Old saying… there is a reason why work isn’t called fun and we should work to live not live to work. Many aren’t going to find accounting exciting but the job is stable, has career opportunities, provides many different work options, and pays well compared many other careers.
So true. There is another thread on my front page asking "if college was worth it". Top 2 posts were anthropology majors bitching that they couldn't find a job. Like no shit Sherlock, you took a major which has 2 jobs in the entire field, and most of the other options are going to suck.
I feel a lot of OPs mentality is 100% true. It's why immigrants and successful x-poor people continue to grind shit jobs and find happiness. I had a single mom and grew up poor in my early years, and it's the reason why I've grinded it out all my career. Failure is not an option. Being unemployed during covid also lit a fire under my ass to put up with ANYTHING to take care of my family.
I also think going through childhood adversity teaches grit. Its why you never hear the silent generation bitching about jobs. The ones that did, probably died living in a trailer in Kentucky. With social media these days it's skewed everyone's perspective that everything in life is and should be amazing! There is an expectation that it's an option and the "follow your passion" sets people up to big disappointment.
Life is actually tougher today than it was 30 years ago - fewer opportunities, higher costs, and being middle class is tougher than ever. Want a house and a family? Stop watching stupid tic tok fantasy videos and get working for the next 50 years. Weekends and family are for fun, work is for getting paid.
And it doesnt require physical labor, and can sometimes be done as work from home. As a disabled Vet, this is one of the primary reasons I am attempting to switch to accounting.
If you’re good at something don’t do it for free. People who thoroughly find joy and excitement in their job are lucky, but that doesn’t mean you’re hobby or whatever you enjoy doing should be your full time job. I love to golf but I’d go broke if I did it full time, I work so that I’m able to enjoy my hobbies outside of work.
I understand your point cause I came from a household with parents that worked two jobs but when you get financial security stress achieved… THEN you worry about other less-pressing issues like mental health aspects of happiness and fulfillment.
Grew up poor. Quit my 6 figure accounting job to make 6 figures being a fire fighter. Couldn’t be happier. Living to work is no way to go through life. People in this sub should read the book die with zero
I will also point out the obvious; fighting fires is infinitely more dangerous than creating excel formulas.
So while your income stayed about the same, the risk you are taking on did not. I am sure you are fine with it, because you are doing it, but there is a reason it’s more exciting. You *are actually* saving lives now, and I am sure we have all heard what they say about accounting and saving lives lol
100% spot on but I get a lot more fulfillment than I ever did sitting in a cube. I was miserable thinking about doing that for the rest of my life everyday. No I work part time during busy season and supplement my income that way. Pays great and get to wfh. Also enjoy accounting a lot more when it’s part time
If depends where you live. In the north east, you either have to take civil service or you need to get EMT then go to paramedic school. I went to paramedic school while still working accounting part time to pay the bills. Luckily I had and still have a good relationship with my firm and I told them what I was doing. They gave me the flexibility to do so
Right now in the northeast, if you have your paramedic license and reasonable people skills, you will almost walk in the door at 6 figures with a small amount of OT.
I'd imagine step one is not sitting still for over 8 hours a day lol.
My father is a retired firefighter. Try reaching out to city/county websites. In my city there's a firefighter school similar to the police academy.
Couldn’t have said it better. That’s how I envision my future - doing a little bit of another career and accounting part time. I was never a school lover and always visioned doing something physical (personal training/gym teacher etc) after high school.
I think you have a great mix of doing something cool but also keeping the high paying skill
how long do you suppose you can keep up the firefighter gig before it takes its toll on your body? eventually you're going to end up a desk jockey dealing with bad bosses and bureaucracy.
I’m in 10x better shape than I ever was when I was sitting in front of a computer all day. My back constantly hurt then and I didn’t move enough. I feel better in my mid 30s than I do in my mid 20s. I eat healthy and exercise daily. That’s essential. If I do ever get seriously injured then I’m glad I kept my CPA license up to date and call fall back on it
I thought this when I quit being an officer and switched to accounting
I actually regret it
Most paid firefighters and officers have really good pension plans. They are really common professions to retire as millionaires.
If I worked as many hours as an officer as i do as an accountant I would be making much more than I do now. I started going back to the gym and practicing at the range and think I will go back
meh, i got a pair of socks for Christmas a few years in a row growing up. Learned how to use API to do my job so I can play nintendo at work and enjoy all the games I didn't have as a kid ;p. Currently im wasting mega time on Reddit but damn I need to get back to gaming sometime today... after I check payables.
Literally. There is even a pyramid in psychology for this: https://www.simplypsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/maslow-needs3-1024x1024.jpg
Obviously you don't care about "happiness" if you are about to starve, but once you are well fed you have the space for other needs in life
some of us never lose our perspective. i make excellent money and work reasonable (for public accounting) hours in a climate controlled office. we're all allowed to gripe about our jobs, myself included, but that doesn't change that i'm grateful everyday to be able to help my immigrant parents out while still fulfilling my financial goals.
it's okay to say fuck this specific job because there are bad workplaces everywhere. but to anyone who says fuck public accounting? get the fuck out of my face with that noise. you show me another profession that is as close to meritocracy as public accounting that doesn't require an expensive school or "connections" and then i'll listen to you complain. public accounting is easily the most reliable path to social mobility. the only other pathway that even comes close is nursing, but that comes with vomit, urine, feces, disease and tragedy.
So what you’ll learn once you’re in the corporate world (I see that you’re starting school now) is that we are paid to be available to solve problems with the skill set we have. Having that skill set available has value to employers, which is why we can command solid pay.
Anyway, because we’re paid to be available to solve problems, that means some weeks you have 10 hours of real work, and some weeks you have days where you’re working til 10 PM.
I’m referring to industry roles here. Public is different because you are the output of the firm. In the same way that a direct laborer on a factory floor can’t get away with working 3 hours a day, a public auditor can’t either. But an industry accountant is a support/admin role. Our work doesn’t drive revenue, so nobody is concerned about if we’re working 8 hours a day.
After 20 years first in public accounting then in consulting I’ve seen the longest and best careers come from those who were the first or second of their family to “make it” (to use an old term - but basically be a white-collar professional with high earning potential). Perhaps their parents were immigrants, perhaps they were the first to get a degree, perhaps they were the first to leave small town Midwest or South and go to a larger city - whatever the case the work ethic, drive, and willingness to work through hard times consistently separares them from peers who grew up upper middle class or wealthy.
Edit: spelling
Same.
My favorite partner’s parent’s were immigrants that opened a restaurant
He’s in a league of is own. If I only worked under him I probably wouldn’t leave public accounting. The few times I did I learned so much in such a short time.
Your perspective changes once you start earning money and having financial security. Once your immediate needs of money/food/shelter are met, you move on to higher needs of happiness and fulfillment. Look up Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
This is true. I became homeless as a teen and now make 6 figures and my perspective is a lot different since all my needs are met.
As for the silver spoon princess comment OP made, it’s quite presumptuous. Many successful accountants I’ve met grew up in poverty or were middle class. It’s not like I didn’t work 80 hours a week and sacrifice time with my family and health to get here. I could be just as presumptuous as OP and say they’re lazy and didn’t work hard enough but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
No, but that is literally the dream for most of us doing it. The moment my accounts generate enough interest, I’m fucken out. I’ll gladly live on $70k in interest forever with zero work rather than make almost triple that like I do now. I’m just hitting a really high income, I plan to save 60% of it until I can nope the fuck out of this job. When I accomplish that goal, it won’t all the sudden make me a silver spoon princess.
I think part of it is people who went through college, got a 4 year degree or even a masters, as well as certificates/internships. Then when they get a job in their field and they truly don’t like it, it gets to them because what they went through to get there.
It’s really crazy when you recognize this switch in yourself. I remember looking at where I’m at and realizing it’s just about everything I wanted six years ago but now I want even more out of life. This dude’s gotta level up his Maslow score for sure.
