Staff Tax Accountant

There's probably no better advert for a workplace than someone leaving and then deciding they want to come back.

And that's actually happened at this firm. More than once.

I'm working with an independent CPA firm in Oak Brook that's more than doubled in size over recent years, but has managed to hold onto the things that made people want to work there in the first place.

They're now around 30 people with five partners, and whilst they're ambitious about growing, they're not particularly interested in making everyone work 70 hours a week to achieve it.

Busy season is typically around 50 to 55 hours. Still busy, of course. It is public accounting after all.

A few other things I think are worth knowing:

• Core hours are 9am to 3pm, giving you flexibility around the rest of your day
• Hybrid working available after around 6 to 12 months
• Performance bonuses, which you can choose to convert into additional time off
• Profit sharing and HSA contributions
• Up to 40 additional hours for CPA study and exams, plus up to $5,250 reimbursed upon passing

Something else I like about this firm is that they haven't divided everyone into little boxes.

You'll get to work across tax, accounting, and financial statement preparation, with opportunities to get involved in audit too. Their clients are mainly privately owned businesses across transportation, construction, manufacturing and professional services.

So if you're someone who enjoys understanding how a business actually works, rather than just seeing one small part of it, there's a lot to get involved in here.

You'll also work closely with the partners. They're very much involved in the day-to-day work, so you're not waiting for the annual performance review to have a conversation about your development.

And speaking of progression, there's a potential route from Staff Accountant to Partner in around 10 years. Several of their current Managers are already working towards partnership, so there's a pretty clear idea of what that journey can look like.

Who would this suit?

Someone with public accounting experience who enjoys a bit of variety and wants to keep developing.

Perhaps you're at a larger firm and feel like you've become very good at one particular thing, but haven't had much opportunity to try anything else.

Or maybe you're at a smaller firm where you've started wondering what the next five years are actually going to look like.

Either way, this could be worth exploring.

Because sometimes a better career move isn't about joining the biggest firm or getting the fanciest job title. Sometimes it's finding somewhere you can do interesting work, keep progressing, and still have time for everything else going on in your life.

And judging by the people who've left this firm and then come back, they might be doing something right.

If you've read this advert and aren't sure whether you have every bit of experience they're looking for, I'd still encourage you to apply. We work with CPA firms across the US that are committed to building diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and if this isn't quite the right fit, there's every chance I'll know one that is.