The Student Room Group

Leaving my contract

I'm basically thinking of leaving my contract after 6 months.

The main reason is that I can't stand the location, it's in a small town about 30 miles outside London.

It's an extended contract, so not the typical three years.

Side factors include awful money, PQ will get around £23k, whilst qualified is £30k for the remainder of the contract.

I don't mind audit but wouldn't mind trying something else if possible. The firm is tiny and they're being quite pushy with exams. The bad pay is highlighted by the behaviour of recently qualified seniors who were out the door in a flash. We are now short staffed in the senior ranks and juniors are being pushed at work.

To date I have passed accounting, assurance and tax first time and am happy to pay for study resources for the remainder of the knowledge stage/2 papers of professional until I can get something in London.

Am I bad for doing this? I'm still in my probationary but expect my firm to demand just under £1.8k - which tbh, I don't even get anything out of classroom sessions. I'm happy to work in a bar to tie me over and I have family in London so won't need to worry about that.

I just can't see myself lasting however long this contract is in the location they are based. I'm living with my mum and miss the city life - even though a lot is taken up by studying, it's not all that bad and one should still be able to enjoy themselves. Like I say, it's not really the work - yes you don't use your head much in audit but the work isn't too hard, just time pressured.

Thoughts? - I have almost 4 years to run on my contract.
Original post by accno1
I'm basically thinking of leaving my contract after 6 months.

The main reason is that I can't stand the location, it's in a small town about 30 miles outside London.

It's an extended contract, so not the typical three years.

Side factors include awful money, PQ will get around £23k, whilst qualified is £30k for the remainder of the contract.

I don't mind audit but wouldn't mind trying something else if possible. The firm is tiny and they're being quite pushy with exams. The bad pay is highlighted by the behaviour of recently qualified seniors who were out the door in a flash. We are now short staffed in the senior ranks and juniors are being pushed at work.

To date I have passed accounting, assurance and tax first time and am happy to pay for study resources for the remainder of the knowledge stage/2 papers of professional until I can get something in London.

Am I bad for doing this? I'm still in my probationary but expect my firm to demand just under £1.8k - which tbh, I don't even get anything out of classroom sessions. I'm happy to work in a bar to tie me over and I have family in London so won't need to worry about that.

I just can't see myself lasting however long this contract is in the location they are based. I'm living with my mum and miss the city life - even though a lot is taken up by studying, it's not all that bad and one should still be able to enjoy themselves. Like I say, it's not really the work - yes you don't use your head much in audit but the work isn't too hard, just time pressured.

Thoughts? - I have almost 4 years to run on my contract.

Sounds like a tough situation. Personally, I would say that it's not worth leaving the opportunity to complete the ACA for a bar job in London (and that is disregarding the tuition fees you will undoubtedly be forced to payback). London will still be there in 4 years when you finish your contract. Perhaps if you find yourself a new training firm in London which would allow you to continue with the exams, then I would have a different answer.

Most people in audit loathe it and will leave at the first opportunity, but you should understand that you've got to put in the time if anything is worth doing. I myself am 28.5 / 36 months (and counting...) so can completely empathise. I would just say stick with it (if you are still young, and judging by the length of the contract it seems you are) . Good luck with ur decision.
Reply 2
6 months is an unusual amount of experience to have as you're not really an experienced hire yet, but you're beyond graduate intake level.

I'm assuming you want to finish your ACA. As with the above poster I would say that it's not great to leave your contract during the training phase, as people may take that as you lack commitment.

If you can get 12-18 months experience under your belt, that puts you in a much better place to land a new job at a different firm. Though it is still a big risk leaving.
Original post by accno1
I'm basically thinking of leaving my contract after 6 months.

The main reason is that I can't stand the location, it's in a small town about 30 miles outside London.

It's an extended contract, so not the typical three years.

Side factors include awful money, PQ will get around £23k, whilst qualified is £30k for the remainder of the contract.

I don't mind audit but wouldn't mind trying something else if possible. The firm is tiny and they're being quite pushy with exams. The bad pay is highlighted by the behaviour of recently qualified seniors who were out the door in a flash. We are now short staffed in the senior ranks and juniors are being pushed at work.

To date I have passed accounting, assurance and tax first time and am happy to pay for study resources for the remainder of the knowledge stage/2 papers of professional until I can get something in London.

Am I bad for doing this? I'm still in my probationary but expect my firm to demand just under £1.8k - which tbh, I don't even get anything out of classroom sessions. I'm happy to work in a bar to tie me over and I have family in London so won't need to worry about that.

I just can't see myself lasting however long this contract is in the location they are based. I'm living with my mum and miss the city life - even though a lot is taken up by studying, it's not all that bad and one should still be able to enjoy themselves. Like I say, it's not really the work - yes you don't use your head much in audit but the work isn't too hard, just time pressured.

Thoughts? - I have almost 4 years to run on my contract.


What location are you based in?

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