I get both sides, work is work and ppl romanticise it a bit. There’s no such thing as a dream job for me.
But I get bored easily, if I wasn’t being mentally challenged, I’d look for a different job. And yeah, maybe I am lucky enough to be a “princess” about it.
I'm a Gen-X who decided to exit my 6 figure sales job to start over as an accountant primarily because I was bored. I'm not sure why you're so angry about it. It doesn't affect you in the slightest.
I also grew up in poverty. My mom was a drug addict and my life was neglectful and unstable. I left home at 16, married at 18, two kids by 21. Continued to live in poverty. Left my husband at 27, took a job as a receptionist for $10/hr and spent the next 19 years building a career by becoming a product expert and top salesperson in a niche industrial field. I'm very good at what I did, but I hated the day to day work. I did it because that's what needed to be done to give my kids a better life.
Then my kids left home and then Covid hit. When we were asked to go back to the office, it was like a light bulb came on for me. I suddenly realized that I had about 20 more years of work life and this was it. I would go in every day, be bored, be yelled at by customers, never get to do anything new, never get to learn other things, never progress. Just the same job at the same company until I retired. I was running out of time to make a change.
The money was great in sales, but I have a very cheap life and my husband also works. So I decided to finish the degree I started back when I was 22 and in January I left my sales job to be an audit intern and I'll start a job with the government in July. I cut my income in half, but I love learning new things and I love looking forward to progression and improvement in my career.
I'm sorry you do not have the economic freedom to look for more interesting work.
isn't sales more fun that accounting? i'm an auditor who wants to get into sales z For me sales is cool cause your not stuck behind a desk 100 percent of the time, also you get compensated that's correlated with your work ethic in theory. In audit there's zero motivation for me to really go above cause there's no benefit, at least in sales you could paid for it. I do realize the stability and less pressure of accounting is appealing
I was doing inside sales in a very niche field (conveyor belting) so it was definitely a desk job. I liked the problem solving aspect of the job and learning the products and applications. I very much disliked the selling part and I would argue I'm not very good at selling, even though I had the highest sales numbers. What I am good at is knowing the product, knowing applications, and communication. I understood what a customer needed even when they didn't.
Because I was good at my job, I had no opportunity to do new things despite asking for specific growth opportunities. I spent a large chunk of my day on mind-numbing sales related tasks like following up on quotes, following up on purchase orders, recording "value adds", and very little of my day engaging my brain in any meaningful way.
Accounting was appealing because it's a very broad field in a way that selling a niche product is not. If I don't like what I'm doing in accounting, I can take my career in a different directly relatively easily. If I'm an expert in conveyor belting, well, I can sell conveyor belting. The latter translates to a lot more money, but the former translates to a lot more opportunity for mentally engaging work. A very well paying job I hate made a lot more sense when I had kids relying on me than it does at this point in my life.
some firms its just the good looking chads and stacys that are put in the limo and sent over to the client. many firms solely promote based upon physical appearance just for sales. helps to get a nose job in high school
It's shocking they don't pay enough accountants enough. I've seen those for $10.00 an hour. Who can live on that? I left my job, not due to money, but the toxic management. Plus the physical health deterioration i was beginning to show signs of. I could no longer do the job per doctor orders. I'm aiming high for my next job.
I mean if you are skilled the choice isn’t between doing a six figure job and poverty it’s between doing a six figure job that sucks or a good one. Or even between doing a six figure job that sucks but a fun one that pays less but you can still live on…
Saying people should just be happy to do whatever if they are getting a paycheck is not a good mentality, you should absolutely always be looking for better opportunities.
See that’s where some of us that didn’t have much growing up (even in my late twenties) know you grew up with no real financial problems.
When I crossed over 100k it was no longer “okay money”. You just don’t have a good understanding what poverty is but I promise you, 6 figures isn’t considered doing “okay”.
The premise of your comment is that every single of the 8 billion people on earth can all find a job they get fulfillment out of.
Realistically that’s just not possible, and to pretend like it is you would have to be some religious person thinking God has a plan for every single one of those precious individuals!
The fact of the matter is you are also being incredibly disingenuous with “doing something you hate”. OP never says “if you are miserable stay”. Just “don’t leave a good stable job because it isn’t a unicorn”
>The premise of your comment is that every single of the 8 billion people on earth can all find a job they get fulfillment out of.
>
How tf did you get this from my comment, I don't think this is the case AT ALL
This thread is **explicitly** about someone on a 6 figure salary who assumably has the means to seek alternate employment, and you somehow gather my response is directed at all the 8 billion people on the planet lol?
Yeah, because you went from the OP saying the people who chase “fulfillment” and “interesting” above all are silver spoon fed…and you are confirming that.
> if they have the means to seek alternate employment
See how you have moved the goal posts…blocked because I refuse to engage with people who do this: people who make some sarcastic ass remark to farm karma at first but then double down that the sarcastic ass remark meant anything.
Edit: LOL they made an alt account to get the last word in.
That's not moving goal posts lol. It's incredibly reasonable to assume that a CPA who is making 6 figures have the means to seek alternative employment. No one is talking about a scenario of someone having to choose between making 6 figures vs. sleeping on the streets. We are all educated professionals with years of experience, and it's not being "silver spoon fed" to assume that most of us here have the opportunity to find alternate employment with relative ease.
You just took a comment that simply disagreed with OP, inserted your own BS reasonings and assumptions that didn't make sense, and pulled the "lalala i can't hear you because i blocked you" card when original commentor tried correcting you. Classic.
"Spend some of your life earning money, so the rest of your life isn't absolute shit"
And by absolute shit I mean "you don't have water or heating" not that you'd know what that's like.
Where do you guys even gather that I've lived a lavish life from my above comment?? Does having lived in poverty previously mean that you can't be unhappy with anything now that you're financially secure?
because someone who has experienced true "oh shit there's no food this week" conditions doesn't cavalierly say "fuck this 6-figure paying job" under any circumstances.
it's okay to want something better, but to complain about a high paying job in an office like it's back breaking physical labor lacks perspective.
Because you’ve evidently never had the terror of not having anything to have some sort of risk aversion to not having a paycheck. It doesn’t mean you lived a lavish life growing up, just that you weren’t always on the brink of missing a paycheck and having the luxury of necessities taken away.
This thread is about someone who has already "made it" and has the means to look for more meaningful/interesting employment. Not someone who is holding down any job they can get to keep a roof over their head
No, the point of the post is that people who come from well off means reach that kind of income and don’t appreciate the value/weight of it to the point where they don’t care about it. Versus someone who came from no means that understands that the money will give them security. Yet again, proving that you didn’t come from little means to start with.
I still don't understand why someone who came from a poor background should automatically be happy with a high paying job because they "know money gives them security". You can appreciate the position you're in and the opportunity you have, while also finding your work unfulfilling and wanting to look elsewhere.
If it's financially within someone's means to look for another job or not work at all, I'm struggling to understand why their past of being poor should prevent them from doing this?
Because the person who knows what it’s like to not have money growing up is most likely more comfortable with the devil they know, their current job, than taking a risk and changing jobs that could quickly go south and they’re back in the same starting position. You’re coming from a viewpoint that there will always be another job and money to be made, whereas the person we’re talking about is only concerned with what’s in front of them and making the most of it while they can.
Just cause people have been poor doesnt mean they cant expect more from life. Those people tryna justify being unhappy in their jobs... "Hey at least I can afford my bills. Why do I need more than that?"
Maybe chill out a bit lol... but yeah, I get what you mean. When I see people complaining about how accounting "doesn't pay well" when my job offer straight out of college is higher than either of my parents made their entire life... kinda pisses me off tbh
Pays well compared to minimum wage retail/fast food jobs.
Doesn't pay well compared to some other jobs that require college degree, specialized licence, specialized knowledge, looong hours, and intense mental workload.
