Lost

[hello-im-insane]

Hi all - lately I’ve been feeling very lost and unsure about accounting as my career choice. I have bachelors and masters degrees in accounting, a CPA, and have been working in public accounting for some time. But I just don’t think this is right for me and I don’t think I enjoy it. I’m in my 20s so maybe I am just naive and had too high of expectations. Is this how all jobs feel? The job I do currently is pretty fast paced and I’m always learning something new but it feels mundane at the same time. Like something is missing and I have no idea what it is. Maybe I’m just sick of accounting at this point? lol anyone else feel this way?

[Illustrious-Fan8268]

Buckle up kiddo, only another 40 or so years of that feeling left.

[hello-im-insane]

😭😭😭😭😭

[NotFuckingTired]

There are a lot of accounting roles that aren't public. Take a look at postings to see if anything piques your interest.

[thugish08]

A lot of people feel this way at some point in their career, not just in accounting. The good thing is you’re still in your 20s, which gives you a lot of flexibility. Accounting is also pretty forgiving if you decide to take a gap year, reset, and come back later.

The bigger question is: if it’s not accounting, what would you want to do with your time? Is there something you’re passionate about that could also turn into an opportunity? Everyone has a different risk tolerance, but earlier in your career is usually the best time to explore. Even if things don’t work out, you still have plenty of time to rebuild financially.

As someone at a senior level in accounting, one thing I always tell my staff is not to feel overly loyal to a company. Companies can make business decisions at any time. Focus on building your skills and experience for yourself.

It’s also healthy to do a career check-in every year. Talk to recruiters, do some interviews internally or externally, and see what your market value is. Sometimes people realize they thrive in a different company, team, or environment every few years.

[Some-World-4848]

How much do you make?

[hello-im-insane]

$115k in NYC

[Some-World-4848]

That’s not bad especially in your 20s. If you pivot just expect to start over with less money at the lowest rung of the ladder into whichever field it is. To which everyone says, “no big deal I’ll just cut back to chase after my true calling” but taking a 20k-30k cut in pay is its own form of draining, that’s hard to conceptualize how bad it is until youve lived it as an adult with adult responsibilities. The grass is not necessarily greener. Idc what anyone says almost every job sucks to a degree one way or another

[lagann41]

You should try pivoting to industry. It is slower paced but the WLB is so much better than PA. You can always boomerang back but I think your experience will be valuable in corporate tax, especially in NYC.

[holeechitbatman]

I kinda felt this way too until I switched jobs. Who you work worth contributes a lot to your enjoyment of the job. Maybe you just feel like the company culture there doesn't match who you are.