[SFLocal]

I need some advice. I received an offer for a local accounting firm, but I had to turn it down because my wife does not support my taking the offer. Accepting the offer entails a paycut, but I would easily make it up in 2 years. I received a promotion and a $15K raise in my current job that is unrelated to accounting. I was in school before we got married, so this career path was not coming out of nowhere.

How would you convince your spouse to support your decision?

BEC - Passed!
REG - Passed!
AUD - Passed!
FAR - Passed!

[psullyii]

I had a similar situation. I got back into school to get my MAcc, and while I was back in school, wound up with a new job that was going fairly well. I had to take a paycut and lost my company car to get into public accounting. It's been a pain, but after the last review, I think I should be back to where I was by my next review.

The fact of the matter is that I would likely have topped out making $65-75k a year with the job that I had. Whether or not I stay in public accounting, I think I have the potential now to make much more money in the future. My wife agreed, and that's why we made the move. It's hard not to be short sighted when it comes to finances, and every circumstance is different, but I think you have to consider whatever paycut you'll have to endure over the next two years as an investment in your future.

AUD - 82
BEC - 81
FAR - 82
REG - 88

Clean sweep with Becker and Ninja Audio. Licensed 1/24/2014.

[psullyii]

I had a similar situation. I got back into school to get my MAcc, and while I was back in school, wound up with a new job that was going fairly well. I had to take a paycut and lost my company car to get into public accounting. It's been a pain, but after the last review, I think I should be back to where I was by my next review.

The fact of the matter is that I would likely have topped out making $65-75k a year with the job that I had. Whether or not I stay in public accounting, I think I have the potential now to make much more money in the future. My wife agreed, and that's why we made the move. It's hard not to be short sighted when it comes to finances, and every circumstance is different, but I think you have to consider whatever paycut you'll have to endure over the next two years as an investment in your future.

AUD - 82
BEC - 81
FAR - 82
REG - 88

Clean sweep with Becker and Ninja Audio. Licensed 1/24/2014.

[musicamor]

My response: don't try, you won't win. 🙂

When I had to convince my wife, it was a difficult task, but like you, I already had the path laid out before we got married. I did spend a lot of time assuring her of the eventual outcome'; arduous as it may be. At the end of the day, it was happening regardless because I knew of the long-term benefits it would provide for my family.

It appears you may want to consider another opportunity? Why is this one offer the one you will accept? Is their another offer that your wife would have less heartburn over? What are your goals in public accounting? Maybe another firm can offer the same kind of path for you.

Good lock to you.

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[musicamor]

My response: don't try, you won't win. 🙂

When I had to convince my wife, it was a difficult task, but like you, I already had the path laid out before we got married. I did spend a lot of time assuring her of the eventual outcome'; arduous as it may be. At the end of the day, it was happening regardless because I knew of the long-term benefits it would provide for my family.

It appears you may want to consider another opportunity? Why is this one offer the one you will accept? Is their another offer that your wife would have less heartburn over? What are your goals in public accounting? Maybe another firm can offer the same kind of path for you.

Good lock to you.

Texas CPA - licensed in 2012!!!

[MrsBing]

Explain to her the long term benefits of going into the career you want. Hopefully she'll change her mind once she knows that in a few years you will be making more. If she still doesn't want you to go into public, I would anyway. This is your career and she knew about your career path for a while. She sounds a little selfish.

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, and Ninja 10 Point Combo!

FAR: 89
REG: 87
AUD: 92
BEC: 75
Ethics: 90

Licensed Arizona CPA

[MrsBing]

Explain to her the long term benefits of going into the career you want. Hopefully she'll change her mind once she knows that in a few years you will be making more. If she still doesn't want you to go into public, I would anyway. This is your career and she knew about your career path for a while. She sounds a little selfish.

Becker, Wiley Test Bank, and Ninja 10 Point Combo!

FAR: 89
REG: 87
AUD: 92
BEC: 75
Ethics: 90

Licensed Arizona CPA

[lleon]

Yeahh I give my wife all the say in the world, but final decisions are mine, that's just how my household runs lol especially if it's about your career, I'd say try and best explain your thought process and why it would work out best this way, hear out her concerns and address them. But at the end of the day, sometimes you gotta make choices she disagrees with.

