The Grass Is Not Always Greener in Non Audit Roles: What I Wish I Knew Earlier in My Career

There is a moment in many auditors’ careers when they look around the audit room and think to themselves that everyone else seems to be working toward something else. Some want to break into FP&A. Others dream of forensic accounting or valuation. A few are waiting for the right opportunity in industry or transaction advisory. The common thread is the feeling that audit is temporary and that the real work, the more interesting work, is somewhere else.

This mindset is understandable, especially when long hours, busy season pressure, and client demands stack up. Yet as someone who has lived through several of the career paths that auditors chase, I want to offer a cautionary perspective. This is not meant to discourage ambition or progression. Instead it is meant to fill in the parts of the picture that people rarely talk about. I am writing this for the version of myself who once believed that the grass on the other side would be unquestionably greener.

Audit is a foundational training ground that shapes your professional instincts, your attention to risk, and your ability to communicate with clarity. It teaches skills that travel well across the profession. But when people think about leaving audit, they often focus on the obvious upsides and overlook the challenges that come with each new role. The truth is that every path has benefits and drawbacks. The better you understand those realities, the better equipped you are to choose the one that fits your values and your stress tolerance.

Below are some of the insights I wish someone had shared with me earlier.

The Appeal of FP&A and the Reality Behind the Scenes

FP&A attracts many auditors because it feels forward looking and analytical. You get to build models, forecast performance, and support decision making. It sounds exciting compared to ticking and tying.

Yet FP&A can present a very different kind of stress. In many companies, the work is never fully done and never fully correct. There is always a new scenario, a new assumption, or a new change in direction. As a result, the timeline you planned for the day can collapse with one request from leadership.

I have seen this firsthand. I know FP&A professionals who had carefully built a model only to have a senior leader manually edit cells and formulas, break half the file in the process, then expect them to fix it with a fast turnaround. I have experienced the feeling of finally wrapping up a version of a forecast, only for someone to say that the revenue assumptions were wrong and need to be updated immediately because a meeting was moved up.

If you dislike ambiguity or last second changes, corporate FP&A may feel draining. If you enjoy dynamic decision making and do not mind working on moving targets, you may find the environment energizing. Smaller businesses often offer a healthier balance with fewer last minute revisions and more thoughtful planning, which can be a great fit for people who enjoy analysis without the constant fire drills.

The challenge is not that FP&A is bad. The challenge is that it is not the haven of calm financial storytelling that many auditors imagine it to be.

The Quiet Complexity of Forensic Accounting

Forensic accounting sounds glamorous from the outside. Many students imagine dramatic fraud investigations or building cases from highly sophisticated data sets. Television certainly does not help.

The truth is far more labor intensive. In my own forensic work, I once parsed through hundreds of PDF files to find the specific data points I needed. This was before advanced AI tools were widely available. It required patience, organization, and the ability to make sense of messy information that was never designed for analysis.

Forensic engagements in smaller firms can involve divorce cases, family disputes, or tracking personal assets. These can be emotionally draining because the work touches on relationships, conflict, and real losses. It is not the same as the structured, rules based world of auditing. It requires sensitivity, empathy, and the ability to stay neutral when clients are frustrated or distressed.

If you enjoy digging into details, solving puzzles, and working independently for long stretches, forensic accounting can be deeply rewarding. If you prefer structure, predictability, or technical accounting over investigative work, it might not be the right destination.

The Predictability and Repetition of Industry Roles

Many auditors look toward industry roles or corporate accounting because they appear to offer better hours and more control over personal time. In many ways this is true. The schedule is more predictable, and the work follows a familiar monthly cadence.

However, predictability comes with its own limitations. Many companies block vacation around close cycles. Some of my friends working in publicly traded companies face even tighter restrictions because reporting deadlines leave little room for flexibility. If you value taking time off at specific points in the year, industry roles can feel limiting.

Repetition can also become a challenge. Unlike audit, which exposes you to different clients each year, industry roles often involve the same tasks every month. Some professionals enjoy this stability. Others feel boxed in after a few years and miss the variety that audit provided.

If you want stability and are comfortable with a clear routine, industry can be a great fit. If you crave variety and learning new environments, it may not feel as refreshing as you expect.

The Fast Pace of Transaction Advisory

Transaction advisory sounds exciting because it deals with deals. You work on transactions, analyze businesses, and play a role in major financial decisions.

The reality is that the work can go from slow to overwhelming with very little warning. I have seen multiple colleagues walk into the office on a Friday morning expecting a quiet end to the week only to receive a request at noon that had to be completed before Monday. Plans get cancelled. Weekends disappear. Deadlines do not move because the deal team found something new at the last minute.

I have been there myself, stuck on late Friday calls and rushing to help a client prepare something they needed urgently. These moments create adrenaline, but they also create burnout if they happen too frequently.

If you thrive in high pressure environments and enjoy project based work with clear endings, transaction advisory can be a perfect match. If you want predictable hours or a consistent weekly rhythm, it can feel overwhelming.

Internal Audit and Valuation Bring Their Own Trade Offs

Internal audit can feel appealing because it offers corporate stability without giving up the auditing skill set. Yet internal audit often involves heavy travel and repeating the same process cycles every year. It is a great role for people who love understanding internal processes and improving controls. It is not ideal for anyone who wants creative or forward looking work.

Valuation work offers technical complexity and the chance to work on sophisticated financial models. Yet it often involves tight deadlines, high expectations, and long periods spent refining models that must withstand intense scrutiny. It can be rewarding for those who enjoy technical depth. It can be exhausting for those who prefer broader business involvement.

The Point Is Not To Stay Put. The Point Is To Choose Wisely.

None of these roles are inherently better or worse than audit. They simply come with trade offs that many people do not fully understand until they are already in the seat. This is what I want students and young professionals to know.

Audit provides the structure, discipline, and professional instincts that make all these transitions possible. It is a foundation that sets you up for future success. Leaving audit is part of many career paths, but it should be done with clarity and self awareness.

Ask yourself questions like these:

Do I prefer variety or routine?
Do I enjoy forward looking analysis or detailed investigative work?
Do I thrive in fast paced deadlines or do I prefer stability and planning?
Do I want structured expectations or evolving priorities?

Each answer points to you toward a different environment. When you match your natural strengths and stress tolerance to the realities of a role, you give yourself the best chance at a fulfilling career.

The grass on the other side can be greener if it is the right field for you. The key is knowing what you are really stepping into.

If you approach these choices with grounded expectations, curiosity, and an honest understanding of your personality, you will find a career path that supports both your growth and your wellbeing.