The Struggle of Finding the 1st Controller Job

When I was looking for my first job as a Controller, I found it very hard to be accepted as a younger guy who wanted to move up with incentive/merit rather than seniority – that is, many employers wanted people with close to or over 10y accounting or related experience/seniority in the business.

Starting off in public practice did help. It helped make client connections that might end up offering you a job, and the experience is very helpful.

I really had to be aggressive when I looked, refusing for anything less/lower and be transparent (but polite) about my intentions. I wasn’t shy about not wanting to be the next CPA Senior Accountant making $80-90k (a norm in Canada – not sure about where you are) and “awaiting” my time to move up the food chain. I pissed off a recruiter once because he wondered why “I thought I didn’t fit in the typical Newbie CPA bucket” at the time.

Fortunately I found my 1st controller role after 3 1/4 years of working in public practice and about a year in industry before that. I really wanted to stay in public practice, but the firm i worked for split/changed ownership and the money wasn’t there.