This was incredibly refreshing to see on the AICPA's CPA Insider blog. It begins:
“I feel like I’m stuck,” began the 34-year-old tax manager at a regional public accounting firm.
What's this, now? No Kool-Aid? No rosy, number-loving outlook? No, just honesty.
“I work hard, 60 to 70 hours a week in the busy season, 50 hours the rest of the year. I’m good at what I do. The firm compensates me well. My wife and I have two young children, and I’m very involved in bringing them up. Last year I coached my son’s Little League team. It was great. I really enjoyed it.
“The problem is,” he continued, “I can’t get ahead at the firm. Most of my time is billable. I know that’s expected, and necessary. But to make it to partner I need to bring in business. And to do that—the networking, mining the files, all that stuff—would mean spending more time away from the family, which I’m just not prepared to do. That’s why I say I’m stuck.”
As a career adviser to CPAs, I am hearing more and more stories like this one from men in their 30s and 40s. “What can I do?” they ask me. “Are there any firms out there that are different, or are they all basically the same?”
The short answer, as we addressed recently, is not that easy. Dudes aren't allowed to take the time chicks can, because dudes, right? Either you want to make partner or you want to be at Little League, but you can't have both.
The full post at CPA Insider is recommended reading. Seriously. No snark, just read it. And then let's discuss.
