Did you ever realise that you chose the wrong career?

LSandman2019 on 08/11/2019 - 22:45
Last edited 08/11/2019 - 22:45

Long story short - i'm 25 years old, nearly 26. I chose a degree in accounting and finance for the wrong reasons. I was influenced by my family an also by the job security/money.
Having spent a few years in the accounting field i think it's safe to say that i hate it. I feel pretty annoyed that i've wasted so much time in a career and a job i don't like. I've hardly made any progress in my career as i have no motivation to improve or do better.
It's starting to hit me now. I don't want to go back to uni but at the same time i don't really know what else to do. I don't really have any passions anymore.
I've done a few career tests online but i seem to get varied responses. Each test seems to give me different answers.

Has anyone else ever been in a similar scenario? how did you find out what you wanted to do as a career?

Education & Work

Comments

  • OzHunterNSW on 09/11/2019 - 10:56
    +5

    Wipe that notion from your head… You are now realising that you are a slave to debt, finding your station in life not what you expected, and lumbered with HEX debt, house, car debt, etc, etc, places you in the world of modern slavery. You are a slave to debt. Unable to change career, too fearful to rock the boat, hesitant in throwing caution to the wind… no no no… every waking moment from now on is you living a nightmare of being a slave to debt.
    You no longer go to the library, you peruse shopping malls, you are being systematically programmed in a world of want where your worth is measured by the value of your possessions. Hope they all fit inside your coffin.

    • ozbjunkie on 09/11/2019 - 11:38
      +5

      This 100%, and explains the best reason to live debt free and be a bargainer. Debt slavery is the worst slavery, it is the voluntary slavery of a brainwashed consumer buying trinkets to feel that their selves have value.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:29

      very deep

    • serpserpserp on 14/11/2019 - 09:58

      Dang. Now I need to buy a bigger coffin.

  • pantsparty on 09/11/2019 - 10:59

    I am also an accountant. What kind of company do you work in now? Standard big 4 audit role?

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:31
      +1

      I made a terrible mistake at uni,
      i didn't study hard, had some anxiety and didn't even bother applying for grad programs,
      Even though i have the social skills and intellect to work in big 4 / mid tier firms

      So I ended up appying for a graduate accountant position at a suburban firm.
      I've worked at a few of these firms and hated each one. I never feel like i fit in their too. I'm much more intellectual and social than my peers at these firms (without sounding condescending) it's so frustrating i feel like i could of been so much more.

      • peppered on 11/11/2019 - 18:40

        When you say you feel like you could have been so much more, is it more about the position, the work you do, the pay or the culture? Perhaps reputation of where you work?
        It's good to self-reflect over time as a motivator to progress but a complete career change could be a big set-back in terms of financial position and hitting your milestones (getting married, buying a house etc). From the sounds of things you need to move onto a bigger firm/big 4 to test the waters and see if this is right career path for you.

        • Sandman2019 on 13/11/2019 - 20:41

          Pretty much all of the above.
          I feel like i could be doing much more technical/complicated work
          I feel like i could be getting paid better (if i was given such a role)
          I feel like i'd really fit in with a big culture where i can make friends/connections have role models to look up to.

          Do you think i should start my CA and try and work at these bigger places? i'm really struggling at the moment, i've been very slack at work because ive been feeling depressed.

          • orbz on 26/11/2019 - 21:31

            @Sandman2019: My advice to you would be to think about whether you don't enjoy the work/the firm culture or if a combination of this and not being mentally well is tipping you over the edge. There's always a way back but you need to understand the root cause first and resolve it.

            If you decide that you do want to give accounting/finance/corporate another go - then definitely go for bigger firms or at least not small firms doing tax. I've had a great experience at a huge firm so far (ups and downs of course).

            Pros:
            - For the most part - love who I work with. Colleagues around my age, similar stage in life and lots in common.
            - LOTS and LOTS of social events. I used to be a social recluse in high school and uni and all these work events/socials are helping give back what I missed out during uni. Sometimes work feels like uni between lunches with the client, Friday drinks, business unit drinks, team events, after project drinks/lunch and corporate events where you can join a team (e.g. JPMorgan Corporate challenge, city2surf)
            - Great training and exposure
            - Generally good support and large firms do stuff that improves your health (e.g. see big 4 volunteering days - EY Care Day and so on).

            Cons:
            - Hours
            - Other cons like crappy clients, work can get boring but this is every job.

