[protest]

(This might be a little long, sorry)

Hi,

So,..I’m 25, I graduated college 2 years ago with a BS in Accounting, I’ve taken 3 of the 4 parts of the exam, and I have passed the first 3. I’ll be taking my last part towards the end of the year. I say that I’m lost because even though I’m going to take my last exam, I really have no desire to take it. I’m just taking it because I took the first 3, and I took the first three because it’s what I felt I needed to do since I graduated with an accounting degree.

I’ve been basically going through the motions, but now I don’t know where else to go. I’m a hedge fund accountant at a Fortune 500 Company, and I’ve been there for about 2 years. That sounds nice, but it amounts to about the same salary as some of the servers I worked with at the restaurant I worked at during school.

I’m lost because I don’t see what lies past the CPA exam. I have a friend that works at Deloitte. He has always pushed me to put my application in so he can refer me, but he works 60ish (sometimes more) hours a week for around half the year. That’s not something I’m interested in at all, and that seems to be my biggest issue.

I’m struggling to see where I can go in accounting unless I’m willing to sacrifice significant time with my wife, family, friends, and eventually kids. However, if I don’t sacrifice that time, I’m struggling to see how I’m going to effectively provide for them long term. I also feel like the work I put in during school and for the exam may really be wasted. Honestly, I don’t stress very easily, but I’m pretty stressed right now.

Is there some form of middle ground somewhere? Or are my only choices glorified bookkeeper, or married to my job? Is Tax an ok option because it’s only a few months of insane hours? Is the IRS a good way to go? Please help calm my overly neurotic nerves.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Anonymous]

I think if you explore other options (things that interest you) you will find that there are accounting jobs in areas that may interest you more than hedge fund accounting or working your tail off in public. I work in healthcare accounting and am very happy with what I do which, by the way I am not a glorified bookkeeper, lol. Having your cpa will open doors for you in private accounting jobs such as controllership positions or maybe a cfo somewhere.

I am definitely not taking the exams so that I can work in public but to further my career where I currently am, plus it gives me other options in the future.

Good luck

[protest]

Thank you, and I was just talking about what I currently do with the bookkeeping comment lol.

I think (hope) my point of view is just skewed from my experience in my company (being a CPA does not further you here), and from the only other thing I know being public accounting. The vast majority of jobs I see posted usually have public accounting experience as requirements. I kind of feel like what I'm currently doing won't really be counted as experience unless I continue in this field. Which something I really just can't see myself doing. I also think part of my problem is that I don't really know what I want to do, or what I want to go into. I just know what I don't want to do.

[Author]

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