[hutchinson29]

I don’t know if I am looking for an exact answer or not. Maybe I am just trying to get a feel for what the different options are like. I realize that just because you start somewhere doesn’t mean you can’t switch later. I am majoring in accounting and business management. There have been times where I have felt that I definitely want to get into accounting, and times that I have questioned it. I switched majors a few times in college. Initially I was an exercise science major and wanted to become a strength and conditioning coach in the NHL. I wanted to in order to be able to keep the training aspect as a part of my life once I was done playing and because I enjoyed training and the feeling of becoming a better hockey player. After sitting down with the same sports psychologist as zach parise on the mn wild, I started to realize that the off-ice training did not have the ROI that I thought, and that the mental part of the game had a much larger impact once skill was already developed. Because of that, I decided to switch majors. I switched to business marketing. When I took marketing, it wasn’t what I thought. I was expecting more along the lines of communication/sales and it was actually about the pricing strategy, ect. I then switched to business organizational leadership. My grades suffered a bit from not having a real passion for anything in school. After a while, I began to think, what is the point of this major? It is mostly common sense. (Marketing, Management, Business Ethics) and I came across my first accounting course since it was a requirement for my business major. It wasn’t a lot of math like I had thought, and I actually enjoyed the concept, the idea of the accounts switching back and forth, ect. I decided to become an accounting major. When I took my 2nd accounting course, managerial accounting which is the precursor to cost accounting, I actually enjoyed it and still do. It seemed like that aspect of accounting would allow someone to be more of a difference maker and thinker than traditional accounting. There are times when I think that I want to have a career in accounting because I find it more interesting than any other part of business, but there are other times that I wonder if that is a good enough reason to go into the field. I consider myself to have an entrepreneurial mindset and to be someone that thinks analytically and not always traditionally. I’m always reading some kind of Harvard Business Review book or a book of the like. In fact, sometimes my grades will suffer because I spend more time reading Harvard Business Review than my school books because I believe outside of a grade in the class, those books have a greater ROI. I am open to the idea of leaning more towards the business analyst type of positions once I graduate. I have seen entry level business analyst positions posted on indeed. However, I humbly realize that just because I might have the mind for it, doesn’t mean that other business experience wouldn’t be very helpful, and that includes accounting experience. I am getting experience as an accounting assistant right now. Sometimes I like it a lot, sometimes its, meh. It depends on the task I am completing. While I say this, I also am not expecting every job to be one I absolutely love. If I start in a cash reconciliation position, there is nothing stopping me from doing some kind of business analysis later in my career. I’m sure a position as a business analyst would involve financial, HR, marketing, ect. While I see accounting as something I would rather do in school than any other major, I am unsure if it is something that I would rather do out of school than anything else. I am not saying it can’t be, but that I am just unsure. Let’s say I graduate, and an accounting position opens up, great, I can do that and always switch later. Or, if a business analyst position opens up, I wouldn’t mind considering it as a possibility. However, I really would like to know what I am getting into. I really don’t know whats involved with a business analyst position. I really don’t know what’s involved with some of the entry level accounting positions either. And in addition, it would be nice to not spend time in a part of a career that I eventually decide I do not want to do. Any advice?

[teeteenounouche]

Sorry, wrong thread lmao

Florida:
AUD: 73, 81! Thank you Lord!
BEC: 73, 77! Thank you Lord! and WTB
REG: 71, 82! Thank you Lord! and A71
FAR: 72, 78! Thank you God and my Mommy in Heaven!

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[Tux]

Congratulations for asking great questions – of yourself and of others.

Keep asking questions! You'll get the answers.

Talk to people who are doing the kind of work you're considering. Meet with them in person and get a feel for the pros and cons of their job, as well as their career path options.

Pick as many brains as you are able to. And, if someone gives you negative feedback about a job, put it into perspective – maybe it's just not the right thing for them. Doesn't mean it's not right for you. That's why you need feedback from several people and know exactly what questions to ask to know if it's right for YOU. – not them.

Get experience when, where and however you can. There's nothing like doing something for real to know if you like it. Look for internships, and volunteer jobs to get your feet wet without a long term commitment.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[impska]

Private right away isn't a career-killer. Public accounting has some killer marketing that makes you think it's a must for your career. But the truth is, private isn't a dead end.

