Can you switch accounting service lines before starting your job?
New graduates wanting to switch service lines, such as moving into audit before their start date, face uncertainty about whether firms allow it and how to ask. People worry about whether mentioning a competing offer will help or risk getting their current offer rescinded, and are unsure of the most tactful way to request the change.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1keeping the competing offer hidden in the initial email and framing the request around CPA track preferences
- 2using the competing offer as a last resort if the firm gives a flat no to the switch
- 3Volunteering at a nonprofit organization
- 4Looking for admin or assistant roles
- 5Keeping an eye out for associate positions
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm trying to pivot from teaching to nonprofit development but not getting any bites.”source ↗
“I want to ask the recruiter at my preferred firm if I can switch to Audit before my start date.”source ↗
“Has any new grad successfully switched service lines like this before actually starting?”source ↗
“Should I briefly mention to the recruiter that I have a competing Audit offer to show why I'm asking, or will that risk getting my current offer rescinded?”source ↗
“If I shouldn't mention it, what's the best way to tactfully ask for the switch?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9Should I get an accounting certificate or degree while working?
- 5What job title should I apply for with HR experience?
- 2How to change careers after years of training
- 7Accounts receivable vs bank teller for a finance degree?
- 3How to find a career with seasonal downtime
- 3Switching to the trades at 45 from a desk job