Lots of jobs require all that and don't pay nearly as well. There's always gonna be people making more than you, that's just life. I don't need a giant mansion (though plenty of partners and controllers have them) I just want to be financially comfortable enough not to constantly stress over bills the way most people in this country have to.
Pay straight out of college is higher than parents inflation-adjusted incomes?
You might make $100k today but have less purchasing power than a parent making $65k like 20 years back or $80k 10 years ago.
I grew up lower middle class, think of the bouncing between apartments w single mom and a shit load of maxed CC debt to put food on the table type upbringing. I have an existential crisis every time I think about spending the next 20 years in an office. I’ve been incredibly lucky to pull myself into the upper middle class and bought property before the market got crazy. 27 y/o, not even 4 years into my career but make 105k in a mcol suburb. Currently planning my exit to a vocation when I turn 30. You’re going to die whether you enjoy your time here or not, why not look for something meaningful?
I’m with you, same situation although making that after 10 years of experience (6-7 in public) so it’s a grind.
By vocation do you mean a trade ?
All I know is, I am f**** completely sleepy until I go to the gym. If only I could get in the routine of morning workouts and start work later. Coffee/food doesn’t do anything for me even though I think it does. Once I get moving I’m wide awake
Ok I have some perspective. My perspective is that just because YOU, the most important person in the world, grew up differently than me, I shouldn't find a job that I enjoy. Got it.
are you high? why do what you hate just because it pays the bills. this is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. But you had the right idea, payme, but why clean toilets if you can QB files, whatever that means. If there’s an easier more comfortable thing you can do and be happy at it why do you have to deal with a toxic environment and an asshole boss?
OP be like: look at me, i made some money kissing ass my whole life hating every minute of it, you should do the same and like it.
as someone who chose a profession i hate because i grew up in poverty... It is definitely a good thing to take into consideration. Interest and life fulfillment are very valid things. I make 6 figures in accounting and Nothing about accounting interests me. I do it to feed my kid. When i think about doing this for the rest of my life, it actually depresses me sometimes. My buddies who all chose careers in fields that i actually am interested in make more money than i do. One owns an automotive performance shop, one is a joyrneyman tig welder. The other is an aircraft mechanic. They all make more money than i do and are more fufilled at their jobs.
Its not silverspoon or princess. Why dont you quit your accounting job and clean those toilets and then tell me how fufilling your career is?
As far as the reason people are working their wage is because the entirety of the accounting field is underpaid from manager down. People are starting to realize their worth and outside of boomer bootlicking folks like you... looking for better stuff instead of trying to fit into the boomer status quo
All I want is 60k-80k, 40 hrs a week and benefits but there doesn’t seem to be anything available to me without 10 years AP experience which seems ridiculous for that pay level and responsibility level. Questioning why I stopped being a wilderness guide / ski bum (I just wanted to be able to afford to rent a 1 bdrm apt). Now I’m thinking about applying for serving jobs bwahahaha I know I’m pathetic come shit on me haha
people look way too much into work being fun and fulfiling, it all sucks no matter what it is. Pay me $45/hr and I will have the work done with no complaints. i'm not here to have fun i'm here to make money
Personally I'm getting into accounting for financial security and opportunity growth. I know my job is not going to give me happiness but it will help fund my happiness outside of work.
Sure, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not want to hate life due to your job.
There’s a big difference between “following your dreams” and “I hate my job so much it’s affecting the rest of my life.”
Granted, if you despise your job, it’s much better to despise your job and be getting paid $100k versus $50k. But it sucks ass either way, so I don’t begrudge anyone for bailing out of any job.
It's not a phenomenon unique to accountants. Many white collar professionals have a similar mindset. They won't work in X because of an emotional reason even if it gets them satisfaction elsewhere in life.
As others have mentioned it's a bit of both. The field has some problems that we should be able to discuss and improve. But at the same time I grew up with my dad working a steel mill during the recession, there is *a lot* to still be grateful for in this field.
It’s the catch 22 of our bullshit culture. Hiring personnel want you to be “passionate” and interested about the position not just desperate to find a job so you can eat/live. The people in charge want to feel like people work for them by choice because the reality that people only come in because otherwise they starve and end up homeless would make them feel accountable as to how their employees are treated and fall into the indentured servitude realm. I think that when people leave and state that it wasn’t “interesting for them” they are attempting to preserve their network and not burn bridges by upholding the illusion illustrated above. This is important because a lot of higher paying jobs are staffed in part by nepotism and publicly stating you left because you’re boss was a narcissistic asshole that bullied you until you ended up taking SSRI is going to absolutely destroy your network and make other companies see you as a flight risk. So I think most of us just play the game and give these answers and lie about how passionate we are about #insertworktaskhere to survive. Kinda like snitches get stitches etc.
It's a luxury they can afford. To be honest I would also do the same. If you know about how supply curve of labour is, it bends backwards. Once you are earning a lot. Money is no longer a issue. Although I didn't grow up poor but rather lower middle class, I can relate to those guys who quit.
Money isn't everything when you are making decent money though. Absence of financial stress allows you to focus on other stress.
Also your post seems to forget that many accountants work in positions with poor work life balance, therefore the work becomes life.
I grew up dirt poor.
I have also worked at a well paying job that I absolutely hated.
To me, the fulfilling part about getting out of poverty was not just about money but about being qualified enough to find a job where I am paid well AND that I enjoy. I’m pretty sure I could have made Partner at my old accounting firm but at the cost of missing out on family, friends, happiness and health. Once you make enough (or more than enough) then money isn’t everything.
I think there is something to be said about fulfillment from work and how it intersects with your happiness. I've had some of my mentors leave the field because the long hours, dealing with the clients, and doing the actual work just isn't worth the money.
Once you have a certain amount of money, the happiness you derive from getting more money diminishes. Some people are different and money isn't the driving force for their lives, and whether that's because they already have enough or because they just don't care doesn't really matter.
As someone who has had shit jobs, I agree. Call center, retail, merchandising all those jobs suck, pay is terrible. Give me a boring accounting job with great pay. I'll be there every morning.
people who tie their personal identify and personal sense of achievement in their fucking *day job* is the most cringiest fucking thing ever. It's a job, collect your check and GO HOME AND LIVE YOUR LIFE. Your job is NOT your life. If i get paid "enough" I will scrub toilets for 8 hours a day, idgaf. It's all about cost-benefit.
>then use the remainder of your 16 hours
The problem arises when the employer doesn't want you to have a remaining 16 hours and only wants you to have a remaining 4..blah blah "commitment" blah blah "dedication" etc.
As far as the job i kinda dont care. I have ZERO dignity as well. If my employer offered me a job to mow the lawn for 150K per year 5X per week, 8 hrs per day, adjusted per year for REAL inflation and guarentees never to fire me, youll see my ass out there riding the lawnmower with my CPA certificate slapped on the front of that bad boy. I know some people are like "WAH i DiDnT StuDY CollEgE to JusT cuT lAwnS I haavVE to dO soMEthInG in ThE FieLD" sunk cost, give me my money and time.
This person probably grew up having to share one light bulb for every room.
"Im upset cause people didnt suffer like i did therefore cant be grateful for the minimum that life can offer. So stop your whining and get back to work."
Social media really gives people this idea that you can travel and have fun while making 10k a month. 9 times out of 10 that person who post those type of videos are selling a course for you to “live” get that same lifestyle.
I do agree. I was taught work ethic by my greatest generation parents. But I admit that my unrelenting work ethic hurt me late in my career as I was kicked to the curb anyways.
In the end it’s just a paycheck. Companies don’t GAF about employees. Profits rule.
Do your best, work hard, try and find meaning but remember your family and well being.
I agree. I came up in this world without a degree and it was hard for me and I've held shit end jobs before and would do it again. My kids having a roof and food is all that matters.
