Consultant: Gabby
Expertise: Big 4 External Audit
Life stage: Young Professional Mom
Beech Valley Outcome: Flexibility and Career Progression
How long have you been working with Beech Valley?
I worked with Beech Valley between 2021 and 2022.
How many projects did you take on?
I took on a single project with BDO, a large and very well-known Top 10 accounting firm.
Do you still work with that company?
The company extended me an offer of full-time employment after I completed my project work there.
What motivated you to take the leap from full-time to freelancing?
Before I had my daughter in 2018, I had honestly sworn off accounting. I didn’t think the industry would be very supportive of the lifestyle wanted as a mother.
When I got a call from a public accounting firm via a manager I had worked with previously, I was hesitant but they promised me flexibility. But the flexible arrangement we set up didn’t quite work – for either the firm or for me. Our expectations weren’t aligned.
From there, I went on to a different firm – but felt boxed in. I didn’t get growth opportunities and wanted to move into a supervisory role. After two years, I didn’t see the progress and decided to move on.
I got an email from Beech Valley – one of many I had received after applying to join their “A-List” – and decided it was the right time to explore flexible roles where I could work on my own terms.
The opportunity I got in my in-box – to oversee an audit team – was a great fit with my goals, and the compensation was honestly amazing.
It was a no-brainer to accept.
How did Beech Valley influence your career and life path?
If I had stuck to the traditional accounting trajectory I thought that I was tied to, I would have left accounting.
Now, I am at a top 10 firm, able to work remotely with my husband’s travel since he is in the military – and I have proven to myself and my employers that I can manage work/life balance.
I get to be there for my family, excel at work, and receive better compensation. Beech Valley helped make this happen.
Interested in independent consulting opportunities? Apply to join the a-list today.