As with any other job, you have to keep your skills fresh and your ear to the ground for opportunities – because job changes lead to the biggest promotions/pay raises.

There's plenty of debate out there on the interwebz about the long term ROI of doing your time in public accounting vs starting out in private. And that should be key to your thinking: there's debate. It's not clear cut that you'll automatically do better by going to public.

To be perfectly honest, I don't even think it sounds like public accounting is for you. The things you like about accounting/business lean hard toward private. Pick up as much finance as you can to broaden your opportunity base. Apply to private industry internships to get an idea what you might like.

Go to work immediately upon graduating with your Bachelor's degree. Then give it a year or two and pick up an MBA or MAcc on your company's dime, depending on where your interests are leaning.

REG - 94
BEC - 92
FAR - 92
AUD - 99

[UHC2005]

Dang it Mayo, I didn't actually think I'd be called to the carpet on it.

Fine: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/MEMBERS_ONLY_jacket_tag.jpg

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FAR - (61,63)
AUD - (68)

Keep Calm and RTMFQ

Accountant, what is best in life? To crush your MCQs, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their SIMS!

[hutchinson29]

@tux & @impska thanks for the quality feedback. i appreciate it.

i agree with getting experience to help with knowing what you want to do. upon the end of the summer, i will look at part time accounting and business opportunities for during the school year. i think it is not just about what you like, but what you are good at as well.

i just created a linkedin profile, so maybe inboxing some professionals and asking to meet for coffee would be a good way to get more perspective.

as far as accounting goes, i would say i am above average in my understanding of how it works compared to my classmates (i hate to compare, but for explanation's sake) and that i really do not know how i compare in other dimensions of it. for reasons that don't matter to explain (work, trying to do too much) there were times when i would go into some of my accounting tests nearly blind, and somehow pull off the class average. i think this is from a combination of my understanding of accounting, and the kind of logic i have that helps me in those situations. this is at a forbes top 400 school, not that the rankings are always accurate, but i think that shows that my classmates are not dummies.

with that in mind, that the understanding is my strength, and that memorization might be a weakness, i think i may want to be involved with some kind of position(s) that involve being a financial architect, or operations architect, or cost accounting position in the future. that is a ways away though.

i think where the things that i have to concern myself with at this point in my life are related as follows:

if accounting is not long-term, is it something i go into at all? if i go into it unsure if its what i want to do and start in private, i could save a lot of money on cpa exam study materials if by the time i pass the exam, i might not even be doing accounting anymore

if it is long-term, how do i go about getting the 150 credits? Do i take as many as possible during the school year and feel overwhelmed and have my grades suffer or do i graduate with 144 or around that and take 2 classes at community/state school after graduation to get to the 150.

also, if i had my choice of where i could start in private, it would be in a cash rec position or a position where i can learn from someone above me. i know a lot of the starting positions in private are a/p or a/r. I do some a/r at my job right now and while sometimes i don't mind it, it is definitely the least favorite part of my job. i'm social but don't consider being on the phone with a stranger than i can't see and will forget about tomorrow to be a social situation. i get annoyed when customers call and say “oh my card got declined when i tried to pay online, so i want to pay over the phone” well, its going to get declined over the phone too. (i'm nice to them, despite thinking to myself, come on) i mean i'm happy to just have a job don't get me wrong, but my point is that a/p and a/r would be more along the lines of last resorts for me. so the way that plays in is when i'm stuck between taking a business position, or waiting and seeing if an entry level position in private gets posted on indeed anytime soon.

thanks

[Tux]

Regarding your question which basically says – if accounting is not long-term, then should I do it at all?

Since we can't predict the future, the only way to know if it's right for you is to try it. you're asking good questions and getting good information. If there's something inside of you that's still interested and considering it, then you'll have to go through that door to find out for sure. Look at my suggestions above for ways to get your feet wet without a long-term commitment.

Regarding how many classes to take – keep up your GPA. You never know if you'll decide to go to grad school later. If you decide to do that, your grades will matter.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[Author]

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