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What was the biggest challenge you faced when transitioning from college to your first accounting job, and how did you overcome it? #Spring25
I’m a sophomore at the University of Texas at San Antonio, majoring in accounting and planning to graduate in May 2027. I’ve enjoyed my business and finance classes while developing leadership and problem-solving skills as I work toward becoming a CPA. #Spring25
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Gus’s Answer
I think my biggest surprise was the quantity of writing that occurs in public accounting. In school you learn the technical aspects of accounting, but you quickly learn how to “document” everything in the accounting world (through memos, workpapers, etc). Upskilling your business writing skills is a great way to prepare for this post-grad!
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Kathryn’s Answer
Hi Avery,
As I reflect on my first year at Big Four, I’d say the biggest challenge I faced was dealing with the “not-knowing.” In school, you’re usually taught exactly what you need for exams, and it’s rare to feel truly unprepared. In public accounting, though, I quickly realized that there’s always something new to learn—no matter how much you study or prepare, you’ll inevitably encounter situations where you don’t have all the answers. At first, this uncertainty was uncomfortable. But over time, I’ve learned that it’s completely normal, and even expected, not to know everything right away. The best thing you can do is to ask questions and lean on the experience and knowledge of your peers, team members, and other professionals around you. Everyone is willing to help, and you’ll find that most people have been in your shoes before. What’s truly unique about this field is that it constantly offers new learning experiences and opportunities for growth. I’ve come to appreciate—and even enjoy—the feeling of not always having the answer, because it means I’m pushing myself and expanding my skills. Embracing the “not-knowing” has helped me become more adaptable and confident in tackling new challenges.
As I reflect on my first year at Big Four, I’d say the biggest challenge I faced was dealing with the “not-knowing.” In school, you’re usually taught exactly what you need for exams, and it’s rare to feel truly unprepared. In public accounting, though, I quickly realized that there’s always something new to learn—no matter how much you study or prepare, you’ll inevitably encounter situations where you don’t have all the answers. At first, this uncertainty was uncomfortable. But over time, I’ve learned that it’s completely normal, and even expected, not to know everything right away. The best thing you can do is to ask questions and lean on the experience and knowledge of your peers, team members, and other professionals around you. Everyone is willing to help, and you’ll find that most people have been in your shoes before. What’s truly unique about this field is that it constantly offers new learning experiences and opportunities for growth. I’ve come to appreciate—and even enjoy—the feeling of not always having the answer, because it means I’m pushing myself and expanding my skills. Embracing the “not-knowing” has helped me become more adaptable and confident in tackling new challenges.
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Jacquelyn’s Answer
One of the biggest challenges for me wasn’t just the technical side of the job (though that’s real too)—it was adjusting to how I spent my time and finding a new sense of balance.
In college, your schedule is flexible and constantly changing. Moving into a full-time accounting role meant recalibrating my days, my energy, and my expectations of myself. On top of learning how to translate what I’d learned in school into real-world work, I was also balancing work, a social life, and studying for the CPA exam.
That part was honestly hard. I passed one section before starting my job, but I still had the remaining exams to study for while working full time. The discipline required—and the mental load of always thinking about studying—was one of the toughest adjustments. It took time to figure out a rhythm that worked and to realize I didn’t have to completely cut out the things I enjoyed or that mattered to me in order to succeed.
Another surprise challenge was the mindset shift. It can feel like everyone around you has it all figured out—but the truth is, we’re all figuring it out together, just at different speeds and in different ways. Once I realized that, I gave myself a lot more grace.
What helped most was time, consistency, and using the resources available to me. I truly believe there are more tools, flexibility, and support for employees now than ever before. It’s a juggle—but it’s doable, and so many people successfully get through it.
Just remember you don’t have to be perfect on day one. You’ll grow into it faster than you think! You've got this!
In college, your schedule is flexible and constantly changing. Moving into a full-time accounting role meant recalibrating my days, my energy, and my expectations of myself. On top of learning how to translate what I’d learned in school into real-world work, I was also balancing work, a social life, and studying for the CPA exam.
That part was honestly hard. I passed one section before starting my job, but I still had the remaining exams to study for while working full time. The discipline required—and the mental load of always thinking about studying—was one of the toughest adjustments. It took time to figure out a rhythm that worked and to realize I didn’t have to completely cut out the things I enjoyed or that mattered to me in order to succeed.
Another surprise challenge was the mindset shift. It can feel like everyone around you has it all figured out—but the truth is, we’re all figuring it out together, just at different speeds and in different ways. Once I realized that, I gave myself a lot more grace.
What helped most was time, consistency, and using the resources available to me. I truly believe there are more tools, flexibility, and support for employees now than ever before. It’s a juggle—but it’s doable, and so many people successfully get through it.
Just remember you don’t have to be perfect on day one. You’ll grow into it faster than you think! You've got this!
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Brad’s Answer
Hi Avery
What a great question. I graduated in 1982 and went straight into public accounting. I think the biggest surprise was how little I felt like I knew when I started in Public. I think I learned more my first year of Public Accounting than I did in 4 years at UF. School gives you all the background knowledge that you certainly need to be a good accountant but putting that knowledge to practical use was a whole different level of learning experience. Please don't worry about that too much because when you first start out in the real world people understand that you are still green behind the ears and they should help you along and show guidance where needed. If your education gave you a good basic knowledge the real world experience will come along quickly. The biggest thing I noticed was just getting real life experience in how it all fits together. You will be fine as long as you have confidence in your abilities and don't forget that all important work life balance.
