What should I do next?

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  • #195473
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hey everyone,

    I am really confused. Here is my background. I have a BS in engineering and worked as an engineer for years. Then I went back to school and got another BS in accounting. I passed CPA exams right after school and landed a job with a mid-sized local accounting firm. After I promoted to senior, the firm changed quite a bit, many people I worked with left, so I left. I went to a big hospital accounting department. The pay was good but the work was horrible(I was there 6 months and worked till 9 pm almost every night, plus I didn’t learn much). I was terrified. I did most corporate and multi-state tax returns with the account firm so I wanted to learn individual returns. I picked a small firm and left the hospital. Then i got pregnant and had my baby girl. 🙂 I stayed at the small firm for 2 years, then I notice there is no room for me to get promotions beyond senior. So I was thinking about to move on but before that the firm lost a couple of major clients, so I got laid off. Luckily I found my current job 2 weeks after the lay-off. This is a mid-sized local firm. Great coworkers and 75% great boss( I will explain later). We have no weekends during tax season. This is almost never heard of for any accounting firm. I was planning to grow within the firm to be manager, director and maybe partner.

    Recently a couple of things happened and I started to think where I want to be and what I really want. There are 4 partners in the firm. 3 of them are great. One of them is OK but working with him was manageable. About 2 months ago, he started to pick on me. He kept questioning me about returns he never told me to do. He said he did tell me. Of course there was no proof. All other partners were very supportive of me because this happened to other accountants working with him before. But I feel like my job is at someone’s mercy. How about it gets really bad? How about…? I want a stable job with a reasonable pay. I don’t mind work hard but I don’t know which direction I want to go. Although all partners promised that it was not my fault and I should never worry about losing the job. The fact is I still worry.

    I started wondering what I want to do and how to get there. I have drafted so many plans in the past two months. I was thinking about to take GMAT and get a phd in accounting to teach. I was thinking about to get my master then pursue a government job. I was thinking about to move on to nonprofit. I was thinking…….

    I am in my late 30s. Unfortunately I was divorced last year so I do need a income or stipend(so phd is a solution). I have a 4.0 GPA and 7 years as a CPA. Shame on me, still just a senior. Honestly I feel like a loser sometimes.

    Any advice is greatly appreciated.

    Thank you !!

    Skye

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  • #682233
    JohnWayneIsGod
    Participant

    You sound very bright and experienced, so you are not a loser. I know a lot of engineers, and they are all the smartest people I’ve ever known.

    It’s hard to advise what you should do next because it sounds like you have some soul-searching to do, and you are a single mom which is something that I can’t relate to.

    Short-term, the only advice I can give is to record everything that is said between you and that partner who is giving you trouble. Write it down, keep the emails, keep the voicemails, even transcribe the voice mails. This way you won’t forget anything by mistake, because he’ll never let you live it down if you do, and you have documentation should you need it in the future.

    Keep your head up. You are capable of doing anything that you want.

    FAR - 80

    Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

    -John Wayne

    #682234
    Missy
    Participant

    Start with what you want to do, what lifestyle you envision then work backwards from there. In my mid 40s with 2 kids I knew I wanted a 40 hour somewhat flexible job that was local. That ruled out the six figure jobs in Boston because I had no desire to live that lifestyle. I adore HR, benefits, etc and really wanted to be the heart and soul of a smaller company doing just about everything with a small support staff to help me.

    I settled on wanted to be a finance/accounting/HR manager in manufacturing and thats where I am. Couldn't be happier. If and when I choose to work over 40 hours a week I can supplement my current income by bookkeeping or taxes on the side. If not, I am comfortable.

    At this stage in your life you've accomplished a lot. Now its time to decide what works for you not the other way around. Find something that you can feel settled with and won't make you miserable between 40-70 hours per week, and will also allow you to achieve what you want in your personal/family life. I think when we hit 40ish is when we stop trying to prove ourselves to the world and let the world prove itself to us!

    edited to add: if tuition for your children is a perk of teaching, that right there is PRICELESS imho.

    Old timer,  A71'er since 2010.

    Finance manager/HR manager

     

     

    Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
    Finance/Admin/HR Manager

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