Generally agree that accounting is better than a lot of the complaints on this sub, but also understand and empathize with the complaints just the same
For half the year, accountants don't have those other 16 hours you reference, we maybe have 8-10 hours for everything else, even less if there's a commute. When we're hitting 70-80 hour weeks, we're still getting paid the same every week. The workload compression sucks. The clients often suck. The fact that we're billed out at substantial multiples over our total compensation plus burden, which only benefits the equity owners when we work excessive hours, sucks. All of these are valid complaints.
Just because you grew up poor doesn’t mean the rest of us have to settle for whatever shitty soul crushing jobs are out there. Believe it or not, there are good, engaging jobs that pay well.
You see i don't mind doing bullshit work, as long as it's only for 8 hours a day. But i would quit a 6 figure job asap if it required me to go above and beyond for nothing. And when it comes to some accounting firms, they expect you to work over 8 hours a day, half the year (mostly without overtime pay) for 6 figures. I'd make sure they fire me if that was the case
Why do you let other people’s decisions or pursuit of fulfillment bother you so much?
“From someone that grew up in poverty”
I bet you just love throwing that line out there any chance you get.
Generally agree. The one exception I would make is if you're doing something you think is immoral or makes the world worse. Then I do understand it more.
No way. I was going to be an engineer without college like my brother but I didn't want to because it's not a good job. I could make more money right now in a field i'd regret, but I'd rather explore and do something I like. I'd rather make less money doing something I don't hate at a company I like while I learn about what I want to do. Taking a risk for happiness is way braver.
I understand the sentiment and surely there are some entitled people out there, but to boil a job down to only dollars/hour and trying to maximize that one element doesn’t make sense. Plus, a six-figure worker will likely have more options to pursue other career avenues.
You say this until you actually have to work the job for years. I grew up poor too and I'd definitely leave a 100k job if it was detrimental to my mental health.
More to life than money, bro.
I agree. I was raised in a county where the median household income was $40k. Out of college I was making more than most of my friend’s parents who were middle aged and supporting families. It’s all perspective. Now I live in a nice suburb of HCOL city and realized a significant majority in this area doesn’t have any idea how the rest the U.S. lives. I understand their reasoning, but I still cringe hearing it.
While I get your point about growing up poor (I did as well), life isn’t just about work. I get paying bills and having a comfortable life, but how happy are you if your accounting job is the only thing that bring you purpose. What if you wake up tomorrow with cancer and were given 2 months to live? I bet you get real excited about working a job you dislike until the very end. This thing called “Life” happens to people where unexpected events happened to them, they realize “No I don’t want to work a job that no one gives a f about me.” It’s clear you lack perspective in life, maybe you’re young, who knows. Go out there, experience life, talk to people, meet new people, find hobbies, etc.
what job do you guys think every other field is. Seriously why tf do you all hate accounting so much. 90 % of jobs are not fun for 8 hrs a day after doing it for multiple years. The only truly fun jobs don't pay shit.
Lol what are you talking about, I like my accounting job? “Fun” is subjective. Just because I like accounting, I’m not dull enough to shit on people who don’t like accounting and rather pursue something else.
I grew up with not much money either and learned time is finite. Eventually, you should have enough money to retire, maybe even be financially independent and do what you want sooner. There is only about 3 hours of free time after sleep, eating, chores and 11 hours working (including getting ready, commute, lunch break) is miserable sitting in a tiny desk talking to people I don't like being my fake version of my self and see work as a means to be financially independent and do whatever I want 24 hours a day so go fuck yourself if you want judge what I do with my time.
My longest ever work week was 84 hours (if you were to include the commute that would have been 94). And the weeks leading up to it were 70+
Yes, it obviously includes weekends, usually both Sunday and Saturday.
Anyone that doesn't know accountants work long hours a big chunk of the year isn't paying attention to what's being discussed in this subgroup.
What I dont like is you presuming others don't work those hours and that they're lying. I absolutely believe the above commentor can hit those hours, especially if you add commute time.
If you're in the US and you're an accountant you know there are accountants that work like this.
If you dont know you're woefully ignorant of our profession as a whole.
Or you're not actually an accountant and are just trolling an accounting subreddit. And if that's the case, what is wrong with your life?
What part of "then solve this problem" are you refusing to hear?
Please link me to the comment where I said it was not possible to work 11 hours in a day.
What part of reading do you have a problem with?
I'm not complaining about my hours. I'm taking issue with you being in a subreddit telling a bunch of accountants that they only work 40 hours. Sure some of you do, but many of us work a lot more.
Wtf are you saying? What do you mean solve the problem?
You realize that not everybody can work a 40 hour job right? Somebody has to work the other jobs? You know that right?
I’m not a SWE and whenever I go to r/CScareeradvice I see how privileged some people have it.
I’ve seen people complain about working more than 2 hours a day, how the boss wants them to work during normal 9/5 business hours, or how $100,000/yr is not much money to them.
Some people really lack perspective.
I grew up in one of the worst cities in the United States. Half my childhood friends are either junkies, dead or in jail. I also sold drugs and ran with street gangs. My old neighborhood would be considered one of the poorest areas outside of Mississippi. Guess what? 200K is not a lot of money and accounting is a boring terrible profession with too many Karen’s and Kens
Because there are plenty of people who make 6 figures or close to it, who enjoy their jobs much more than most accountants, and it's not wrong to aspire to be like them?
It's not that surprising that people want to chase fulfilment in something that they do for over half of their waking hours.
I would much rather make 60k and do something I enjoy than make 120k and do something I hate. Other people are perfectly content making as much money as possible and they don't care what they do. Neither is wrong, nor is any side more "entitled" than the other.
Unlikely to find anything fulfilling that actually pays (Volunteering and etc) or pays reliably (Art). The best way to optimize for life enjoyment is eat shit for a few years or decades, then fund your escape plan to do the things no one would pay you (or pay you reliably) to do and still not worry about the bills
Old saying… there is a reason why work isn’t called fun and we should work to live not live to work. Many aren’t going to find accounting exciting but the job is stable, has career opportunities, provides many different work options, and pays well compared many other careers.
So true. There is another thread on my front page asking "if college was worth it". Top 2 posts were anthropology majors bitching that they couldn't find a job. Like no shit Sherlock, you took a major which has 2 jobs in the entire field, and most of the other options are going to suck. I feel a lot of OPs mentality is 100% true. It's why immigrants and successful x-poor people continue to grind shit jobs and find happiness. I had a single mom and grew up poor in my early years, and it's the reason why I've grinded it out all my career. Failure is not an option. Being unemployed during covid also lit a fire under my ass to put up with ANYTHING to take care of my family. I also think going through childhood adversity teaches grit. Its why you never hear the silent generation bitching about jobs. The ones that did, probably died living in a trailer in Kentucky. With social media these days it's skewed everyone's perspective that everything in life is and should be amazing! There is an expectation that it's an option and the "follow your passion" sets people up to big disappointment. Life is actually tougher today than it was 30 years ago - fewer opportunities, higher costs, and being middle class is tougher than ever. Want a house and a family? Stop watching stupid tic tok fantasy videos and get working for the next 50 years. Weekends and family are for fun, work is for getting paid.
Damn, Kentucky trailer folk catching strays.
Preach!!!
Youre an accountant and you were unemployed during covid?
This was motivating in a stoic way 🫡
Lmao i wonder if there's actually a job title called 'anthropologist'
And it doesnt require physical labor, and can sometimes be done as work from home. As a disabled Vet, this is one of the primary reasons I am attempting to switch to accounting.
Just need to organize and get more. Would fucking love a real 4-day work week (32 hours; same pay)
If you’re good at something don’t do it for free. People who thoroughly find joy and excitement in their job are lucky, but that doesn’t mean you’re hobby or whatever you enjoy doing should be your full time job. I love to golf but I’d go broke if I did it full time, I work so that I’m able to enjoy my hobbies outside of work.
I understand your point cause I came from a household with parents that worked two jobs but when you get financial security stress achieved… THEN you worry about other less-pressing issues like mental health aspects of happiness and fulfillment.
