What Accountants Should Do in Between Jobs
Switching jobs is an important step in every young financial professional's journey. Getting a new job means new compensation, new responsibilities, and a new chance to learn and grow. It's very likely that one of the catalysts to accountants switching jobs is burnout, which is why I recommend taking some extra time off in between jobs. This extra time might take a bit more planning with regards to your interview process and your personal finances, but it is well worth it. When I changed jobs in 2022, I took nearly a month of time to myself to rest, recuperate, and reinvigorate myself before starting my new position. But it wasn't all easy. After spending years in public accounting, I needed to learn what to do with myself when I had this much free time. That's why today, I'm going to share my tips of what an accountant should do between jobs so you can make the most out of your next transition.
Tip #1 - Make a Plan and Set Some Goals
Accountants are used to structure because of their jobs. That structure comes from consistent recurring work, scheduling meetings, and known deadlines. When all that is taken away, and accountant can feel lost. Don't get me wrong, the first few days of having no one to answer to and nothing to do can be liberating. However once that initial time has passed, you are going to want to have a plan for your time. I recommend setting some goals to get done before you start your new job. Even if those goals are small, having something to accomplish in your down time will make a huge difference in your mental state because it will make you feel somewhat productive. Here's a list of the goals I had in between my jobs:
Go to the gym more often and on a consistent schedule
Home improvement projects like installing new light fixtures
Preparing course material for my class (a side hustle)
Cleaning out closet space
Reading a certain book
Learning a new recipe
By having these goals in the back of my head, I was able to use the time more effectively I had in between jobs. Because I had a list of things to accomplish, I was able to set aside time each day to progress on the goals so I could feel productive and not feel guilty relaxing for the other half of the day. By the time I started my new job, I felt both relaxed and accomplished with myself, which helped me jump into my new role quickly and effectively.
Tip #2 - Take Your Time Back!
On top of planning and setting some goals for yourself while you're in between jobs, it's important to realize that accountants are used to a certain working schedule. Many accounts are used to being busy during the first few months of the year if they're in public accounting or the first couple weeks of the month if they are an industry accountant. If you find yourself in this situation as an accountant, take that time back! Make plans with your friends on the days when you otherwise would need to be at work because of your old job's schedule. Set time aside to better yourself or do the things you love on a schedule that makes sense for you.
Tip #3 Take a Vacation / Time to Yourself
It's hard to take a vacation as an accountant. Between busy seasons, month-end closes, and staffing issues, it seems like there's never a good time to take a vacation. The time in between jobs is the perfect opportunity to make these vacations happen in a stress-free environment. I can personally tell you that some plans are much more easily made when you don't have to go back to work upon your return. For example, extended and international travel can be annoying when trying to balance it with accrued paid time off. But if you are in between jobs, the only time you must track is when you need to start your next job, no worrying about vacation balances. Additionally, using the time in between your jobs to go on a larger vacation is something I highly recommend because you truly won't be worrying about work while you're there. In the modern age of constant connectivity, we have trained ourselves to be always ready to think about work or respond to an email. By literally not having a job on your vacation, you are freer to enjoy yourself and make the most out of the time you spend away from home.
There you have it! If you get the opportunity to take time off in between your current job and your next job, I strongly recommend it. Hopefully, you can use these tips to make the most of that time!