As a CPA, you’ve worked hard to earn your designation, grow your expertise, and establish a steady trajectory in your career. But what happens when that trajectory stalls?
You might be in a role where your learning has plateaued, advancement opportunities are limited, or you’re starting to feel boxed into one area of finance. For many professionals, the idea of making a lateral move in your career feels like a step sideways, not forward. But in reality, lateral career moves can be the most strategic decisions you make to achieve long-term success when your current role has no visible path for career progression.
Why Lateral Moves Deserve a Second Look
It’s common for CPAs to associate progress with promotions. Title changes, salary increases, bigger teams, and more responsibility are natural markers of growth. But there’s another, often overlooked path to the top: lateral mobility.
Moving sideways—whether within your current organization or by accepting an external role at the same level—can position you for significantly greater opportunities down the road.
Here’s how:
- Broadens your finance skill set across new functions like FP&A, reporting, audit, compliance, or treasury
- Builds adaptability and learning agility—two essential traits for executive leadership
- Expands your professional network by exposing you to new leaders, teams, and stakeholders
- Demonstrates career ownership—the ability to make bold decisions in pursuit of growth
Executives in roles like VP Finance or CFO often have wide-ranging experience across multiple areas of finance. CPAs who only specialize in one function risk being overlooked for those roles—not because of lack of talent, but due to limited exposure.
When It’s Time to Move Laterally
If you’re feeling stuck or uninspired in your current role, here are some common signs that a lateral move could help you climb further, faster:
1. Stalled Learning and Development
If you haven’t learned anything new in the last 6–12 months, or your role feels repetitive, it may be time to refresh your challenges. A lateral move into a new department or company can offer fresh problems to solve and new tools to master.
2. Limited Upward Mobility
Sometimes, the person above you isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If your career is stalled because of a locked org chart, a lateral move might be the only way to keep advancing your own development.
3. Too Much Time in One Function
CPAs often become subject matter experts in areas like financial reporting, corporate accounting, controllership or FP&A. But staying too long in a single function without diversifying your experience can create barriers to long-term career progression. Senior finance leaders are expected to understand multiple disciplines, not just one.
4. Outgrowing the Role or Company
If you’ve mastered your current position but aren’t being offered new responsibilities, or if the company lacks the scale or business growth to support your ambitions, consider stepping sideways to an organization that offers better career prospects.
It’s Not Just About Title—It’s About Trajectory
The biggest hesitation CPAs face when considering a lateral move is the lack of an immediate title bump. But remember:
A new title might look good today—but a new ladder can take you higher in the long run.
When you broaden your experience, develop new capabilities, and expose yourself to a wider range of business challenges, you become a more attractive candidate for senior leadership roles—roles that require breadth, not just depth.
Lateral moves aren’t about standing still. They’re about changing lanes so you can accelerate forward again and fulfill your career ambitions by investing your valuable time elsewhere.
When the Move Also Solves Other Career Pain Points
In many cases, a lateral move can also be the answer to other common job frustrations, even if your title doesn’t change:
- Work-life balance issues: A new employer may offer an improvement to overall hours expected, or a less demanding schedule
- Below-market compensation: A lateral title with a higher salary is still a financial step forward and helps improve your future earnings potential
- Toxic culture or poor leadership: Sometimes, the environment—not the work—is what’s holding you back
- Commute or flexibility challenges: Changing organizations could bring a shorter commute or different work arrangements that are better lifestyle fit
When multiple pain points are affecting your day-to-day job satisfaction, making a lateral move to find a better overall fit can revitalize your career and your mindset.
How to Make a Strategic Lateral Move
If you’re considering this kind of career pivot, here’s how to do it strategically:
Clarify your long-term goals: Where do you want to be in 3–5 years? Choose lateral roles that expand the competencies you’ll need to get there.
Identify the skill or exposure gaps in your résumé: Then seek out roles that can close them—such as new functional experience and expertise, a system implementation project, exposure to M&A transactions, or people management.
Partner with an expert who specializes in guiding CPA careers: A skilled recruiter can help you evaluate the tradeoffs, explore roles you might not have considered, and ensure each move supports your long-term trajectory.
You Don’t Have to Climb the Same Ladder Forever
If you’re not moving forward, it might be time to step sideways. That doesn’t mean you’re off track, it means you’re adjusting your path to climb higher on a new ladder.
Lateral moves can offer fresh opportunities for advancement, renewed motivation, and ultimately, a faster path to the leadership roles you’re aiming for. Whether you’re feeling stuck in one area of finance, or just ready for a new challenge, consider whether a horizontal move is the smartest step forward.
At CAC, we help CPAs think strategically about their careers, not just their next job. We can help you assess whether a lateral move is the right next step, and connect you with companies who value growth, professional development, and future leadership.
Looking for a role that sets you up for bigger things in the future?
Explore current CPA opportunities or speak to our team about how we can help you plan the next strategic step in your career.
