Most tax roles worth having are never posted
If your search consists of applying to listings, you are competing for the small fraction of jobs that reached a job board, against everyone else doing the same thing. There is a better way to run this.
What we know that you do not
We have spent a combined 30+ years being the mechanism by which these roles get filled. So we can tell you where the openings really are, how far in advance companies start looking, and which of the moves you are considering are common and which are quietly very hard.
Two things people are consistently surprised by. Tax hiring is seasonal. Corporate departments hire in predictable windows tied to compliance and planning cycles, and applying in the wrong month means competing for attention that does not exist. And the senior roles move through relationships, which means the work of a search at Director level and above is mostly not applying.
What we do in the hour
- Target the right roles. Where you are genuinely competitive, where you are reaching, and where you are overqualified and would be screened out for it.
- Timing. When to start, when to move, and when waiting four months is the higher-return decision.
- How to work recruiters. We are recruiters. We will tell you plainly what makes us call you back, and what candidates do that quietly removes them from consideration.
- Public to industry, or the reverse. The most common move we coach, and the one with the most avoidable mistakes.
- Compensation. What the market actually pays for your level right now, and how to handle the number when it comes up.
What to bring
Your situation, not a resume. Where you are, what you want, what is making you consider a move, and what is holding you back. If you want work done on the resume itself, that is a separate session.
What candidates say
“He was familiar with almost every tax professional in the area and had intimate knowledge of the employers and their tax departments (e.g., personnel, culture, compensation and benefits). I always felt he was most interested in finding the ‘right fit’ for me and was serving MY purposes and objectives rather than those of the employers. My highest recommendation!”
“I have reached out to Sven multiple times to get his thoughts and advice on various roles through the years and his honest opinions are something I rely upon. I would recommend Sven to anyone looking for a career opportunity. Thank you, Sven.”
From candidates of our recruiting practice. More recommendations on LinkedIn · Rated 4.7 on Google
$350 · 60 minutes
Common questions
Will you place me in a role?
No. Coaching and recruiting are kept completely separate, and paying us gives you no advantage in any search we run. What you get is a combined 30+ years of knowing how these searches work.
Should I leave Big 4 now or make partner first?
Depends on your practice, your office, and honestly your appetite. This is one of the most common questions we get and there is a real answer for your specific situation, which is not the same as the general one.
I have been searching for six months with nothing. What is wrong?
Usually one of three things, and it is normally identifiable inside an hour. Long unproductive searches almost always have a structural cause rather than a bad-luck one.
Is this confidential? I am still employed.
Completely. Most of the people we have worked with over a combined 30+ years were employed and quiet about it. That is the normal case, not the exception.
Other coaching services
- College Graduate Career Counseling$175
- LinkedIn 101$225
- Resume Advice$250
- Interview Coaching$350
- Year-End Performance Review$350
- Public Accounting to Industry$350
- Executive Presentations$475
- Boardroom Presentations$550
Coaching fees are for preparation, confidence and intentional execution. They do not put you in front of our clients or move you up any shortlist. If we are actively representing you for a role with one of our clients, we will not charge you coaching fees related to that search, and we will not advise an employer on a shortlist that includes a coaching client. Full policy here.