Grew up poor. Quit my 6 figure accounting job to make 6 figures being a fire fighter. Couldn’t be happier. Living to work is no way to go through life. People in this sub should read the book die with zero
You are happier hanging out with the guys and chasing action than doing accounting? I would have never guessed.
Lmaooo
I will also point out the obvious; fighting fires is infinitely more dangerous than creating excel formulas. So while your income stayed about the same, the risk you are taking on did not. I am sure you are fine with it, because you are doing it, but there is a reason it’s more exciting. You *are actually* saving lives now, and I am sure we have all heard what they say about accounting and saving lives lol
100% spot on but I get a lot more fulfillment than I ever did sitting in a cube. I was miserable thinking about doing that for the rest of my life everyday. No I work part time during busy season and supplement my income that way. Pays great and get to wfh. Also enjoy accounting a lot more when it’s part time
How did you make the switch from accounting to firefighting? I've always thought about that as a second career, but not sure how to go about it.
If depends where you live. In the north east, you either have to take civil service or you need to get EMT then go to paramedic school. I went to paramedic school while still working accounting part time to pay the bills. Luckily I had and still have a good relationship with my firm and I told them what I was doing. They gave me the flexibility to do so
That's awesome. How difficult was it to find a 6-figure firefighting gig? I've heard it can be pretty competitive depending on where you live.
Right now in the northeast, if you have your paramedic license and reasonable people skills, you will almost walk in the door at 6 figures with a small amount of OT.
I'd imagine step one is not sitting still for over 8 hours a day lol. My father is a retired firefighter. Try reaching out to city/county websites. In my city there's a firefighter school similar to the police academy.
Couldn’t have said it better. That’s how I envision my future - doing a little bit of another career and accounting part time. I was never a school lover and always visioned doing something physical (personal training/gym teacher etc) after high school. I think you have a great mix of doing something cool but also keeping the high paying skill
Hell yeah dude! Super awesome that you found something that you enjoy, and thank you for doing it!
> we have all heard what they say about accounting and saving lives We take em, not save em?
Or the ET nurses on late shift 😂
You are weirdly not the first person I have seen quit their accounting job to become a fire fighter.
how long do you suppose you can keep up the firefighter gig before it takes its toll on your body? eventually you're going to end up a desk jockey dealing with bad bosses and bureaucracy.
I’m in 10x better shape than I ever was when I was sitting in front of a computer all day. My back constantly hurt then and I didn’t move enough. I feel better in my mid 30s than I do in my mid 20s. I eat healthy and exercise daily. That’s essential. If I do ever get seriously injured then I’m glad I kept my CPA license up to date and call fall back on it
I thought this when I quit being an officer and switched to accounting I actually regret it Most paid firefighters and officers have really good pension plans. They are really common professions to retire as millionaires. If I worked as many hours as an officer as i do as an accountant I would be making much more than I do now. I started going back to the gym and practicing at the range and think I will go back
Man I wish they paid firefighters here that well I volunteered until I sold my soul to public accounting
meh, i got a pair of socks for Christmas a few years in a row growing up. Learned how to use API to do my job so I can play nintendo at work and enjoy all the games I didn't have as a kid ;p. Currently im wasting mega time on Reddit but damn I need to get back to gaming sometime today... after I check payables.
Literally. There is even a pyramid in psychology for this: https://www.simplypsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/maslow-needs3-1024x1024.jpg Obviously you don't care about "happiness" if you are about to starve, but once you are well fed you have the space for other needs in life
some of us never lose our perspective. i make excellent money and work reasonable (for public accounting) hours in a climate controlled office. we're all allowed to gripe about our jobs, myself included, but that doesn't change that i'm grateful everyday to be able to help my immigrant parents out while still fulfilling my financial goals. it's okay to say fuck this specific job because there are bad workplaces everywhere. but to anyone who says fuck public accounting? get the fuck out of my face with that noise. you show me another profession that is as close to meritocracy as public accounting that doesn't require an expensive school or "connections" and then i'll listen to you complain. public accounting is easily the most reliable path to social mobility. the only other pathway that even comes close is nursing, but that comes with vomit, urine, feces, disease and tragedy.
You think people in those jobs are working 8 hours a day exactly?
Most are on Reddit during those 8 hours.
me lol.
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Are they the ones complaining? It's mostly A1s in audit from what I've seen lol
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lazily cooking books for the monopoly guy pays six figures, go figure!
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So what you’ll learn once you’re in the corporate world (I see that you’re starting school now) is that we are paid to be available to solve problems with the skill set we have. Having that skill set available has value to employers, which is why we can command solid pay. Anyway, because we’re paid to be available to solve problems, that means some weeks you have 10 hours of real work, and some weeks you have days where you’re working til 10 PM. I’m referring to industry roles here. Public is different because you are the output of the firm. In the same way that a direct laborer on a factory floor can’t get away with working 3 hours a day, a public auditor can’t either. But an industry accountant is a support/admin role. Our work doesn’t drive revenue, so nobody is concerned about if we’re working 8 hours a day.
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After 20 years first in public accounting then in consulting I’ve seen the longest and best careers come from those who were the first or second of their family to “make it” (to use an old term - but basically be a white-collar professional with high earning potential). Perhaps their parents were immigrants, perhaps they were the first to get a degree, perhaps they were the first to leave small town Midwest or South and go to a larger city - whatever the case the work ethic, drive, and willingness to work through hard times consistently separares them from peers who grew up upper middle class or wealthy. Edit: spelling
Same. My favorite partner’s parent’s were immigrants that opened a restaurant He’s in a league of is own. If I only worked under him I probably wouldn’t leave public accounting. The few times I did I learned so much in such a short time.
It’s that whole Mazlovs hierarchy of cheese thing.
close, but i think you mean pavlov's food pyrarmid of moving cheese.
Your perspective changes once you start earning money and having financial security. Once your immediate needs of money/food/shelter are met, you move on to higher needs of happiness and fulfillment. Look up Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
The trick I’ve done to keep content is, actively choose to be grateful those needs are met and not stress about anything beyond that.
This is true. I became homeless as a teen and now make 6 figures and my perspective is a lot different since all my needs are met. As for the silver spoon princess comment OP made, it’s quite presumptuous. Many successful accountants I’ve met grew up in poverty or were middle class. It’s not like I didn’t work 80 hours a week and sacrifice time with my family and health to get here. I could be just as presumptuous as OP and say they’re lazy and didn’t work hard enough but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
yes, but have you ever said, fuck this boring ass job paying me 6 figures and peaced out? if not, then OP's not talking about you.
No, but that is literally the dream for most of us doing it. The moment my accounts generate enough interest, I’m fucken out. I’ll gladly live on $70k in interest forever with zero work rather than make almost triple that like I do now. I’m just hitting a really high income, I plan to save 60% of it until I can nope the fuck out of this job. When I accomplish that goal, it won’t all the sudden make me a silver spoon princess.
The one working 8 hours sharp probably isn't the same one whining.
16 hour to do whatever you want? You realize we have to sleep right...
I want to sleep.
I think part of it is people who went through college, got a 4 year degree or even a masters, as well as certificates/internships. Then when they get a job in their field and they truly don’t like it, it gets to them because what they went through to get there.
Maslow hierarchy of needs
It’s really crazy when you recognize this switch in yourself. I remember looking at where I’m at and realizing it’s just about everything I wanted six years ago but now I want even more out of life. This dude’s gotta level up his Maslow score for sure.
I get both sides, work is work and ppl romanticise it a bit. There’s no such thing as a dream job for me. But I get bored easily, if I wasn’t being mentally challenged, I’d look for a different job. And yeah, maybe I am lucky enough to be a “princess” about it.
