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By Sandy Sloop

QUESTION:
I was doing a job search for my husband and found some of your question answer sections.  He is a accountant/CPA with nearly 6 years experince in Internal Audit- began with Auditor General of the State of XXXXX, then worked for HMO, and currently is Senior Internal Auditor/Bilingual for a Fortune 100 Company.  The Company has a 2 year then find something else policy for their auditors so he is currently searching for a new job. 

The problem is this: he isn't sure he really enjoys auditing as a career choice- but it seems hard to encourage someone to be interested in you in a different way with that much experience in a field (Well- that isn't exactly true- they would look at you- but he isn't sure he wants to take a big salary hit to "begin over" in a different area!)  Are you aware of some areas of accounting that he might find more interesting and diverse from the internal audit rut he currently finds himself in?  He is a licensed CPA, speaks both English and Spanish fluently, and has great computer skills although no specific (licensed) IT training. 

ANSWER: 
Dear CPA auditor spouse,

There's something going on in your husband's career that doesn't seem quite right.

In most companies Internal Audit is the best way to get into various jobs in the financial field. In fact companies usually raid IA departments to get talent for vacancies.  Your husband should make sure that his next company has that kind of policy.  But maybe they do have a policy of advancing the best and brightest from IA into other departments. So maybe the answer is that they looked at him for two years and he wasn't what they needed for a move into management.

Speaking Spanish is a real advantage these days.  Maybe your husband needs to make a greater effort to sell himself and let his qualifications shine. (Assuming always that he's doing a great job; if he isn't maybe he should try recruiting!)

Of course if the company doesn't value the IA employee very highly then it's time to get out.

- Sandy
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Dear Fellow Professionals: Please email me with questions about your own situations to: ssloop@fjadnet.com.  All queries will remain anonymous!

Sandy has been recruiting Accounting and Finance professionals since 1993.  

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