Should I stay in public accounting after being fired?
A sudden, no-fault termination without a performance plan leaves you guessing the real reason you were let go, especially when the firm still offers a reference. This unresolved confusion, combined with the deep feeling of failure from missing out on Big 4 offers, makes it incredibly hard to evaluate whether to try another public accounting role or switch to industry.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Seeking external perspectives online to read between the lines of a termination.Did this help you?
- 2Considering a pivot to a different sector of the industry.Did this help you?
- 3Getting another degree or a master's at a different university to reset recruitingDid this help you?
- 4Finding a job at a smaller firmDid this help you?
- 5Pivoting to law schoolDid this help you?
- 6Taking a non-career job while applying for the next cycleDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Trying to evaluate my options now is pretty hard, but I would appreciate the guidance.”source ↗
“I'm incredibly bummed that I couldn't get a B4 offer given that over half of my peers at Kansas were able to do so.”source ↗
“I believe I'm better than average so it's killing me that I'm not able to get B4 and it'll set back my entire career/life behind everyone else.”source ↗
“I'm kinda depressed and tbh I've cried multiple times knowing that I've failed.”source ↗
“So I was let go today from the small (4-5 staff accountants) PA firm I had been working at since January 2025. No prior warning or PIP placement though my work performance wasn't great the last couple months after busy season.”source ↗
“Was wondering if anyone here had any opinions/advice moving forward, should I try and get another position in Public or try Industry?”source ↗
“The only thing that makes me wonder if it was something else is that it was before the October 15th deadline so I'm leaving unfinished work, it was a no-fault fire and they were willing to offer a reference to future employers.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 19How to know if you need a career pivot or just a new job
- 5Can you switch accounting service lines before starting your job?
- 9Will taking a temporary break ruin my career?
- 3Why do people get fired from accounting jobs so fast?
- 5What job title should I apply for with HR experience?
- 19Is teaching still a realistic option for me?