Good Luck!
What a great question. I graduated in 1982 and went straight into public accounting. I think the biggest surprise was how little I felt like I knew when I started in Public. I think I learned more my first year of Public Accounting than I did in 4 years at UF. School gives you all the background knowledge that you certainly need to be a good accountant but putting that knowledge to practical use was a whole different level of learning experience. Please don't worry about that too much because when you first start out in the real world people understand that you are still green behind the ears and they should help you along and show guidance where needed. If your education gave you a good basic knowledge the real world experience will come along quickly. The biggest thing I noticed was just getting real life experience in how it all fits together. You will be fine as long as you have confidence in your abilities and don't forget that all important work life balance.
Good Luck!
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Leslie’s Answer
Great question! I would recommend considering 3 things that are important for you to do every day ex: movement, cooking, talking on the phone with a loved one. Will help make every day a good day and provide some consistency in a changing time while ensuring what's important to recharge you is still taking place.
As a CPA, who passed all 4 parts while working at Deloitte, I focused on busy seasons and studied outside of these compliance highs. I also used the ample PTO to take every Friday off to study when it was not busy season to balance work, studying and what was important to me in my personal life. I still had plenty of time to take PTO for vacation too! On week days, after work I would workout, cook dinner then study for a few hours before winding down on the couch with my favorite show. Reflect on what will work best for you to bring the best energy to your goals and then consistency will do the rest. :)
You can do it!
As a CPA, who passed all 4 parts while working at Deloitte, I focused on busy seasons and studied outside of these compliance highs. I also used the ample PTO to take every Friday off to study when it was not busy season to balance work, studying and what was important to me in my personal life. I still had plenty of time to take PTO for vacation too! On week days, after work I would workout, cook dinner then study for a few hours before winding down on the couch with my favorite show. Reflect on what will work best for you to bring the best energy to your goals and then consistency will do the rest. :)
You can do it!
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Krystal’s Answer
Hi Avery, one of the biggest challenge that I faced was to find the career/job that you are truly passionate about. There are so many different career paths out there. You took classes in college but may not know what a typical day looks like for an accountant/auditor/tax specialist or any other jobs that you may interested in. One way i found useful is to attend workshop/networking events and talk with those professionals, understand what they do, what they like about their job, what they are passionate about, how did they get on this career path, etc. Through those conversations, you will get an understanding of the career that you are interested in, and whether it aligns with your passion and value. Hope this is helpful.
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Gabriel’s Answer
I worked as a big 4 auditor after college. One of the biggest things I noticed was how teamwork and communication is more important than it ever was in school. This is because a senior or supervisor is in charge of overseeing your work and ensuring that it gets done. Communication is also important because deadlines are involved. If something is delayed, that needs to be communicated to the appropriate team members.
Another thing I noticed was how college was just a foundation. Nearly every role is learned through experience and not everything you learned in school will be applicable. In accounting, the learning never stops and my seniors have also told me that they are still learning new things at their level.
Another thing I noticed was how college was just a foundation. Nearly every role is learned through experience and not everything you learned in school will be applicable. In accounting, the learning never stops and my seniors have also told me that they are still learning new things at their level.
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Zach’s Answer
Hi Avery, after college I started working as an auditor in public accounting. The biggest challenge I felt I faced when transitioning from college to my first accounting job was the little amount I felt like I learned in college. For public accounting specifically, something that I was always told is you are expected to know very little out of college. College provides you with a good baseline for public accounting and then you are constantly learning every day. The biggest way I felt that I overcame this challenge was just having resources around me that I could always go to for questions when struggling with something or learning something new.
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Najda’s Answer
One of the challenges here is figuring out how to take what you learned in school and use it in real life situations. This gets easier with time as you gain more experience, so be patient with yourself. Another thing college often doesn't teach is corporate/office etiquette, like being professional and showing up on time. Being thoughtful, respectful, and working well with others can really help. Handling pressure and stress can be challenging too, but finding a balance, taking breaks, and staying organized can make it easier.
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Erin’s Answer
Hi, Avery. Great job knowing what you want to do after college. That right there is the first sign of "real world readiness". The one thing I would look out for when transitioning into your Accounting career after graduation is just how many new concepts you will have to learn that were not taught in the classroom. A lot of what it'll take to be successful, like having great time management and holding yourself accountable (no pun intended hahaha) to get tasks done by deadlines will be valuable skills that you learned from your business and finance classes, but more nuanced things like corporate etiquette, learning how to receive feedback but also be able to defend your actions will be skills that you will only be able to learn in your new career. I would say feel confident that you are exhibiting good signs of being able to make a smooth transition from college into your career, and just tell yourself that while you learned enough from college to prepare you well, just expect that there will be things could have only learned after college, and allow yourself the space to grow and learn from mistakes or any "gaps" you carry out of college into your career as an Accountant. Best of luck!
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Courtney’s Answer
The biggest change for me was adjusting to a new lifestyle. In school, you have a flexible schedule with classes spread out during the day. At work, the hours are more fixed and steady. It's something to consider, but it only took me a couple of months to get used to it.