            Large firms aren't impossible to get into. But to get in you'll need a good case for why you've sorted out what caused you grief in the past. E.g. talk about how you've been to therapy, about things you're doing now that demonstrate you have the skills on the job to be reliable. E.g. do you volunteer on weekends while working? Do you go to a class and manage your commitments well (time mgmt). Demonstrate you understand the job day to day life so they know you won't just quit when its not what you expected. In your interviews and interactions with HR, be confident, honest and well presented. There is no need to be ashamed about the past, your focus should be on the future while showing you've used the past as a learning opportunity.

            Short term? you said you thought you wanted to do more technical work and less repetitive monotonous work. Why not kill 3 birds with one stone and start CA if you want to give accounting another go?
            - Gives you something to focus on
            - Makes you more attractive to employers and a pass in a module demonstrates you're turning things around
            - Tax and Fin modules especially require a lot of commitment and are the heavier technical modules.

            my 2c

      • pantsparty on 11/11/2019 - 21:03
        +3

        Agree with the other guy who replied to this comment. Apply for roles at bigger firms where you will work with young fun people, go out drinking with them etc and probably have a much better time. Working in a boring company is going to leave you unsatisfied regardless of career choice. It doesn’t sound like accounting is the issue to be honest.

        • Sandman2019 on 13/11/2019 - 20:43

          Thanks i think you're right.
          The problem is my job history is very poor and i have big gaps on my resume.
          The last firm i worked at i did enjoy because there was some young people there. I could have some banter with at the office. We had casual fridays and drinks. I definitely enjoyed it there. God why did i stuff up and get fired from that place. I want to bash myself up sometiems for being so (profanity) stuipid.

          • pantsparty on 14/11/2019 - 09:24

            @Sandman2019: What did you get fired for? You may find it hard to find your next role if your career history isn’t good - every employer will ask for references.

            • Sandman2019 on 20/11/2019 - 18:22

              @pantsparty: yea had anxiety at my last job and before that i worked at a shit hole got depressed and fired. I'm pretty much screwed. I've given up on life tbh. The advice in this thread has been good but i just can;t be bothered fighting anymore.

              • pantsparty on 25/11/2019 - 08:54

                @Sandman2019: Sounds like you may benefit from therapy/talking to somebody. Life can get tough sometimes and you are in a tough situation but you can definitely get out of it - it’s only quarter time!

  • ozbjunkie on 09/11/2019 - 11:41
    +4

    I think I basically said it in my comments above, but I think (barring "loving your job" which seems like brainwashing doublespeak to me) you should basically work enough to support your lifestyle, and be really deliberate in the choice of that lifestyle. You are selling your life, one hour at a time, make sure what you are getting back is worth it, and don't sell too much of it.

    20 hours per week is my happy medium. I don't need other people to understand, all I need to know is 40 hours feels like I'm drowning and I kind of hate the world. More than that and I'm a junk food eating alcoholic zombie who doesn't want to talk to anyone.

  • pao2x on 09/11/2019 - 11:45
    +5

    News flash. A lot of people dont like their jobs. Its a job, get money go home do something fun with the money.

    • moph on 09/11/2019 - 13:25
      +3

      My take - from working in the wrong career for almost a decade and then switching, and finding myself much happier - There are some people who can live like this and others who require more meaning and fulfilment in their work. Obviously OP is in the latter group. Members of each group look at the other and think "What's wrong with them? Why can't they just be satisfied with a job?" or else "How can they be happy working in that meaningless job?". Sounds like you're a member of the easily satisfied group. Great. But people in the other group experience real suffering including mental health problems from the wrong career. Don't downplay it.

      In response to OP, you are in a great position. As others have said most people don't figure out they picked the wrong career until a decade or two down the track by which time they will find it much harder to switch. Personally I switched out of necessity but once I did so I didn't look back. Obviously there is a cost - for me it was 2-3 years of reduced income as I had to start from scratch again, but when you enjoy your job it is easier to perform well, impress people, and ask for pay rises, so I caught up with and surpassed my previous income fairly quickly.

      • Sandman2019 on 13/11/2019 - 20:44

        Thanks for the advice!

  • hotpants on 09/11/2019 - 14:31

    Hey mate,
    Did the same degree and changed and studied again (another degree) at the age of 28. So glad I made the change. Go for it!!

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:34

      what do you do now?

