firm.

Is there any firms that do ESOP right? I see bdo isn’t doing the best but are there other ESOP firms who are doing well?

So I work for a small branch of a company. I paid for my CPA, which they have retroactively said they would pay for (Side note: But my contract specifically says that they would not pay, which is not the overall company policy - once other offices found out the partners were somewhat embarrassed and offered to pay). I put the brakes on this discussion as my loans are almost paid off and the terms of their payment are totally unreasonable (3 years and full repayment if I leave). However, I feel this gives me some leverage to ask for a higher raise in lieu of them paying for my CPA.

So my question, given the context, what is normal raise percentage for a CPA grad and has any one else been in this fuckass scenario I find myself in? Cheers

My wife and I are expecting our first child in late January, and I'm wrestling with a very difficult career decision. Looking for perspectives from other dads.

I'm 29 yo, and currently work as a Senior Financial Analyst at a large national company based in PHX. I've been at this job about a year now, and it is pretty comfortable. Im in office 4 days per week, and during non month or quarter end months I can finish my work in like 25-30 hours. But still have to be in office. So somewhat chill responsibility wise. I'd receive 6 weeks of paid paternity leave when the baby is born.

Recently I got headhunted for an Accounting Manager role at a smaller private company (~150 employees). It would be my first management role, which is something I've wanted to move toward. The company seems very interested in me.

If I stay I keep a somewhat comfortable and familiar job, but very little chance of management for 3-5 years (not sure if I even want to be in management at this big of a company). 6 weeks paid paternity leave. Lower stress and uncertainty during the newborn phase. Salary is doable if my wife stops working, but maybe a little uncomfortable at first.

If I leave i get the promotion a bit earlier than I was otherwise planning, and first opportunity to manage a team. Comp would be about a 27% upgrade, give or take based on company performance. This company also pays for 100% of family medical premiums. Longer commute of ~50 min one-way (roughly an extra 1-2 hours per week total over my current job). Would be starting before the baby arrives and be learning a new role during those first few months of parenthood. We've reached an agreement on them giving me 3 weeks of paternity paid, but it's not the 6 weeks I'd be getting if I stayed.

The thing I'm struggling with is that manager opportunities don't seem to come along every day, especially for someone who hasn't had a manager role before. Part of me worries that if I pass on it because of timing, I may not find a similar opportunity a year from now. This size of a company is more attractive to me than working in an office with 1000 people.

On the other hand, I know I'll never get those first few months with my 1st child back. For dads who have been through something similar:

Would you prioritize stability during the newborn phase of your 1st child, despite the extra comp and career progression?

Or would you take the career opportunity and figure the rest out?

Looking back, is there anything you wish you'd weighed more heavily?

My wife is supportive of whatever decision I make and we are both torn on it. For context, she has a WFH job and plans to take 12 weeks on ST disability, and will try to keep working after that while still caring for our baby. But we recognize it will be difficult, and she may need to resign if it's too much.

I'm just interested in hearing from dads who have already lived through those early newborn months and career decisions around the same time.

I recently accepted an AP position that was presented during the interview as having more AP/accounting reporting and analytical responsibilities. Now that I've started, I've realized it's almost entirely repetitive data entry and invoice processing.

I have a bachelor's degree in Economics and previous experience in data analysis and reporting ( in the past job I had, I did work with some finance data but mostly other types of data analysis), and I'm trying to transition into more serious accounting level work. I'm willing to start at entry level, but this role isn't what I expected.

I'm only two weeks in, so I'm wondering:

1. If I leave after a few weeks, should I include this job on my resume?
2. How would you explain such a short tenure to recruiters?
3. What job titles should I target for more serious accounting work, and how do you avoid jobs that are mostly data entry?

Side note: I am currently pursuing my master's in accounting

I'd appreciate advice from anyone who's experienced something similar. Thanks!

I’ve been working as an assistant manager at Cold Stone Creamery for several years, and while I’ve learned a lot about running a business, I’ve decided that I want to pursue a career in accounting or banking.
What really made accounting click for me was understanding how all the pieces fit together and how the financial side of a business works.
I’m planning to start applying for full-time positions in March 2027. In the meantime, I’m working on improving my Excel skills, learning QuickBooks, and practicing accounting with fictional businesses to gain a better understanding of how things work in the real world.
For those of you already working in accounting, what advice would you give someone transitioning into the field? Which entry-level positions would you recommend, and what skills should I prioritize developing before applying?
I’m looking forward to learning from this community!

I’m a first year accounting student, and while it would be difficult and annoying and add maybe half a semester to my degree, i have the opportunity right now to stick with accounting or switch majors.

I’ve been seeing a lot of doom and gloom on this subreddit, even wild crazy comments going “NOO DO NOT DO ACCOUNTING. NO! NO! NO!”

People are going psychotic in this subreddit about how bad accounting is. Honestly just reading one thread in this subreddit terrified me so fucking much i immediately went to my uni registration to try and see if i could drop my courses for winter and pivot into something else.

Are these people exaggerating or is accounting truly as dead as they say? Genuinely terrified i didnt know it was THAT bad.

I’m planning on doing an accounting and finance double major and perhaps going to law school for tax law, tho law school admissions are brutal so most likely i’ll be stuck with my degree

Edit: i live in canada and go to uofmb

Are people going into interviews and sharing their deep love for taxation? I’m trying to sound a normal amount of enthusiastic, but I’m concerned that I’m underselling my interest in the field, especially if other candidates are waxing poetic about the beauty of GAAP.

I originally studied and then worked in an arts field, then got an office job, and ultimately moved over to accounting, so I often get asked about that transition. I feel like it would sound stupidly fake to say that I discovered my true passion of accounting, so I’m trying to be more realistic in my story. I recently passed all of my CPA exams, so I would hope that would show interest, but I don’t know what people are expecting to hear.

I’m about to hit my one year anniversary and I honestly and truly will feel such accomplishment which I feel like doesn’t make sense like “held a job for a year” feels like “graduated high school” in that it’s such a bare minimum but honestly the transition from college to corporate and especially such a complicated and difficult corporate role was SO challenging and I thought I was gonna get fired like four times

Beyond traditional jobs like investment banking and accounting, where does a finance or accounting degree actually give you an advantage? For example, in entrepreneurship, starting your own business, investing, private equity, hedge funds, or other opportunities, how useful is the knowledge from your degree compared with practical experience and self-learning? is it even required in these kind of things?

I recently picked up some stuff from a local pickup shop, and grabbed this because I thought it looked neat. I don't know how to properly use it and would appreciate help ^^​​