Licensed in Arizona

[lleon]

Yeahh I give my wife all the say in the world, but final decisions are mine, that's just how my household runs lol especially if it's about your career, I'd say try and best explain your thought process and why it would work out best this way, hear out her concerns and address them. But at the end of the day, sometimes you gotta make choices she disagrees with.

Licensed in Arizona

[UCMCPA]

Explain the benefits of having public experience. If that doesn't work……..

Get a new wife.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[UCMCPA]

Explain the benefits of having public experience. If that doesn't work……..

Get a new wife.

FAR - 84
AUD - 94
REG - 86
BEC - 86

[MintsRGood]

Explain to your wife that you didn't sit through CPA exam hell to not qualify for licensure because you lack work experience in public accounting. I'm assuming that you live in a state where you do need experience in public, so please feel free to correct if that's not the case!

When my now husband was my back then serious boyfriend, I sat him down and explained to him what the CPA exam entails and what life is like in public accounting. I explained that tax season is a grind and that the higher up I move on the food chain the more that will be required of me and the less I'll be home but the benefits outweigh the bad parts. I told him that this is the life I want to live, my job is not negotiable, I will be a CPA, I will be a partner someday, it will hard, but we will reap tremendous benefits because of it. He is in engineer and also has a crazy job high up on the food chain, so he understood where I was coming from with my “get on board or get out of the way” speech. He proposed a month or so later, so clearly I didn't scare him off! Ha!

Phrases like “you are forbidden/not allowed/under no circumstances” are well…forbidden at our house! I don't own my husband and he CERTAINLY does not own me, so I don't like that type of language in my house. Reason with her and remind her that she knew this day was coming. Sit your wife down and explain what this means to you and how it will support your family long term. Offer a few ideas for how you can scale back your budget so a short term pay cut won't hurt as much.

If that doesn't work, I'll email you my “get on board or get out of the way” speech! 😉

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[MintsRGood]

Explain to your wife that you didn't sit through CPA exam hell to not qualify for licensure because you lack work experience in public accounting. I'm assuming that you live in a state where you do need experience in public, so please feel free to correct if that's not the case!

When my now husband was my back then serious boyfriend, I sat him down and explained to him what the CPA exam entails and what life is like in public accounting. I explained that tax season is a grind and that the higher up I move on the food chain the more that will be required of me and the less I'll be home but the benefits outweigh the bad parts. I told him that this is the life I want to live, my job is not negotiable, I will be a CPA, I will be a partner someday, it will hard, but we will reap tremendous benefits because of it. He is in engineer and also has a crazy job high up on the food chain, so he understood where I was coming from with my “get on board or get out of the way” speech. He proposed a month or so later, so clearly I didn't scare him off! Ha!

Phrases like “you are forbidden/not allowed/under no circumstances” are well…forbidden at our house! I don't own my husband and he CERTAINLY does not own me, so I don't like that type of language in my house. Reason with her and remind her that she knew this day was coming. Sit your wife down and explain what this means to you and how it will support your family long term. Offer a few ideas for how you can scale back your budget so a short term pay cut won't hurt as much.

If that doesn't work, I'll email you my “get on board or get out of the way” speech! 😉

REG: 75 DONE 🙂
AUD: 61, 71, 68, 92 DONE 🙂
BEC: 76 DONE 🙂
FAR: 72, 74, 79 DONE 🙂
Licensed Michigan CPA 🙂
-Some people dream of success...others wake up and work hard for it!!!
-The cowards never start and the weak die along the way!
-You better work, b***h!
-Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.-JFK

[Anonymous]

Explain to her in laymen's terms that working in public accounting will pay off in dividends! 🙂

I hate to think this way, BUT what happens when in 15 years you both decide to go your separate ways? You will be shooting yourself in the foot – wishing that you gained valuable experience in public accounting. In the meantime, you'll resent your wife.

[Anonymous]

Explain to her in laymen's terms that working in public accounting will pay off in dividends! 🙂

I hate to think this way, BUT what happens when in 15 years you both decide to go your separate ways? You will be shooting yourself in the foot – wishing that you gained valuable experience in public accounting. In the meantime, you'll resent your wife.

[Study Monk]

@SF Local

Do you need the job to get the general work experience requirement?

If so just do it and tell her it was the decision you need to make.

That being said it will take a few years probably to climb back to 75k, maybe longer in public accounting.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Author]

Replies