      • hotpants on 10/11/2019 - 09:03
        +1

        Project Manager in Construction (which is what I did my second degree in). I'm definitely a people person and my old place of work was run like a kindergarten from the 80's. It's also nice to be creating something tangible rather than simply categorising money. Project management can be tough but if you're good at getting people to do what you need them to do and can handle the pressure, it's great once you hit your stride and the money is good too! Either way, find something that compliments your skills. Are you a good communicator? This is very important in project management as sometimes the client could be stakeholders that have 0 technical knowledge. Or you might deal with very abrasive people and have to get them to do what you want etc. Or maybe you have excellent attention to detail.

        To be honest, it's an industry my friend was in and I had no real clue what I wanted to do. I hadn't and never would have even considered it an option had he not been in it as I always saw it as something blue collar, never wanted to be an engineer and people in my family have never picked up a tool in their life. I basically had nothing to do with the industry. Barely knew how to change a fuse or shut off the water main to the house! I was 28 though and I was like 'whatever I do next I'm sticking to'. I started studying and it was actually really nice learning constantly. The accounting degree helped too as I'm doing some finance-based stuff now as part of my role that people really struggle with and I've been noticed for being able to blitz it. Accounting/finance will carry across all disciplines.

        Have a think about what where your skills will be an asset and talk to as many people as you can. Find out what the job is actually like. For me, I was working with a builder (builder's side) first and there was a lot of good but it was a massive grind too. At the end of it though I'm now client side (where I always wanted to be, but chose builder's side because I had 0 technical knowledge when I started), love my boss and am happy on my six-figure salary with plenty of potential to grow.

        To reiterate, I'm extremely happy in an industry I never in a million years would have thought I'd be in nor knew anything about. Uni is difficult when you're older because of (in my case severely) reduced pay. You'll have to live with your folks but that's the norm now and you're only 26. However I've now caught up on pay, am infinitely happier and feel like I belong in this industry.

  • Hoobz on 09/11/2019 - 15:12
    +2

    Maybe not in OP's case…

    Sometimes it's not the actual work you are doing, it's the people you're doing it with.

    Change of people can turn everything around.

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:34

      i'll probably enjoy working at a bigger firm more but at the moment given my poor work history and lack of experience i can't really move around much

      • readeral on 10/11/2019 - 08:46
        +2

        Apply anyway. I moved from a job as a call centre pleb to overseeing a small call centre at a University simply on the strength of an interview. I have a music degree. Qualifications aren't all that (I realise its a little different in your field but still…), and you're far more capable than what you are on paper.

      • Hardlyworkin on 10/11/2019 - 08:50

        How do you know? Have you put everything into some job applications? Have you been fired from other places?

        Do you have any friends that work in desirable firms.

        • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 20:27

          my work history is poor i've spent 1 year working a ta firm then got fired, then a feew months at another firm and fired again, then spent a year looking fora job and finally got one.
          My references, history is bad. I'm lucky to have the job i have now.

          I've applied for big firms RSM, Mid tier firms, bigger firms.

          Even though i'm a "nice guy" and have some intellect. People don't want to hire me because my history is poor.

          • 900dollaridoos on 11/11/2019 - 07:51
            +1

            @Sandman2019: I have to ask, why were you getting fired from them all if you've said in previous comments you were much smarter than others there.

            • Sandman2019 on 13/11/2019 - 20:45

              @900dollaridoos: Got very depressed working there and also had anxiety about life so started coming to work late, not trying and did poorly.

          • loke on 11/11/2019 - 14:01

            @Sandman2019: Have you considered getting a tax agent or a bas agent license (this is actually pretty freeing provided you have connections and can network compared to being an employee with daily timesheets and unjustifiable pressure depending on the partner/firm culture)?

            CPA studies - don't know about CA - are pretty straightforward too since they are open book and multiple choice (still have to put in the effort and reading if you want Ds / HDs though)

  • Mallard on 09/11/2019 - 16:45
    +5

    Bear with me on this.

    I grew up in the UK. I was good with numbers but did a geography degree that had a lot of statistics. I've now spent 25 years in the data and analytics industry and I love it. 15 of that is Australia.

    I feel that people in Australia are shuffled into a vocational degree at too early an age. That's why the data industry in Australia is full of poms. A lot of numerate Aussies got funnelled into accounting.

    You must be highly numerate, but you are stuck using numbers within very rigorous legal systems

    You could work in data. Do courses in SQL and Python. You could become proficient in a few months. Get some basic stats knowledge.

    Go find a job in data that will offer a lot more variety. You can solve problems rather than follow the rules that someone else has set.

