Guys, What Should I Do At This Point?

Need Advice: What Should I Do Next?

Hey everyone, I’m a 23-year-old entry-level Audit associate who graduated from a U.S. college last May. I started working full-time at a public Accounting firm last August after interning there and forming connections with several colleagues from my school. It was the only firm that offered me a full-time position during my senior year, and now I’m seven months in.

To be honest, it’s been pretty overwhelming since I joined.

On regular days, my hours are from 8 AM to 6 PM, but during busy season, I often work until 2 AM. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been pulling late nights (Monday to Thursday), as once I leave the office at 7 PM, I need to commute home, eat dinner, run errands, and have a brief break. I usually manage to start working around 9:30 PM to 10 PM, pushing late into the night to finish my tasks and update the Audit senior in charge each morning. Our firm’s philosophy prioritizes “ownership of work,” meaning you’re expected to complete all assignments on time.

I crave more sleep, but I need to get all my assigned work done within a week. Each week focuses on a specific client, and the budgeted hours can only be met if everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, I feel stuck at my desk, missing out on enjoying the fresh air. My days seem to pass in a blur of morning and night, with little in between.

Each week feels like a race to meet expectations, and the Audit seniors are quite fixated on our budgeted hours. They’ll frequently check in to see if I’ve completed a work paper or audit section, and every inquiry amplifies the pressure I feel. Often, when I ask for help, I either receive vague answers or find them too busy to assist. I’ve skipped lunch to meet deadlines, eating as late as 4 or 5 PM just to stay on track.

This intense environment has taken a toll on my well-being. My parents, especially my dad, disapprove of my late hours, worrying about my health and suggesting I quit before it becomes detrimental. Late nights feel ghostly quiet, with my dad’s voice echoing my routine. I’ve been feeling increasingly down and unmotivated, and weekends don’t seem to offer a real recovery from the mental fatigue of the weekdays.

What really spurred me to write this post is that I’ve been working on two large clients this week, and I’m starting to fall behind. Large clients typically have complex testing that increases the likelihood of issues, further delaying my progress. Last week, I wasn’t feeling well and had to take a day off, which means I now need to catch up on last weekend’s missed work.

Compounding the stress, I am currently dealing with discrepancies that are slowing progress on both clients. I’ve got about 45-50 hours left to complete everything by Thursday morning, and I’m expected to finish almost the entire audit binder with minimal assistance from my busy audit senior. Today, when she suggested we take a group selfie, I struggled to muster a smile until she prompted me, which felt forced.

Now, I have to report my estimated time to complete (ETC) and budget overruns to the principal on Friday, who is notoriously harsh on criticism. I’m apprehensive since I know I’ll likely receive negative feedback for not meeting expectations.

I’m seriously considering quitting sometime this month. With the current environment, I doubt I can last a year. Three colleagues recently left feeling disillusioned about their future in the firm, and I’m beginning to understand their perspective. I might explore options outside of Accounting or use this time to study for my CPA and shift to industry roles.

It’s clear that management prioritizes work completion over employee well-being, and I just needed to share my experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. By the way, I hold