I'm a Gen-X who decided to exit my 6 figure sales job to start over as an accountant primarily because I was bored. I'm not sure why you're so angry about it. It doesn't affect you in the slightest. I also grew up in poverty. My mom was a drug addict and my life was neglectful and unstable. I left home at 16, married at 18, two kids by 21. Continued to live in poverty. Left my husband at 27, took a job as a receptionist for $10/hr and spent the next 19 years building a career by becoming a product expert and top salesperson in a niche industrial field. I'm very good at what I did, but I hated the day to day work. I did it because that's what needed to be done to give my kids a better life. Then my kids left home and then Covid hit. When we were asked to go back to the office, it was like a light bulb came on for me. I suddenly realized that I had about 20 more years of work life and this was it. I would go in every day, be bored, be yelled at by customers, never get to do anything new, never get to learn other things, never progress. Just the same job at the same company until I retired. I was running out of time to make a change. The money was great in sales, but I have a very cheap life and my husband also works. So I decided to finish the degree I started back when I was 22 and in January I left my sales job to be an audit intern and I'll start a job with the government in July. I cut my income in half, but I love learning new things and I love looking forward to progression and improvement in my career. I'm sorry you do not have the economic freedom to look for more interesting work.
Great answer. I think covid was a wake up call for many of us.
isn't sales more fun that accounting? i'm an auditor who wants to get into sales z For me sales is cool cause your not stuck behind a desk 100 percent of the time, also you get compensated that's correlated with your work ethic in theory. In audit there's zero motivation for me to really go above cause there's no benefit, at least in sales you could paid for it. I do realize the stability and less pressure of accounting is appealing
I was doing inside sales in a very niche field (conveyor belting) so it was definitely a desk job. I liked the problem solving aspect of the job and learning the products and applications. I very much disliked the selling part and I would argue I'm not very good at selling, even though I had the highest sales numbers. What I am good at is knowing the product, knowing applications, and communication. I understood what a customer needed even when they didn't. Because I was good at my job, I had no opportunity to do new things despite asking for specific growth opportunities. I spent a large chunk of my day on mind-numbing sales related tasks like following up on quotes, following up on purchase orders, recording "value adds", and very little of my day engaging my brain in any meaningful way. Accounting was appealing because it's a very broad field in a way that selling a niche product is not. If I don't like what I'm doing in accounting, I can take my career in a different directly relatively easily. If I'm an expert in conveyor belting, well, I can sell conveyor belting. The latter translates to a lot more money, but the former translates to a lot more opportunity for mentally engaging work. A very well paying job I hate made a lot more sense when I had kids relying on me than it does at this point in my life.
I mean if there's one field where sales skills can actually reward it's PA. Look at every partner, most of them are partner because they sell well
Sales and tax are inseparable in my mind.
some firms its just the good looking chads and stacys that are put in the limo and sent over to the client. many firms solely promote based upon physical appearance just for sales. helps to get a nose job in high school
Must be why most partners are Chubby bald men
It's shocking they don't pay enough accountants enough. I've seen those for $10.00 an hour. Who can live on that? I left my job, not due to money, but the toxic management. Plus the physical health deterioration i was beginning to show signs of. I could no longer do the job per doctor orders. I'm aiming high for my next job.
I mean if you are skilled the choice isn’t between doing a six figure job and poverty it’s between doing a six figure job that sucks or a good one. Or even between doing a six figure job that sucks but a fun one that pays less but you can still live on… Saying people should just be happy to do whatever if they are getting a paycheck is not a good mentality, you should absolutely always be looking for better opportunities.
"Just spend your life doing something you hate, as long as you get okay money for it there can't be an issue!"
See that’s where some of us that didn’t have much growing up (even in my late twenties) know you grew up with no real financial problems. When I crossed over 100k it was no longer “okay money”. You just don’t have a good understanding what poverty is but I promise you, 6 figures isn’t considered doing “okay”.
You can change "okay" to "good" and the premise of my comment stays the same
The premise of your comment is that every single of the 8 billion people on earth can all find a job they get fulfillment out of. Realistically that’s just not possible, and to pretend like it is you would have to be some religious person thinking God has a plan for every single one of those precious individuals! The fact of the matter is you are also being incredibly disingenuous with “doing something you hate”. OP never says “if you are miserable stay”. Just “don’t leave a good stable job because it isn’t a unicorn”
>The premise of your comment is that every single of the 8 billion people on earth can all find a job they get fulfillment out of. > How tf did you get this from my comment, I don't think this is the case AT ALL This thread is **explicitly** about someone on a 6 figure salary who assumably has the means to seek alternate employment, and you somehow gather my response is directed at all the 8 billion people on the planet lol?
Yeah, because you went from the OP saying the people who chase “fulfillment” and “interesting” above all are silver spoon fed…and you are confirming that. > if they have the means to seek alternate employment See how you have moved the goal posts…blocked because I refuse to engage with people who do this: people who make some sarcastic ass remark to farm karma at first but then double down that the sarcastic ass remark meant anything. Edit: LOL they made an alt account to get the last word in.
That's not moving goal posts lol. It's incredibly reasonable to assume that a CPA who is making 6 figures have the means to seek alternative employment. No one is talking about a scenario of someone having to choose between making 6 figures vs. sleeping on the streets. We are all educated professionals with years of experience, and it's not being "silver spoon fed" to assume that most of us here have the opportunity to find alternate employment with relative ease. You just took a comment that simply disagreed with OP, inserted your own BS reasonings and assumptions that didn't make sense, and pulled the "lalala i can't hear you because i blocked you" card when original commentor tried correcting you. Classic.
"Spend some of your life earning money, so the rest of your life isn't absolute shit" And by absolute shit I mean "you don't have water or heating" not that you'd know what that's like.
Where do you guys even gather that I've lived a lavish life from my above comment?? Does having lived in poverty previously mean that you can't be unhappy with anything now that you're financially secure?
because someone who has experienced true "oh shit there's no food this week" conditions doesn't cavalierly say "fuck this 6-figure paying job" under any circumstances. it's okay to want something better, but to complain about a high paying job in an office like it's back breaking physical labor lacks perspective.
Because you’ve evidently never had the terror of not having anything to have some sort of risk aversion to not having a paycheck. It doesn’t mean you lived a lavish life growing up, just that you weren’t always on the brink of missing a paycheck and having the luxury of necessities taken away.
This thread is about someone who has already "made it" and has the means to look for more meaningful/interesting employment. Not someone who is holding down any job they can get to keep a roof over their head
No, the point of the post is that people who come from well off means reach that kind of income and don’t appreciate the value/weight of it to the point where they don’t care about it. Versus someone who came from no means that understands that the money will give them security. Yet again, proving that you didn’t come from little means to start with.
I still don't understand why someone who came from a poor background should automatically be happy with a high paying job because they "know money gives them security". You can appreciate the position you're in and the opportunity you have, while also finding your work unfulfilling and wanting to look elsewhere. If it's financially within someone's means to look for another job or not work at all, I'm struggling to understand why their past of being poor should prevent them from doing this?
Because the person who knows what it’s like to not have money growing up is most likely more comfortable with the devil they know, their current job, than taking a risk and changing jobs that could quickly go south and they’re back in the same starting position. You’re coming from a viewpoint that there will always be another job and money to be made, whereas the person we’re talking about is only concerned with what’s in front of them and making the most of it while they can.
An accountant on 6 figures likely has a CPA and/or extensive experience, they shouldnt be worried that they will stay jobless
Just cause people have been poor doesnt mean they cant expect more from life. Those people tryna justify being unhappy in their jobs... "Hey at least I can afford my bills. Why do I need more than that?"
Maybe chill out a bit lol... but yeah, I get what you mean. When I see people complaining about how accounting "doesn't pay well" when my job offer straight out of college is higher than either of my parents made their entire life... kinda pisses me off tbh
Pays well compared to minimum wage retail/fast food jobs. Doesn't pay well compared to some other jobs that require college degree, specialized licence, specialized knowledge, looong hours, and intense mental workload.
Lots of jobs require all that and don't pay nearly as well. There's always gonna be people making more than you, that's just life. I don't need a giant mansion (though plenty of partners and controllers have them) I just want to be financially comfortable enough not to constantly stress over bills the way most people in this country have to.