    Your background in finance will be a big help later in your career.

    Good luck

  • CalmLemons on 09/11/2019 - 16:45

    This is quite common, especially with accounting and finance. No best answer to this.

    It's funny as a few other business leaders were talking the other day and we all sort of agreed accounting was the worst out of all due to the rather 'dry' nature of the job - unless you really like that thing.

    Unfortunately instagram and 'startups' have made having an everyday job, the worse thing to do. (PS, you never know the true story or the background behind other people, remember Jeff Bezzos and Bill Gates were geniuses and well off to begin with)

    You may try to read a few books in regards to careers, try youtubing 'productivity game'.

    Everything takes passion, hard work, consistency and more hard work. Everything will suck if repetitive - but that is life.

    You would be considered EXTREMELY lucky if you found your passion.

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:40

      that's true. thanks for the insight.
      I guess that's what i hate the most about my job. Going through mounds of paper work. Punching in numbers into a tax return. Rinse and repeat. I wish i could be talking to people/solving problems/analysing things/coming up with ideas.

  • drprox on 09/11/2019 - 17:03

    yep, work at a bank and after having left to join the public service for a few years am back at the bank (couldn't move into more senior roles where i was due to head office being Canberra based).
    It's tricky because if i had my time again i'd study civil engineering but after trying for a semester as an adult i acknowledged it's not going to happen.
    As such i try make the most of it and try stay flexible. I'll likely leave the bank again at some point to try something else but for now just try not to let it suck the life out of me and use it to pay the bills which it does fairly well.

  • JetLi on 09/11/2019 - 17:09

    welcome to reality after life as a care free uni student…

  • qutee on 09/11/2019 - 18:08

    Yep! I did a 4 year accounting degree, had average grades, during my 1 year full time work placement at an accounting firm (I also worked part time at a suburban accounting firm during my first year of uni for 5 months) and continued part time with them in my final year I realised that I could not see myself working in this field for the rest of my life. During the last year of my accounting degree started to take more of an interest in the human body and decided to enrol in biomedicine after I finished my accounting degree at age 24. Graduated with distinction and now in a career that I absolutely love.
    It was a big switch, but I am so glad I did it, I am definitely so much happier.

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:40

      i wish i did something like this

      • Freitag on 10/11/2019 - 07:08

        You still can

      • greatlamp on 10/11/2019 - 23:03

        don't have a poverty mindset and think you can't retrain.

        if you want to go back to university you can. Ask your work to put you on at 3 days per week and pick a new course.

        your TER score from high school still exists. you can still apply as a mature age student for bachelor degrees.

  • sli on 09/11/2019 - 18:43

    I for one am very happy with my career choice. The made up stats of 95% not liking their job are exactly that - made up.

    • Kapinny on 09/11/2019 - 20:06
      +10

      Wierd flex but okay

  • chumlee on 09/11/2019 - 18:50
    +1

    I started a career as a gigolo but ended quickly when I got no business

    • drfuzzy on 09/11/2019 - 19:22
      +6

      Perhaps it ended quickly because you ended quickly.

    • CharityCase on 09/11/2019 - 19:36
      +1

      So you are an unemployed gigolo

      • ashdays on 09/11/2019 - 21:45

        Gee - Go - Low

    • nfr on 11/11/2019 - 14:25

      Go to Europe, Deuce Bigalow does very well there

    • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2019 - 23:00

      I can't say that I know any gigolos but I do know 2 women who quit their day job to become escorts : 1 was a police officer and the other one was a social worker.

      Don’t give up on your dreams, chumlee. If they can do it, why can't you? ;)

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 09/11/2019 - 21:59
    +1

    Im currently in this situation i tried going back to uni even had a scholarship but after being away from the book for 5 years i couldnt get back into it. (whilst working full time)

    I earn decent money annually work around 45-46 hours (on paper….) a week overall the job is easy but im really not challenged and have little motivation to chase any growth. - Tend to half ass most days rock up 20-45min late, take long lunches and leave 20-60min early on a daily (so actually work 35-40 hours a week this doesnt include coffee breaks and generally being unproductive)

    I got a child on the way so i've accepted to enjoy my life outside of work and accept work is something i do for money - before i met my wife i thought of going overseas to the UK or Canada to work to go on an adventure other then my parent i had little to no ties to Victoria but it all changed when i got a gf wayyyyy out of my league

