It sounds like you work for a big national firm. I don't myself, but I have heard that this is common in the large firms. They are probably trying to help you develop expertise in a particular industry. I will try to respond to this with the hope that, if something I say is incorrect as applied to a large national firm, someone who does work for a big firm will reply with more appropriate advice.
I am assuming that this is your first accounting job, since you are posting on Emerging CPAs. If you already have experience in a specific industry, they tend to put you on those jobs. If you don't have experience, you have to substitute for that experience. You need to do three things before you go to your review and ask for a different type of assignment:
- Decide what kind of industry you'd like to audit, given your firm's clients. You have a lot better chance of getting somewhere else if you know where that somewhere else is. Don't go to a review and ask to do another industry audit without being specific about which industry it is that you are interested in.
- Find out everything you can about that industry. Become aware of the specific environment, and this will help you get an understanding of problematic areas in audits. Read trade publications and websites of trade associations. Find out industry benchmarks for financial measures. Read some of your firm's clients' financial statements in that industry. Become aware of specialized accounting techniques for that industry, the effect of recent technology on that industry, and the effect of current events or regulations on that industry.
- Find out who the senior personnel in charge of the audits in your firm for those industry clients are. Try to become known to them by asking intelligent questions (after you have done the above) and exchanging small talk about recent events that are relevant to that client/industry. That demonstrates your value to the people who have to want you on their jobs.
When you have done all of those things, bring up your desire to be assigned to an audit in that specific industry at your review. Talk about the preparation you have done in terms of becoming familiar with that industry and those clients. If you have established your value with the people who run those jobs, and there are no other adverse firm consequences to the change, you will probably be reassigned. If you have done all the above, everyone will know that you are serious, and no one will think you are being pushy.