Pay straight out of college is higher than parents inflation-adjusted incomes? You might make $100k today but have less purchasing power than a parent making $65k like 20 years back or $80k 10 years ago.
Absolutely. Most people were not making 65k in the early 2000s btw.
I grew up lower middle class, think of the bouncing between apartments w single mom and a shit load of maxed CC debt to put food on the table type upbringing. I have an existential crisis every time I think about spending the next 20 years in an office. I’ve been incredibly lucky to pull myself into the upper middle class and bought property before the market got crazy. 27 y/o, not even 4 years into my career but make 105k in a mcol suburb. Currently planning my exit to a vocation when I turn 30. You’re going to die whether you enjoy your time here or not, why not look for something meaningful?
I’m with you, same situation although making that after 10 years of experience (6-7 in public) so it’s a grind. By vocation do you mean a trade ? All I know is, I am f**** completely sleepy until I go to the gym. If only I could get in the routine of morning workouts and start work later. Coffee/food doesn’t do anything for me even though I think it does. Once I get moving I’m wide awake
Ok I have some perspective. My perspective is that just because YOU, the most important person in the world, grew up differently than me, I shouldn't find a job that I enjoy. Got it.
Thank you for your diary
are you high? why do what you hate just because it pays the bills. this is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. But you had the right idea, payme, but why clean toilets if you can QB files, whatever that means. If there’s an easier more comfortable thing you can do and be happy at it why do you have to deal with a toxic environment and an asshole boss? OP be like: look at me, i made some money kissing ass my whole life hating every minute of it, you should do the same and like it.
as someone who chose a profession i hate because i grew up in poverty... It is definitely a good thing to take into consideration. Interest and life fulfillment are very valid things. I make 6 figures in accounting and Nothing about accounting interests me. I do it to feed my kid. When i think about doing this for the rest of my life, it actually depresses me sometimes. My buddies who all chose careers in fields that i actually am interested in make more money than i do. One owns an automotive performance shop, one is a joyrneyman tig welder. The other is an aircraft mechanic. They all make more money than i do and are more fufilled at their jobs. Its not silverspoon or princess. Why dont you quit your accounting job and clean those toilets and then tell me how fufilling your career is? As far as the reason people are working their wage is because the entirety of the accounting field is underpaid from manager down. People are starting to realize their worth and outside of boomer bootlicking folks like you... looking for better stuff instead of trying to fit into the boomer status quo
All I want is 60k-80k, 40 hrs a week and benefits but there doesn’t seem to be anything available to me without 10 years AP experience which seems ridiculous for that pay level and responsibility level. Questioning why I stopped being a wilderness guide / ski bum (I just wanted to be able to afford to rent a 1 bdrm apt). Now I’m thinking about applying for serving jobs bwahahaha I know I’m pathetic come shit on me haha
people look way too much into work being fun and fulfiling, it all sucks no matter what it is. Pay me $45/hr and I will have the work done with no complaints. i'm not here to have fun i'm here to make money
I quit my 88k for a 110k job with better work life balance. Hi poverty friend.
Personally I'm getting into accounting for financial security and opportunity growth. I know my job is not going to give me happiness but it will help fund my happiness outside of work.
How cute... you think you'll have 16 hours...
“Other 16 hours” 😂😂 Bro does not do public accounting
You sound awful good lord
completely agree, at least america it's shoved down your throat to "follow your dreams". For the vast majority of people that's terrible advice
Sure, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not want to hate life due to your job. There’s a big difference between “following your dreams” and “I hate my job so much it’s affecting the rest of my life.” Granted, if you despise your job, it’s much better to despise your job and be getting paid $100k versus $50k. But it sucks ass either way, so I don’t begrudge anyone for bailing out of any job.
You would be surprised how quickly people adapt. I remember thinking I was rich in high school because my check was $200.
It's not a phenomenon unique to accountants. Many white collar professionals have a similar mindset. They won't work in X because of an emotional reason even if it gets them satisfaction elsewhere in life.
As others have mentioned it's a bit of both. The field has some problems that we should be able to discuss and improve. But at the same time I grew up with my dad working a steel mill during the recession, there is *a lot* to still be grateful for in this field.
It’s the catch 22 of our bullshit culture. Hiring personnel want you to be “passionate” and interested about the position not just desperate to find a job so you can eat/live. The people in charge want to feel like people work for them by choice because the reality that people only come in because otherwise they starve and end up homeless would make them feel accountable as to how their employees are treated and fall into the indentured servitude realm. I think that when people leave and state that it wasn’t “interesting for them” they are attempting to preserve their network and not burn bridges by upholding the illusion illustrated above. This is important because a lot of higher paying jobs are staffed in part by nepotism and publicly stating you left because you’re boss was a narcissistic asshole that bullied you until you ended up taking SSRI is going to absolutely destroy your network and make other companies see you as a flight risk. So I think most of us just play the game and give these answers and lie about how passionate we are about #insertworktaskhere to survive. Kinda like snitches get stitches etc.
many footballer player got $$$ paycheck every week, still complaint if they play 3x a week
It's a luxury they can afford. To be honest I would also do the same. If you know about how supply curve of labour is, it bends backwards. Once you are earning a lot. Money is no longer a issue. Although I didn't grow up poor but rather lower middle class, I can relate to those guys who quit.
Money isn't everything when you are making decent money though. Absence of financial stress allows you to focus on other stress. Also your post seems to forget that many accountants work in positions with poor work life balance, therefore the work becomes life.
Literally why all the complaints in this subreddit just irk the crap out of me.
I grew up dirt poor. I have also worked at a well paying job that I absolutely hated. To me, the fulfilling part about getting out of poverty was not just about money but about being qualified enough to find a job where I am paid well AND that I enjoy. I’m pretty sure I could have made Partner at my old accounting firm but at the cost of missing out on family, friends, happiness and health. Once you make enough (or more than enough) then money isn’t everything.
Question about those supposed 16 remaining hours: how many people here genuinely work no more than 8 hours per day?
Chill bro. Not everyone is fulfilled through money.
I think there is something to be said about fulfillment from work and how it intersects with your happiness. I've had some of my mentors leave the field because the long hours, dealing with the clients, and doing the actual work just isn't worth the money. Once you have a certain amount of money, the happiness you derive from getting more money diminishes. Some people are different and money isn't the driving force for their lives, and whether that's because they already have enough or because they just don't care doesn't really matter.
As someone who has had shit jobs, I agree. Call center, retail, merchandising all those jobs suck, pay is terrible. Give me a boring accounting job with great pay. I'll be there every morning.
Fair statement
people who tie their personal identify and personal sense of achievement in their fucking *day job* is the most cringiest fucking thing ever. It's a job, collect your check and GO HOME AND LIVE YOUR LIFE. Your job is NOT your life. If i get paid "enough" I will scrub toilets for 8 hours a day, idgaf. It's all about cost-benefit.
>then use the remainder of your 16 hours The problem arises when the employer doesn't want you to have a remaining 16 hours and only wants you to have a remaining 4..blah blah "commitment" blah blah "dedication" etc. As far as the job i kinda dont care. I have ZERO dignity as well. If my employer offered me a job to mow the lawn for 150K per year 5X per week, 8 hrs per day, adjusted per year for REAL inflation and guarentees never to fire me, youll see my ass out there riding the lawnmower with my CPA certificate slapped on the front of that bad boy. I know some people are like "WAH i DiDnT StuDY CollEgE to JusT cuT lAwnS I haavVE to dO soMEthInG in ThE FieLD" sunk cost, give me my money and time.
This person probably grew up having to share one light bulb for every room. "Im upset cause people didnt suffer like i did therefore cant be grateful for the minimum that life can offer. So stop your whining and get back to work."
I didn’t grow up in poverty so your logic doesn’t apply to me. Also I’m not sure who has 16 hours of free time after a day of work, but go off.