    I am thankful my job isnt too physical and isnt too hard but i can honestly say i dont love what i do but it is secure work - i wouldnt say 'i hate it' either but i certainly do it for the money - i always tell my wife im going to quite start my own business and go my own way but in reality i know i got a pretty good situation compare to most other people and giving it up would be dumb

    My advice to you is the job might such but your life doesnt have too you got two options

    1 - finds a work place that is fun and has a good work culture might not be the best paying work but if you work with good people but hate the job going to work can be bareable

    2 - accept your job sucks make as much $$, invest it if you can and enjoy your life outside of work ie holidays, fine dinning, fine women, good mates etc

    • ihbh on 10/11/2019 - 12:32

      How is your GF out of your league? You have qualities that she highly values.

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 10/11/2019 - 13:21
        +1

        She earns more money than me and in a flat 5 she is a soft 9

        • pingualien on 11/11/2019 - 00:53
          +1

          show us pics

        • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2019 - 23:14

          Let's hope the kid takes after his mother then :p

          Edit: I've been told I was a hard 9 but " too bad about the personality" 😯 and I've also been told that I have nice features " but they just don't work well together."🤨 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Jingza on 09/11/2019 - 22:24

    Accounting/finance is a very broad, and you may not be in the right specialisation or employer.

    I work within the field. I was fortunate to have been with a multinational organisation since an internship during uni, and had the opportunity to experience a multitude of roles. I absolutely hated technical financial accounting, however I started to enjoy the profession as I progressed into financial planning & analysis and finance partnering. I started off as a cost accountant in manufacturing.

    I tend to find accounting/finance interesting as there is always areas for continuous improvement. I find that it is a profession that rewards curiosity and perseverance, however you have to be working in the right role for the right employer.

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:33

      I'm glad you found something you like. I made the mistake at university and didn't study hard or get an inernship so i took what i could get and that was an accounting job at a tax firm . I've worked at a few thus far and hated each one.

  • Jingza on 09/11/2019 - 22:36
    +2

    Specifically what is it that you hate about your job? What were your expectations going in vs the reality now?

    • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 22:45

      I was very very stupid at University. I spent most of my time worrying about silly things and not focused on my career at all. I didn't even look deeply into what i would be doing working in an accounting firm . I kind of thought, i'll become an accountant and life will be set.

      This is what i hate:
      1) Repetition . I know all jobs are repetitive but this is extremely repetitive.I just pump out tax return after tax return like a machine. I'm not even that good at it.
      2) Lack of social stimulation. I hardly talk to anyone. Just sit on a computer all day. It drives me nuts.
      3) Feel like i'm not using my strengths; To be a good accountant you need to have great attention to detail skills, work like a machine and think in black and white terms. I'm the opposite. My attention to detail skills aren't great. I'm more of an analytical thinker/creative thinker. I like coming up with ideas, testing things, creating things, analysing things. I never feel like i fit in at work.
      4) No job satisfaction. 0 Job satisfaction. There's not one thing that excites me or makes me like what i do at all. Literally not one part. I don't like looking at tax returns all day. Punching in numbers. I feel like i spend so much of the day doing nothing. Just putting numbers into a computer and nothing is really happening. It's so unsatisfying.
      5) The routine sitting in the same desk all day, same computer, same wall i look at same thoughts. Drives me nuts.

      • Jingza on 09/11/2019 - 23:02

        Perhaps it's the issue of working in an accounting firm - I would imagine that the repetition and monotony associated with these firms would get to people. I would have to say I avoid tax like the plague. We have a separate tax team and anything remotely associated with that area I pass on to them. I would go as far as to say that tax is very different to accounting/finance as it is even more highly regulated and process driven.

        It is true that attention to detail is important, but it shouldn't necessarily correlate with having to work like a machine and thinking in black and white terms. I think it may come down to your involvement in tax, which is a highly rigid and regulated area. Take finance partnering as an example, I was recently involved in a new contract negotiation with a 3PL and was able to provide breakdowns in spend, major contributors to overall opex, and ultimately areas to focus on for the negotiations - this is relatively interesting and fits into your "analytical/creative thinker" mindset.

        It sounds like tax is not the right area for you to be in.

        • Sandman2019 on 09/11/2019 - 23:28

          thanks. Maybe i'll try study my CA and move into a corporate role then an an analytical role? That's what i was thinking. But my motivation to get there is low

      • ihbh on 10/11/2019 - 12:36

        Seems like your current role is the issue. Why don't you change it first before considering a career change?

