[Anonn]

I’m a 23yr old recent graduate that is currently working as a Staff Accountant for pensions. I’m studying for BEC and take my first exam next week.

I never really liked accounting. I majored in it for the $ and the safety, but I’m realizing that is not what matters because I’m not happy. I’m not the type to sit in a desk 8hrs a day typing. But the problem is I don’t know what career path I’m interested in (thinking about police or FF), but I know it’s not accounting.

So in the mean time I’m studying for the CPA to get a well known credential and bc my brother just passed and feel like i also should get it, but it’s making me 100x more miserable. If I stop studying I’m worried if I get stuck in accounting then I’m screwed without the CPA.

ANY advice? Should I stick with it? Has anyone transitioned careers not knowing what they wanted to do? What are some first steps to take to find the right career

[TommyL]

Back when I got out of college, I was working in sales but i absolutely hated it. I knew I had 2 passions in life: Nursing & Accounting, but I wasn't sure which one I liked the most. I started taking accounting courses in the evening and eventually quit my sales job and started working as an entry level AR accountant. I worked there during the day and took nursing classes during the night. It was tough but it enabled me to pay the bills and gave me a chance to figure out what I wanted to do as a career. In the end I chose Accounting because Nursing, even though rewarding, was too emotionally stressful to me. It was sad to give it up but at least now I can move on in life with no regrets.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that life is too short for you to do something you don't love. The only thing I wish I did differently was to follow dream straight out of college, and not waste 2-3 years of my life in that dreadful sales position.

[CantStopWontStop]

I've been in public accounting for 6 years. My opinion, if you don't like it, it will be miserable. Find something that you love. I often tell students at the career fair, if you want to do accounting just for the money, it's not worth it- at all!

[Anonn]

@TommyL @CantStopWontStop

Thank you guys for the helpful words. I really appreciate it. Another point, since I know accounting is not what I see myself doing, I’m very confused and lost on the steps to take to find that right career. And I’m sure me and a million other people are in this position

[TommyL]

@Anonn THat is true. Did you take any classes in college that you are particularly interested in? What about your personality? Are you a people person? Do you like working with computers? Do you like traveling? Do you enjoy helping people? I guess the best way to start is dig deep and find out more about yourself. List out your experiences, likes and dislikes and then ask people for suggestions.

[Anonn]

@TommyL you’re truly a help. Thanks so much. As of now, I know I’m a people person and absolutely love helping people. I like being active way more than sitting in a desk for my work day. I like having everyday be a different adventure and not having the same day to day, week to week, responsibilities

[TommyL]

Well you mentioned police and firefighter, which I think are great choices. My cousin is a member of the coast guard and they get great benefits. Other choices are maybe nursing, physical therapist, EMT etc

One thing you should consider is your educational background. There is more than one way to help people and it is never too late to go back to school. But if you hate biology and can't stand blood, then naturally the medical field or emergency services is not right for you.

[Sam]

Pension accounting sounds like it could be a little repetitive and boring so it might be worth investigating other areas of accounting. You may want to try auditing before you completely write off accounting all together. You will pretty much be at a different client each week so you will be traveling out of the office. This might add the spice you are looking for. You could also look into consulting at a company like Huron. They often hire accountants to implement ERP and accounting software. This will also allow you to travel and work with clients. Sometimes your passion needs to be developed over time and young kids often don't really know much about the professional world until they spend a few years working. I would give it a little more time in some other area of accounting before you make a career change. And most important – don't stress about anything.

[Jimmy Dugan]

You are 23. You can only get stuck in accounting if you let yourself get stuck in accounting. If you already know you hate it, leave, with great haste.

And please, dear sweet God please, don't continue trying to get your CPA just because your brother has it or you think it is a great thing to put on your resume. It is a miserable process and I wouldn't encourage anyone to go through it unless they plan to make a career out of accounting. Even if you wanted to move into finance, an MBA would serve you much better.

[Author]

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