[tr7111]

I’ve been in public accounting about 8 years now and every year it only becomes more and more obvious what a crap profession this is.

The pay is awful, the work is boring, and you get to see people making money because they chose the right profession by being an overpaid doctor or a stock hustler.

I know i’m bitching and moaning but I honestly wish i had a time machine to go back and never get my mba or my cpa license and study medicine or something so I can be part of their protected cartel.

Since I don’t have a time machine handy is there any way to get out of this horrible “profession” and into something that actually has advancement opportunities and good pay? I’d like to not make the last 10+ years of my life be a total waste and find something that I can at least leverage my education with. I realize my “experience” is mostly transposing numbers into a computer screen and totally worthless.

Any thoughts? Before you try to convince me how wonderful accounting is and how good the pay is, don’t bother. I’ve been in this joke of a “profession” long enough to see how little hope there is.

I’m seriously considering working as a farm hand and chucking hay bales for a living because it would be a more rewarding and pleasing job than this awful horsesh**.

[Andyred04]

https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/cpa-exam-forum-faqs-and-help-center

Rule 6-8 😉

FAR: 80 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
REG: 87 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
BEC: 87 (Gleim, Ninja Notes, Ninja MCQs)
AUD: 8/27/16

PA Candidate

[Missy]

Make sure you get overalls when you're chucking hay bales. Not sure what kind of exit plan from accounting you're looking for from a group of accountants, LOL.

Andyred 6-8 are about drama, off topic venting is allowed (also in the faq). “Drama” refers to name calling, belittling others, etc. Being miserable with a career isn't dramatic.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Jdn9201]

I'm sorry you are miserable in your job. I have to say, it is what you make of it. Only you can decide if you should move to another field, but the grass isn't always greener. All I have to say is I hope you are really good at leaving this attitude at home and not being bitter at work.

BEC - 88 8/29/15
REG - 82 11/14/15
AUD - 83 1/8/16
FAR - 80 2/29/16

[ruggercpa2b]

A lot the people that I know that have been in public accounting for 8 years are at least managers or senior managers Which is most firms that is where they are making more money. I have switched jobs in the last 3 years for more pay. If you are in an role that has no advancement opportunities then I would not expect you stay in that role for more than 2 years.

When I worked at a Big 4 I used to hate when the partners and directors would say “you are in charge of your career” But now I see what they meant. I ran into people that had not passed the CPA exam and stayed stagnant at senior because they were comfortable. Those people were definitely not fun to be around in the office because they were some serious debbie downers.

Have you considered going into private for more money?

AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
BEC - 8/20/2016
REG - TBD
FAR - TBD

I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

[PleaseDontDeleteThanks]

I feel the same way about my job…putting in extra hours, but not being rewarded. I've passed my exams, dry-cleaned my suits, and got a nice haircut. Now, I just need to find a good fit.

FAR 72, 89
BEC 80
REG 90
AUD 79

[choffner]

I changed from architecture to accounting. Sure, I'm not doing some glamorous work, but the pay is much nicer, and architecture was far from glamorous too.

Accounting gives us the ability to step out of college into a field that has available jobs, starts a 23 year old kid in the 45-55k salary range, lots of lateral and vertical movement opportunities…

I did a year in tax for a top 10 firm, then moved into a more specialized role with a top 15 firm. That gave me a 22% raise and a quicker path to partner should I choose to go that route.

I know you didn't want to be told about the upside, but as someone who used accounting to make a move up, I can assure you accounting is very far from a bad profession.

BEC 75
REG 81
FAR 69, 75
AUD 71, 74, 84

[tr7111]

Yeah I'm technically a “manager”. Yet all I manage is to transpose numbers onto a computer screen and review the transposing of numbers onto a computer screen by staff accountants. It's a joke title just like the “profession”.

Then they dangle a partnership in front of you expecting that to keep you at a low paying crap job. Trouble is I told them from the start I have no interest in being a partner. I think I'd prefer to piss in my own mouth and drown myself rather than talk to a bunch of old people and rich dickheads all day about their taxes.

[A]

Somewhere over on accountingsucks.com, someone is asking questions about effective study methods for Audit.

:hide

B - 77 (2.27.16)
A - 81 (4.18.16)
R -
F -

Roger Review + Ninja MCQs

[tr7111]

FYI, I scored over 90 on both FAR and REG. The job still doesn't pay enough.

I should've been a doctor so i could be a member of a cartel where my fees are subsidized by third party insurers and the government.

[Missy]

Go to med school, I'm not being sarcastic. If its what you think you'd feel rewarded by its not too late regardless of how many years you've invested in your current career. You sound positively miserable and like its time to get out, but now you've got the experience to know what exactly it would take for you not to be so miserable. Nobody here can tell you which directlon to follow because what I get satisfaction out of may make you even more miserable than you are now.

I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else. But I knew what it would take to balance job satisfaction with compensation, had to make some compromises and overall believe I have found the best match to my personality and strengths.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Stilgoin]

I hate to state the obvious, but if you are that smart and you hate it, then quit. Many people have MBAs and are in different professions than accounting. What are you waiting for exactly?

B | 62, 78
A | 73, 67, 79
R | 82
F | 59, 59, Waiting

Ethics | 93

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
~Winston Churchill

“In a world full of critics, be an encourager."

[Biff-1955-Tannen]

Get a doctorate degree and be a professor at a university?

AUD 93 Jan 16
BEC 83 Feb 16
FAR 83 Apr 16
REG 84 May 16

99% Ninja MCQ only

[tr7111]

I thought about it. Piling enormous student loans on top of the enormous student loans I took out to get a worthless MBA make me hesitate though.

I'm not being sarcastic either when I say I'm honestly to the point of the throwing up my hands and doing some menial work like chucking bales of hay for a living.

I entered accounting late and now I'm positioned in some mediocre purgatory I can't get out of since I didn't go to a big 4 right out of college.

I've worked hard my whole life though and haven't caught any breaks. I'm to the point where I just want to quit the game, pick up my marbles and go home.

Since I'm basically washed up refuse in our economy despite my credentials and years of experience, I can only imagine what people without an education are going through.

I also fully understand why they're voting trump and will probably do so myself. The economy is rigged and the sooner this current bubble we are on pops and our financial system comes crashing down, the better. That way maybe all these rent seeking office holders will become the refuse and people with drive and skills will have a chance to get ahead once more in this country.

[Anonymous]

LOL. tr's having a bad day. Can't say that I haven't crunched the numbers to see whether a paint mixer's hourly wage at Lowes would cut the mustard. Hang in there, and like everybody else said if your that miz….do something…nobody will do it for you. 🙂

[tr7111]

hehe. well it is that time of the year..

When you get to gaze upon the tax returns of winners in life for 12 hours to return to your shithole before repeating the same cycle of misery all over again tomorrow.

[Author]

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