        E.g. if you tried to become a chef and spent each day preparing veg, would you be happy?

      • JetLi on 10/11/2019 - 21:34

        try audit.

  • MessyG on 09/11/2019 - 22:56
    +2

    It's really normal. I changed careers at 25 because I felt like that (and because a few family members died of varying cancers in a short space of time). In hindsight though I didn't need to - I just lacked confidence in myself and where I was going. Upending into a massive career change was the only thing I could think of doing. Here is what I would tell 25 year old me, knowing what I know now:

    • look at the people in your field, the successful and happy people and ask yourself if you want to b like them
    • go to networking events, not to network, but to ask the people you admire for career advice (it has a bonus side effect of networking anyway)
    • talk to as many people as you can about where accounting has taken them. You hate the more junior work - this is normal in absolutely every single job in the world. Junior work sucks. It gets better when you can lead people or lead projects or work on something interesting.
    • find some people who have your back and debrief how you're feeling with them.
    • if you still want to completely change career that's fine - but my advice is to go large, dream really big. That thing you lie in bed thinking about where people admire you, or you give your award winning speech, whatever that thing is that makes you catch your breath - go for that. You've only got one life, don't waste it.
  • CoreJava on 09/11/2019 - 23:45
    +1

    Be your boss, drive Uber

    • profar on 10/11/2019 - 12:38
      +1

      Maybe a couple steps higher than a Domino pizza delivery person lol .

      • 900dollaridoos on 11/11/2019 - 08:07

        I live in a small country town and one of the Domino's cars is a brand new mustang. I work as a mining engineer and drive a 2003 magna :/

  • CoreJava on 09/11/2019 - 23:45
    +1

    Buy a sandman panel van and enjoy life.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2019 - 00:04

    There's nothing to "realise". I have the best job in the world and I'll cry the day I retire :(

    • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2019 - 10:07

      I can understand how being an accountant could be boring. I'm not one. I'm a scientist and work in a field that I'm passionate about.

  • D A Y on 10/11/2019 - 00:41
    +4

    Have the same issue with you , was an accountant with bachelor degree and hating my jobs . I want to transitions to IT and try my luck there , I talk to my manager to discuss my career progression and luckily as him being nice and don’t want to throw me to IT , he created position called system accountant where I have to deal with 50% accounting stuffs and 50% IT .
    Turn out I quite enjoy the IT side of it . Then start asking lots of people , what do i need to do to get the job. I learn coding Python and Visual Basic from Udemy ( spending approx $150) to learn the basic , and the rest just work experiences .

    I am now working full time as an IT developer with no qualifications and happy .

    Morale of the story , ask lots of people , they may have answer for you.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 10:46
      +1

      That's really cool! glad you found something that works

    • spiff on 12/11/2019 - 14:36
      +1

      Awesome story

  • baker bob on 10/11/2019 - 03:42

    I have been in your situation and I was at your age and with my accounting career. I looked into other degrees but decided to stick it out because talking to others I realised a lot of people hate their jobs and I came to the realisation that I actually hated working regardless of what I did so I didn't see a point in changing.

    I'm now 42 and I've made my peace with it. The most important thing to understand is that Accounting / Finance is a solid base to get into many careers which are unrelated to a traditional accounting role. Many of the issues I had was the actual job I was doing at the time so I moved on and tried different roles and industries. Just do the best you can and network, you will be surprised the doors that open if you look for them and show you are a good competent worker.

    Besides that, with a few promotions a lot of the crappy boring work gets delegated away and end of the day, the career pays well.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 10:47

      thanks, maybe i'll stick it out. Only issue for me is i know the next steps is i need to study CA/CPA but my motivation isn't very high for it right now.

      • Tenet on 11/11/2019 - 15:53

        See my response re. CPA/CA earlier in the thread. I am in a similar position to you and I can tell you CA/CPA might not be the answer.

  • luvv on 10/11/2019 - 03:49
    +1

    Look up ikigai

  • andyy888 on 10/11/2019 - 06:18

    Which area of accounting field are you in? I found some accountant these day are very limited as in what they are doing. and when I was working in an accounting it was boring (even I do manage all the IT system in an accounting firm back then). I was even wanting to cancel my CPA (don't see any value in there) but it changed when I started my own accounting firm 10 years ago since then now it is very rewarding (service we provide Accounting (including accounting system), tax, mortgage and FP with our partner)

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 10:47

      I'm a junior tax accountant

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 10/11/2019 - 06:57
    +1

    The two most important dates in your life:-

    1. The day you were born.

    2. The day you find out why.

    Anything else, you are just existing.

