[Anonymous]

Hi guys. I am not trying to complain here, I just REALLY need a good advice. I am in my third year in a big 4 firm in US as a tax accountant and I have just got my CPA license. The thing is that I hate accounting (at least what I see right now) with all my guts. This job is absolutely not worth the money considering the hours you put in. But what’s worse, this job is so extremely dull and meaningless. You do not add any value to anything. You spend 12 hours a day on average in a cubicle and you cannot even see the results of your labor. You become very proficient in Excel but you do not acquire any skills otherwise useful in the real life. I am not even sure that you can call yourself a CPA doing this shit. I mean, can you really consult people about entity structure, taxes and credits, prepare reviews, compilations, and financial statements when you are stuck in one group that does just one of those roles and you have no slightest idea about anything else? When I look at the managers and partners, I see miserable human beings. They have no life and no knowledge of any subject besides their tax or audit specialty. You cannot have a conversation with any of these people that go beyond the imaginary world of accounting. They remind me of ants that sacrifice their lives for the better of the colony. I like to have some time for myself, to read the news, work out, go out, just live my life and do the things I like. I don’t want my life to become my job, especially as shitty as this one. I hate every minute of it and do not want to stay for this pathetic joke of a career.

But what scares me is what if all the accounting related jobs are just like that? Does anyone have a success exit story? Is anyone using the CPA license and having an interesting and meaningful job? Please share your thoughts on this. I would really appreciate any word of advice.

[testsz]

I feel you man. I am working for a mid-sized CPA firm for only 2 months and it sucks ass!

[Anonymous]

I hope someone here shares experience that is totally different from yours, I have not even started working in accounting yet and you guys are scaring me. I know accounting isn't all that exciting, but still.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to scare you, but check this out:

Holy Crap, This Really Sucks

I just want you to be prepared for what is coming for you…

🙂

[jelly]

Go on vacation when tax season is over for you. Or just go when there's some slow time. If not, just do something small for yourself, like going to the movies, or grab a drink with a friend.

Consider what you want. Wanna work on smaller clients and be able to consult on all those things you described? Wanna b the boss? Less hours? How would you get there?

I'm at a small place with small client sizes. My boss and I talk and research about those items before his clients are consulted, and I also consult the same to my own side clients (we target different business niches). I work about 9-6, no weekends, and then anything beyond that is to play catch-up (am not asked to, I just do so b/c I'm interrupted too many times during the day), and for extra side work I have on my own.

I'm not paid a lot financially at my 9-6, but I do feel that I'm paid a lot to learn by watching my boss, working on projects that no one else does, and researching lots of topics. I'm able to make up financially with my extra side work. Sometimes it feels a little crazy working multiple jobs, but I've laid a lot of initial track work in some messy places and it's gotten a lot easier b/c now I'm just driving the train car. I'm able to easily identify and replicate what needs to be done for new client work I get on the side, so it is all paying off.

Couldn't pass again!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your input Jelly.

The amount of work is not what bothers me. I am just afraid of completely wasting my time. You see, I started my accounting “career” after doing numerous other jobs throughout the years. I don't think I have ever been so unhappy with what I do. Seriously, I have much more respect for construction workers than for accountants. The construction workers possess the real life knowledge and skills that they can be proud of. All I can show is a great knowledge of Excel and ability to match check boxes on forms to the prior year. This “profession”, as I see it, is nothing like being a doctor of a lawyer. Nobody is interested in your shit as it stupid, boring, and completely unuseful until March 15 or April 15 comes. And I am yet to see any issue that Turbotax or other tax software cannot solve. I could stay trying to make some money and invest in something and get the hell out. But, amazingly, it appears you cannot make shit doing this! I looked up the other conversations on this forum, and it looks like in big firms people are making MAYBE 60 something and

in small firms it starts in 30th !!! And yet, I see some stupid bastards every day sitting in their cubicles 9am to 9pm!

I don't know what to do. I want to like what I do, but I think it will not be possible in this case. At least, I want to be able to acquire some valuable set of skills so I could open my own firm and make some money on my own time.

[Lost1]

I felt the same way (I still do) but if you really think about it, in any profession, to see the big picture and do big things, you gotta start from the bottom and do bitch shit for some time. I was a chef before and first 3 years, all I did was cleaning and cutting vegetables. I wasn't even allowed to touch meat/fish. you mentioned doctors and lawyers – i have a lawyer friend who just became a lawyer and started working at a firm and he says he's doing pretty much secretary work, My engineer friend who has a masters degree in mechanical engineering, is doing some silly testing all day long.

