B4 and After

Sarah Foong, ACA shares her experience of Big 4 accounting in the UK, as well as some helpful insights into Big 4 jobs outside of the traditional audit/tax route that you may find less stressful. Sarah also talks about the differences between offices in small cities vs. big cities, and her tips for maintaining your health & fitness during busy season.

Laura Watson is a CPA who quit her accounting job to go all in on her online coaching business.

Listen in as Laura shares:

What it was like working in public accounting with no interest in accounting

How to navigate your own path through your career

How to know when it's time to make a career change

What is human design, and how does it play a role in your career choices

Let's keep it casual.

 

@b4andafterpod

@kee.gan

@darlenenacional

In today's episode, we get a unique perspective from Graeme Chong on the pros and cons of working in the Big 4 compared to a smaller accounting firm.

Listen in as Graeme shares:

The public accounting experience & CPA requirements in Canada compared to the US

Why he didn't enjoy the work he was doing in audit

How getting laid off during COVID pushed him to change direction in his career

The biggest differences between the Big 4 and smaller accounting firms, and why he might recommend starting your career in the Big 4

The options he's considering for his next career move

Victoria D'Ambrozio left the corporate accounting world behind to go all in on her own online coaching business.

Listen in as Victoria shares:

Why she decided to go into Big 4 consulting after working in corporate finance & investment banking

Her "Quarter Life Crisis" moment which ultimately led to her quitting her job to start her coaching business

Whether she felt like she was throwing away her degree by leaving the corporate world, and what it was like to let go of her "prestigious" career

Her tips on how a perfectionist mindset may be holding back in your life & career, and how to overcome these mental blocks

Today we're chatting with Kali Youngdahl, who went from Big 4 to a small firm with just 11 employees.

Listen in as Kali shares:How she landed a Big 4 job offer coming out of a small school

The logistics of how she transferred from a large LA office to a smaller office in Minnesota (within the same firm)

Her advice for those of you who are thinking about leaving public accounting (interview tips and more!)

Wondering what options are available after public accounting? You won't want to miss today's interview with former Big 4 Accountant & Recruiting Manager Heather Ceresoli!

Listen in as Heather shares:

Her journey from public accounting to finance, and ultimately to recruiting

Her advice on when it's the right time to leave public accounting (and whether you should wait until after busy season)

The different career options available after public accounting (some of them might surprise you!)

Her advice for how to capitalize on your Big 4 experience to advance your career

Where to start if you're thinking about making a career change

Want more guidance on navigating your accounting career? Contact Heather at [email protected]

We're taking a detour from our normal accounting content to bring you an incredible story from a software engineer who found fulfillment in his career.

Listen in as Jay shares:

How he discovered his passion for computers at 16 years old, and built a career out of it without ever getting a degree

The unfair scrutiny he faced as a young developer in his field, and how this affected the way he was viewed by employers and team members

His pursuit of proving his potential, and how he landed his dream job and fulfilled a lifelong career goal

The full-circle moment when he realized the real-world impact of his work

You might not expect a heartfelt story on an accounting podcast - but trust us when we say you'll want to listen all the way through on this one.

In this very special episode of the B4 & After Podcast, we interview our co-host & producer Darlene Nacional! Darlene shares her own accounting journey, and the many projects she's been working on since leaving Big 4 last year.

Listen in as she shares:

- The unorthodox story behind landing her Big 4 internship & job offer- What it was like being thrown onto a team without a senior- How she handled being let go from the firm as part of the COVID layoffs- The business endeavors she's been working on and the next steps in her journey "After" the Big 4

Are you studying for your CPA exams? Be ready on exam day with the help of Becker CPA: https://www.becker.com/cpa-review/cpa-courses-ps

Sonia Rodriguez landed on accounting after she couldn't decide on a major her freshman year of college. Hear more about her experience from Big 4 audit to industry accounting, including:

- How being a DACA recipient impacted her decision to work at the Big 4- Why she chose to go into IT audit rather than Financial Statement audit- The culture shock she experienced when she started her Big 4 career- Why she left public accounting for a project accounting industry position, and how this job compared to her Big 4 experience- How she used her extra time during the pandemic to explore her side passions- Her advice for new accountants & how to deal with the long busy season hours