    • 900dollaridoos on 11/11/2019 - 08:09

      Why were you born?

      • TheMindsetTraveller on 11/11/2019 - 11:16

        I am still working on it.

        But everyday I can say I wake up happy and motivated to take on the world.

  • geoffs87 on 10/11/2019 - 07:45

    I actually love my job, and I really love the people I work with, unfortunately for me there’s no progression options and I seem to have hit a cash ceiling… so it won’t be long before I resent it and need out.

    I think the key is to realise the job is a means to everything else, just when I thought I wanted to leave for a new role, my wife fell pregnant, and I knew this job that I can do with my eyes closed would afford me flexibility over the next year or 2.

    Now without poking offence, I’ve never really met an exciting accountant (not saying they’re not out there, I’ve just never met one). I think you should try to find an accounting/finance role in a company, where you can work with and alongside others who aren’t accountants? In my business unit of 140 people, there’s 5 finance controllers, all with accounting degrees. They might not love their job, but interestingly 2/5 of them just hit their 40yrs with the company - so they certainly love the field and the people around them!

    Maybe you could look to “upgrade” your career path and do a CFA, will definitely broaden your options, and will allow you to do accountancy/financy type stuff in another company.

    My wife was made redundant before she had the baby, she works in HR. My advice was that when she goes back to work, find a company in a field she WANTS to work in, and seek a role there… that would be my advice to you. If you like the industry, doesn’t really matter what you do in it!

    All the best :)

    • geoffs87 on 10/11/2019 - 07:49
      +1

      Actually one other comment… I work corporate strategy for a top 10 asx company… i’m 32 and I would love to pack up and move to a small coastal town, have a good peaceful life with my family and go to the beach every day. Unfortunately my career path does not lend itself to setting up shop near the beach.

      An alternative for you might be move somewhere you want to live, you can be an accountant anywhere, set up your own shop and work your own hours and rules. I often drive past accounting firms in small towns and think shiz, wish I did accounting so I could move somewhere like this and just chill out!

  • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2019 - 08:12

    Pretty much the same boat as you at the start. I finished my accounting degree but HATED working in accounting. I was getting majorly depressed when I realised I would be doing this for the rest of my god damn life. Hated going into work and everything was going downhill fast.

    Decided to do a degree in science majoring in mathematics by correspondence while working full time. Finished that and slowly moved within the company from a sales analyst role to a more tech related data analyst. Just recently moved to a new job as a data scientist secured off the back of my math degree and work experience.

    This entire journey took about 7 years and it was a damn hard slog but I think its worth it cause I love my job now.

    Accounting is a pretty broad degree, if you're a financial accountant or something I guess its pretty boring, maybe look into management accounting or something for a while and if you really don't like it, try to upskill with a masters in an adjacent field like maybe even financial planning, cybersecurity etc.

    Its not the end of the world, you are still young. My advice would be to NOT stop working though, that becomes a major trap. Keep working, study part time and keep the ball rolling.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 10:48

      thanks appreciate the insight !

  • Black Brown Blue on 10/11/2019 - 08:58

    I am 25 too. I have had that situation happen to me many time. It s a job and every job will make you feel like this at some stage. Have hobbies, I do gym and gaming currently. Some posts have described hobbies very well. Do postgraduate study and change to a different company after some experience.

  • Hardlyworkin on 10/11/2019 - 08:59
    +3

    Do a working holiday overseas. Don't get trapped in the Australian mindset that the one object in life is to save for a house. You're in your 20s and already have a career to come back to or use overseas.

    Why stay in the same job doing the same thing? You're obviously not happy, shake it up!

    • AncientWisdom on 10/11/2019 - 17:17
      +2

      Was going to post the same - save some money and go traveling. Traveling really helps change your perspective and also give you motivation to do the things you're passionate about. After traveling for a bit I'd suggest go to a country you can work in random jobs while still traveling and do that for a while. You'd be surprised how much you learn about yourself doing this, and you'll have a ball in the meantime.

  • inittobinit on 10/11/2019 - 09:53
    +1

    IMO a background in finance/accounting with some experience behind you, you're set up for life.

    Go overseas for a few months and get some new perspective, your skill set is universal and can be applied in many other disciplines besides straight accounting

  • acersaurus on 10/11/2019 - 10:00

    It's a pretty common situation as other posters have noted.

