OT - Career Change

[Clean39T]

Wasn't Edward Norton's character in Fight Club an actuary? And Ben Stiller's in Along Came Polly? Just aiming for a frame of reference here...

[josephr]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Wasn't Edward Norton's character in Fight Club an actuary? And Ben Stiller's in Along Came Polly? Just aiming for a frame of reference here...

good catch!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_actuaries

[Gsinill]

It has probably been mentioned earlier in this thread but IMHO your #1 priority should be finding a job you like, or at least not getting into something that you don't like.
Personally, in the longterm I could never be successful in a job that I hate, no matter how much it pays.

I was fortunate to end up in IT, something I like and that happens to pay well.
I know it's not for everyone but there are areas of IT with exposure to the business side as well...

[Ken C]

I am also an accountant and a CPA and I would echo what many have said. I don't think you need to love your job, but you must some degree of passion for it. Otherwise, you could get stuck toiling away at a low or mid level position which usually involves the more boring tasks.

I work to live, but I also love my current job. I work for a public utility company doing tax research, tax planning, M&A support, rate case testimony, and other special projects. My job is definitely not routine.

Not all accounting jobs are boring, but you do have to pay your dues in the beginning. Much of that work can be repetitive, but it is necessary to build a foundation. You also must will be willing to study and learn after hours to build bench strength if you want to differentiate yourself. There is a lot to know and understand and only working 40 hours a week will not get you there.

I worked in tax compliance for 5 years before moving into state and local tax consulting, then eventually my current position. After 5 tax seasons I could not imagine doing another one. Doing tax returns one after another didn't excite me so I took chances to try out some other avenues and it eventually led me to my current position.

An accounting degree is very versatile, you don't have to use it in a traditional accounting role, e.g. tax, audit, etc. It gives a fantastic understanding of business and how to interpret financials.

At my Company, we have people with accounting degrees who work in operations, supply chain, regulatory, treasury, accounting systems, and in the continuous improvement department. It is up to you to make your own career path.

The good thing is that an accounting degree is always in demand, pays pretty good, and you can work anywhere with it. I would caution that you try it first before going all in if you can. I have seen some colleagues grow to resent it and burn out as well.

[ojingoh]

Let me share with you a story by way of Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit, that was the best book I read last year.

Warren Buffett—the self-made multibillionaire whose personal wealth, acquired entirely within his own lifetime, is roughly twice the size of Harvard University’s endowment—reportedly gave his pilot a simple three-step process for prioritizing.

The story goes like this: Buffett turns to his faithful pilot and says that he must have dreams greater than flying Buffett around to where he needs to go. The pilot confesses that, yes, he does. And then Buffett takes him through three steps.

First, you write down a list of twenty-five career goals.
Second, you do some soul-searching and circle the five highest-priority goals. Just five.
Third, you take a good hard look at the twenty goals you didn’t circle. These you avoid at all costs. They’re what distract you; they eat away time and energy, taking your eye from the goals that matter more.

This is the best career advice I have ever read.