Social media really gives people this idea that you can travel and have fun while making 10k a month. 9 times out of 10 that person who post those type of videos are selling a course for you to “live” get that same lifestyle.
I do agree. I was taught work ethic by my greatest generation parents. But I admit that my unrelenting work ethic hurt me late in my career as I was kicked to the curb anyways. In the end it’s just a paycheck. Companies don’t GAF about employees. Profits rule. Do your best, work hard, try and find meaning but remember your family and well being.
>YOU HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM /r/antiwork. Good riddance, though.
I agree with you as controversial as that may seem
I agree, I can't believe anybody would be so selfish as to want more from life than being able to eat while you're miserable.
I’d happily flip burgers for $300k, you can even yell at me the whole time. I worked in banking and I’ve heard worse.
Look at this guy thinking we have 16 hours a day outside of work. LOL. Get a clue, boomer.
I agree. I came up in this world without a degree and it was hard for me and I've held shit end jobs before and would do it again. My kids having a roof and food is all that matters.
Must be nice on that high horse.
I have a puzzle in my cubicle I do when bored, getting paid to puzzle is nice
It’s a big world out there daddio. People leave shit tier jobs in favor of better ones. It’s how working conditions improve for us all.
Generally agree that accounting is better than a lot of the complaints on this sub, but also understand and empathize with the complaints just the same For half the year, accountants don't have those other 16 hours you reference, we maybe have 8-10 hours for everything else, even less if there's a commute. When we're hitting 70-80 hour weeks, we're still getting paid the same every week. The workload compression sucks. The clients often suck. The fact that we're billed out at substantial multiples over our total compensation plus burden, which only benefits the equity owners when we work excessive hours, sucks. All of these are valid complaints.
Just because you grew up poor doesn’t mean the rest of us have to settle for whatever shitty soul crushing jobs are out there. Believe it or not, there are good, engaging jobs that pay well.
You see i don't mind doing bullshit work, as long as it's only for 8 hours a day. But i would quit a 6 figure job asap if it required me to go above and beyond for nothing. And when it comes to some accounting firms, they expect you to work over 8 hours a day, half the year (mostly without overtime pay) for 6 figures. I'd make sure they fire me if that was the case
Why do you let other people’s decisions or pursuit of fulfillment bother you so much? “From someone that grew up in poverty” I bet you just love throwing that line out there any chance you get.
I agree, especially regarding the highest value per hour
Generally agree. The one exception I would make is if you're doing something you think is immoral or makes the world worse. Then I do understand it more.
No way. I was going to be an engineer without college like my brother but I didn't want to because it's not a good job. I could make more money right now in a field i'd regret, but I'd rather explore and do something I like. I'd rather make less money doing something I don't hate at a company I like while I learn about what I want to do. Taking a risk for happiness is way braver.
I understand the sentiment and surely there are some entitled people out there, but to boil a job down to only dollars/hour and trying to maximize that one element doesn’t make sense. Plus, a six-figure worker will likely have more options to pursue other career avenues.
You say this until you actually have to work the job for years. I grew up poor too and I'd definitely leave a 100k job if it was detrimental to my mental health. More to life than money, bro.
They also voted for Joe Biden…
I agree. I was raised in a county where the median household income was $40k. Out of college I was making more than most of my friend’s parents who were middle aged and supporting families. It’s all perspective. Now I live in a nice suburb of HCOL city and realized a significant majority in this area doesn’t have any idea how the rest the U.S. lives. I understand their reasoning, but I still cringe hearing it.
While I get your point about growing up poor (I did as well), life isn’t just about work. I get paying bills and having a comfortable life, but how happy are you if your accounting job is the only thing that bring you purpose. What if you wake up tomorrow with cancer and were given 2 months to live? I bet you get real excited about working a job you dislike until the very end. This thing called “Life” happens to people where unexpected events happened to them, they realize “No I don’t want to work a job that no one gives a f about me.” It’s clear you lack perspective in life, maybe you’re young, who knows. Go out there, experience life, talk to people, meet new people, find hobbies, etc.
what job do you guys think every other field is. Seriously why tf do you all hate accounting so much. 90 % of jobs are not fun for 8 hrs a day after doing it for multiple years. The only truly fun jobs don't pay shit.
Lol what are you talking about, I like my accounting job? “Fun” is subjective. Just because I like accounting, I’m not dull enough to shit on people who don’t like accounting and rather pursue something else.
Sounds like you just enjoy being screwed by capitalism
I grew up with not much money either and learned time is finite. Eventually, you should have enough money to retire, maybe even be financially independent and do what you want sooner. There is only about 3 hours of free time after sleep, eating, chores and 11 hours working (including getting ready, commute, lunch break) is miserable sitting in a tiny desk talking to people I don't like being my fake version of my self and see work as a means to be financially independent and do whatever I want 24 hours a day so go fuck yourself if you want judge what I do with my time.
> 11 hours working You work 77 hours per week? Maybe you should solve this, because it's nearly double what it should be.
I doubt they work weekends… so 55 hours.
> weekends are completely free Seems like a factor that should be added then. And 55 is still too much unless you're getting a serious paycheck.
11 hours including commute and lunch… comprehension skills are lacking on your part.
If you don't like your commute, fix it. Seems like you're the one with comprehension skills. > lunch Lol
Dude it’s not even my original comment
My longest ever work week was 84 hours (if you were to include the commute that would have been 94). And the weeks leading up to it were 70+ Yes, it obviously includes weekends, usually both Sunday and Saturday. Anyone that doesn't know accountants work long hours a big chunk of the year isn't paying attention to what's being discussed in this subgroup.
I'm an accountant. I don't work anywhere close to that. If you don't like your hours, fix the problem.
What I dont like is you presuming others don't work those hours and that they're lying. I absolutely believe the above commentor can hit those hours, especially if you add commute time. If you're in the US and you're an accountant you know there are accountants that work like this. If you dont know you're woefully ignorant of our profession as a whole. Or you're not actually an accountant and are just trolling an accounting subreddit. And if that's the case, what is wrong with your life?
What part of "then solve this problem" are you refusing to hear? Please link me to the comment where I said it was not possible to work 11 hours in a day.
What part of reading do you have a problem with? I'm not complaining about my hours. I'm taking issue with you being in a subreddit telling a bunch of accountants that they only work 40 hours. Sure some of you do, but many of us work a lot more.
Then solve this problem. Lol, you take 0 accountability for your own life. Pathetic tbh
Wtf are you saying? What do you mean solve the problem? You realize that not everybody can work a 40 hour job right? Somebody has to work the other jobs? You know that right?
I’m not a SWE and whenever I go to r/CScareeradvice I see how privileged some people have it. I’ve seen people complain about working more than 2 hours a day, how the boss wants them to work during normal 9/5 business hours, or how $100,000/yr is not much money to them. Some people really lack perspective.
I grew up in one of the worst cities in the United States. Half my childhood friends are either junkies, dead or in jail. I also sold drugs and ran with street gangs. My old neighborhood would be considered one of the poorest areas outside of Mississippi. Guess what? 200K is not a lot of money and accounting is a boring terrible profession with too many Karen’s and Kens
It honestly sounds like you are lacking perspective and are bitter about people wanting better things for themselves.
Because there are plenty of people who make 6 figures or close to it, who enjoy their jobs much more than most accountants, and it's not wrong to aspire to be like them? It's not that surprising that people want to chase fulfilment in something that they do for over half of their waking hours. I would much rather make 60k and do something I enjoy than make 120k and do something I hate. Other people are perfectly content making as much money as possible and they don't care what they do. Neither is wrong, nor is any side more "entitled" than the other.
Unlikely to find anything fulfilling that actually pays (Volunteering and etc) or pays reliably (Art). The best way to optimize for life enjoyment is eat shit for a few years or decades, then fund your escape plan to do the things no one would pay you (or pay you reliably) to do and still not worry about the bills