    I was the same, I went into town planning and hated the first 3.5 years. I quit my job to travel, thinking I'd never go back to the field.

    I completed a master's degree in economics but couldn't quite land a relevant gig, so I was basically forced back into town planning and it wasn't easy having been out of the field for two years. Unexpectedly when I got back in ( having to move to the country to do so) I started to like it more to the point I think it's OK (a huge improvement). 5 years later I've made my peace with it, it's only 38 hours/week of my time and I've gotten a few pay rises, so I think I'll stick it out over the long run.

    Maybe you just need to change companies and read some motivational books. Accounting and finance is a broad field and you might not be doing exactly the same thing your whole career. Career change on the other hand is time consuming, very expensive (if requiring a degree) and risky (will you get into the new field?).

    Good luck, remember that whatever you do we are all relatively lucky compared to most of the world. A qualified engineer in Vietnam typically works 6 days a week earning the equivalent of the dole here. So there are different ways to look at it.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:24

      Yea life is funny isn't it?
      I have these thoughts too, i mean i've worked in fast food, i've worked at factories and here i am complaining and hating life working in an accounting office. Sometimes i think i should just be thankful for what i have . Maybe i'm complaining too much? I'm not sure.

  • hepc on 10/11/2019 - 10:07

    I was in the same position - studied BCom (Finance major), ended up in management consulting and moved to a very different career after that.

    One thing to consider is what are your motivators for work? People value different things such as money, progression, status, their team, location, flexibility, hours etc. For example, once money is comfortable for me I'm not massively motivated by that, so I took a paycut to move to a job that I'm much happier in because of the team and flexibility.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:22

      Did you enjoy management consultant? I've thought about that as a career.

      • hepc on 10/11/2019 - 23:19

        Hmm it's an interesting career choice. I enjoyed some aspects and not others. I would say doing it for the 2-5 year mark will build skills/experience that are very valuable in the future, but these come at a cost and can incredibly stressful. For me, I am willing to work hard for things I believe in, but honestly I didn't care enough about my clients' problems to want to do it long term. I also looked at the jobs that my boss/bosses boss had, and they were basically selling deals to clients - if I didn't care that much about my clients' problems, spending my time selling deals to solve those problems would be a miserable job an not fulfilling for me long term. I am much much happier with where I work now (government finance work), but consulting in the lower down rungs as analyst/consultant can be incredible useful to build skills quickly.

  • Giraffe on 10/11/2019 - 11:06

    https://radiopublic.com/HiddenBrain/ep/s1!8d67c
    Here is a podcast on the topic of “Getting Unstuck”, that I found interesting.

    As others have said you are still young, so be grateful that you had this realisation relatively early.

  • Lockieasy on 10/11/2019 - 11:58

    I'm 31 and I used to work in IT. There was alot of downtime on the job during which time I did online coding courses so when I was eventually made redundant (the company ended up outsourcing IT) I switched to web development which has been much better.

    That said, I've also been an active SES operator for 5 years which I really love and am considering going down the emergency services route and becoming a firefighter. :)

  • psychicEgg on 10/11/2019 - 12:49

    Can completely relate. I went into finance due to family and hated every day of it. Eventually I couldn’t stand it any longer and quit at 25, got really fit and joined the army reserves. Best decision I ever made! Then after that I went back to uni and studied an area I actually enjoyed. I also know someone who re-did his year 12 so he could get into a particular uni course.

    If you don’t know what to do yet then get out there, meet people and ask them about their jobs. Go travelling, backpacking, experience different cultures and relationships until you know yourself well enough to make a good decision. Good luck mate!

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:20

      I've been tempted to join the police force. I'm physically fit and it seems better than sitting in an office all day.

  • morpheous on 10/11/2019 - 13:34

    This resonates so much with me, as i have just completed my masters in professional accounting. I am looking for work but even while interning i felt this field is not probably for me.
    I have now invested so much into this, that backing down isnt an option. My idea is to try all fields of accounting to see which one i like working in

    But i havent even landed a job yet, so its kinda depressing.

    • Sandman2019 on 10/11/2019 - 17:19

      dam man, i know the feeling

  • ChickenTalon on 10/11/2019 - 14:00
    +1

    Yep. Every time I need an electrician / plumber etc.

  • djmm on 10/11/2019 - 14:19
    +2

    I'm a male stripper and every night I go back with ladies and pocket full of cash… I feel trapped in this work and wish I was an accountant…

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