Lateral from industry accounting to restructuring?

I graduated from a non-target university with a 3.8/4 in spring 2020 and had solid internships and leadership experiences. I also competed in varsity sport. Given the non-target I didn't have the option for IB or consulting and joined a large oil and gas company in their CPA rotational program. I chose this over Big 4 audit due to pay and not wanting to do audit. I have been in my role for about 1 year now and am realizing I don't think accounting is my career choice. I would be really interested in moving to a restructuring role at a A&M/FTI/Big4 firm. I like the idea of doing more project/transaction focused work in a client advisory role. 

I was first curious if I should wait to get my CPA prior to getting a new job?

Second, can you move into restructuring from industry accounting or is big 4 audit experience recommend? I can see a mix of both on LinkedIn but still unsure. 

1 Comments
 

Dolorem assumenda sunt libero adipisci corrupti. Non aut qui omnis ducimus delectus minima. A doloribus qui eum recusandae ea quam. Aut possimus quis aut quis vel.

Non nostrum modi ipsum ea eum ea. Provident corporis in fuga nihil sed quasi. Optio assumenda quo voluptatem doloremque laborum amet. Et voluptatem soluta dignissimos odio sit delectus.

Maiores rem beatae eveniet iste possimus dignissimos est asperiores. Repellat similique eveniet voluptas voluptas harum. Similique consequatur ut est nulla sed dolorem cum.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $245
  • Engagement Manager (114) $233
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $137
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (393) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1167) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (640) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”