.

if you don't like your current role, make a change but you need that experience under your belt before moving on. only way to move on and do bigger things with your accounting career is do gain experience/certification/education and be a big player. MSA/MST will open other doors .. like teaching MBA will give you an edge when you decide to go to industry and become manager (you might still complain that corporate management is pointless cus it's nothing but ass kissing/playing politic bs)

It sounds like you wanna do what you like, have all the time to do your own things, and make great money, who doesn't..

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[Lost1]

consider moving to a smaller firm, gain more experience and start your own practice.

"If you can do it, I can do it better."

[scav17]

I interned at a Big 4 firm during busy season and knew I didn't want that life style, even just for a little while. I ended up going back to the hospital I was also interning with and have been there for over 4 years. Right now, I control all areas of financial accounting for one of our divisions and have done enough tax work in the past to keep me in the loop. I never thought I'd love healthcare so much, but I realized I liked doing accounting much better than auditing someone else's work… And I work under 2 CPAs so I won't have any problems with the experience requirement. Maybe you could try working in an industry that interests you?

FAR - 75 [expired]; 68; 88 >> finally done!!
AUD - 87 [expired]; 77
BEC - 74; 76
REG - 71; 65; 68; 75

Now waiting on Louisiana license!

[Anonymous]

I don't have any Big 4 experience – but didn't want it either. I'm in a small (10 person) firm that does accounting, tax, and consulting. My last position (audit) was one where I was stuck in a 6×6 cubicle in the middle of a building where even a AM radio signal was hard to get. That sucked…this doesn't.

I vote that you leave for your own sanity and career development. Good luck!

[Keely]

I could have written this post not too long ago. I took a job at a mid-sized firm and I quit within a month. It was horrible. Nothing against the firm, the people, or anything other than the fact that I was sitting in front of my computer clicking yellow cells in Excel and ‘ticking and tying' meaningless crap all. freaking. day. I drove 12 miles to work, which took me an hour in the morning and an hour and a half to get home in the evening.

Now I work for a very small firm and it's a total 180. My coworkers are all personable! I have my own office!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 I do both tax and audit, and busy season hours are only 55 hours a week. Yes, my pay is way (and I do mean way) lower than the other firm, but I would take $40,000 a year and my sanity over 60K any day of the week.

I never wanted to work in public accounting and I still don't see myself doing it for more than a couple years. But it's great experience if you're getting to see some different areas. Work at a small firm. The pay might suck, but you won't want to end it all every day. Ha.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your responses, guys.

Is it realistic to make some decent money in smaller firms? I am talking over 60K. I mean, I have CPA and 2.5 years of experience at this point. I recently spoke to a recruiter, and I was suggested to go to the industry, but some bigger companies. They offer decent pay but it is limited strictly to tax due to my experience. I would like to get some broader experience worthy of CPA license. I definitely hope to open my own shop someday.

[jelly]

For a higher salary at a smaller firm, several factors are at play. Does the firm have enough client work to sustain your salary, as well as the boss's (obviously larger) take? What are you bringing to the firm, i.e. specialized industry knowledge, something particular such as a tax law degree, or even better, billable client work? How fast can you hit the ground running on the different types of software, for tax prep, fixed assets, compilations? If the smaller firm has multiple smaller paying clients, how proficient and efficient are you at handling volume?

Keep in mind what you cost, numbers based on the Northeast:

$60,000 = salary

$ 6,000 = employer's payroll taxes at 10% on salary for FICA, incremental increase in UI, WC, short-term disability, liability insurance

$ 7,200 = health insurance on the low-end @ $600/mo for singles

$73,200 = approx total package, ignoring future increases in UI if terminated, ignoring periodic license registrations, ignoring annual continuing education training

This is not to discourage you, but to highlight the cash flow constraints that smaller companies are challenged with.

Couldn't pass again!

[Anonymous]

Yes, I was told by one of the recruiters that I could go as a senior in one of the big companies in industry for about 65K. I am thinking about it, but I want to make sure it is not going to be the same crap. I also want to get some better experience. I think Big 4 gives you good basics, but after that experience is very limited depending on the group you are in.

[Keely]

With 2.5 years of experience, you are unlikely to make over $60K in a smaller firm. Well, it depends on where you live. I'm sure you'd make that in DC, but you'd still be scraping to get by every month if you lived there.

You just need to decide which serves your benefit more in the long run: industry and making more money, but not getting as well-rounded experience, or small public with less money, but gaining experience in many areas. My suggestion is the small public firm, because it can only benefit you later on when you go into industry. But I think either one is better than slaving away in a job you hate at Big 4.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your responses, guys. You definitely gave some good information and thoughts. The most important part is that I know now that not everyone views Big 4 as the best option. I was afraid that people will call me crazy for wanting to leave the sweatshop. I am going to start exploring my options.

[Author]

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