[Anonymous]

what are some options -is it possible or does having that CPA sort of pigeon hole you?

[jamesjohnson11]

This is the dumbest questions ever. Does having a CPA pigeon hole you? are you serious?

R PASS
A PASS
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F AUGUST

[Minimorty]

lol. This question is a little silly, but I have seen a lot worse.

The CPA designation is one of the most broad licenses/designations you could possibly have. You can work in pretty much any industry you want and there are a ton of different roles you could have. The CPA license is basically the complete opposite of being pigeon-holed.

What are you doing now and what do you want to do once you have your license?

[Anonymous]

Of course it doesn't pigeon-hole you! As Minimorty wrote (or similar) – being a CPA opens up many more doors for you. If you don't want to to do something in this sort of business field – if you want to be an art therapist, stenographer, babysitter doctor, lecturer, travel agent… being a CPA doesn't mean you can't do it!

What career do you want?

[Anonymous]

I've always had a passion for Computer Science…but when I first started college I wasn't focused and couldn't get far in the math classes needed for CS. Finally after f'ing around for so many years I decided to settle for Business because let's be honest, it's a relatively easy major compared w/CS and Engineering.

I'm glad I have the opportunity to work in Accounting right out of college. They say accounting is the language of business, and the experience I gain in the next couple years will carry with me and be transferable to many other industries and jobs.

However, I still want to follow my passion of working in high-tech/startup company of some kinda, preferably as a programmer. The thing is, by the time I get my CPA and acquire some experience in accounting, I'll be at least 30 years old. I think that's too old to be getting another degree in CS.

What I was thinking about doing is just learning how to program on my own — once I pass the CPA first, of course. I've gotten as far as Advanced C++ so I'm a little familiar with languages. Once I pass the CPA, I plan on taking a few classes on OOP and then picking up a few languages on my own, maybe Java, PHP, Ruby, etc.

Has anyone else wanted to dive into CS? What are the languages that's useful these days? I want to learn Java so I can develop on Android phones; PHP/RUBY for web development; and C++ to get a good foundation in programming. Any good website/resources for learning to program or participate in “projects”?

Will I have a chance at getting a good programming job? I'm not worried so much about the education, as I know the degree itself isn't worth as much as the actual programs you have built in your own free time. However, I'm concerned that it is hard to get a programming job unless you have started young and built several programs on your own.

[jeff]

I would teach yourself how to write an app – and then do it. You don't need to go back to school or work for someone…write it out of your proverbial garage.

[jeff]

btw – I give talks to groups about “smart personal finance” (I'm a Dave Ramsey-trained counselor) and being a CPA gives me a huge boost of credibility even though it has nothing to do with accounting.

[mla1169]

@cannotpass 30 is definately not too old if that is really what you want to do! I didn't even start college until I was 33, and just finished my masters at 42. Didn't even make the news for being elderly and graduating lol!

To the op, go to monster or any job website and search on the keyword CPA. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the range of jobs that pop up.

Jeff can you tell me about the Dave Ramsey training? Are there prerequisites? Do they have it all over the country?

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Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[jelly]

You can get a little bit pigeon-holed in the industry you work in. If you've seen a variety of industries while in public accounting, it's a little easier to jump around when looking for private industry work.

Couldn't pass again!

[Author]

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