Background: The auditing industry has long struggled with high turnover among audit assistants, often driven by high demands and a lack of work-life balance. At the same time, time spent in the industry offers the opportunity to acquire valuable competencies and build a strong professional network, which attracts many to seek new career opportunities and challenges.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate why audit assistants choose to leave the profession and to explore and identify the competencies and career opportunities that a position as an audit assistant creates.

Method: The study employs a deductive approach based on established theories and existing research to understand the reasons behind the high turnover rate and the opportunities the profession offers. The data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight former audit assistants, providing us with the opportunity to capture individuals' subjective experiences and interpretations.

Results and conclusions: After analyzing the empirical data in relation to theory, it becomes apparent that the main reasons for audit assistants leaving the profession are consistent with existing research on work-life balance and job satisfaction. Many of the respondents highlight that working as an audit assistant provides a valuable platform for career development by offering comprehensive training, skills enhancement, and networking opportunities.

Key words: Employee turnover, up or out, job satisfaction, work-life balance, competence development, educational opportunities, network