accounting careers

[Anonymous]

my DH is thinking of getting a degree in accounting? currently in works in the mental health field and says he is burned out from dealing with people with serious issues and wants more of a desk job. He maintains our budget and is very good at it too, so I think it would be something he would like.

My concern is he is 30 already and I'm wondering if it will be difficult for him to break into a new field like this because of his starting age. Also I'm wondering how is the job market for this field?

[Anonymous]

Job market is really hot for accountants right now, at least at senior staff/mid-level. Not sure for entry level. But you obviously need credentials for that. Sitting for the CPA exam requires around 30 (depends on the state) credits in accounting. Also, in order to "maximize" your career as an accountant, you would ideally need to spend a few years at Big 4, and I am guessing that it would be hard to break into that as a second career. And, regardless of the firm you start out in, being a junior audit staff means LONG hours for what could end up being pretty boring work. And, no offence, but saying that someone would be a good accountant because he does the household budget well is like saying that you would be a good doctor because you can clean out your kid's scraped knee and put a bandaid on it.

[Anonymous]

The reason that I became an accountant was because I like #s and I knew I'd always be able to get a job.
I'd recommend getting a CPA though. He could go and get a master's of accounting. Does he already have a BS?

[Anonymous]

He has a BA already and is applying for a masters program. However his degree isn't in business or anything related.

[Anonymous]

If he's already burned out in one field, then accounting is probably not the place to go. Nothing chews you up and spits you out like an entry level job at an accounting firm.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with PPs. There are a ton of jobs in public accounting and 30 is not "that old". I think the long hours are not that bad in regional and local firms.

[Anonymous]

Accounting is an awesome profession! There are tons of jobs out there! I entered Master in Accountancy program at 29 (with 2 little kids, I'm a female). I studied full time and it took me 15 months to graduate. I interned for a Big4 during that time and started working there full time after graduation. Yes, hours were insane. My husband also travels for work, so we had a daycare till 6 pm and a nanny thereafter. I knew it was temporary and provided an incredible boost to my career. I'm in my mid-30s now, making 6 figures working 40 hours a week and am in such a demand on the job market. Headhunters reach out to me literally every day.

[Anonymous]

There's different routes he could go - doesn't have to be big4. My DH was in a different field and ended up doing accounting within that field. He switched jobs to be officially in the accounting dept while he did his coursework for a certificate in accounting (at GMU - don't really need a masters if he gets his cpa). Then DH got his CPA and is running the department. It's corporate accounting, so the hours are more regular. If your DH wants to make lots of $ or wants to be more in demand, big4 accounting will be helpful. Public accounting on the resume does help with finding a new job. But my DH never worked crazy hours and makes 6 figures. There's a ton of accounting jobs out there, but there are also a lot of accountants. Your DH's experience in mental health may be helpful – companies in that field need accountants and often like the industry-specific knowledge. That was really helpful for my DH.

[Anonymous]

Accounting is boring as helll, he'd want to run and deal with mental issues. He should consider Finance since he is into budgeting and so, way more interesting than Accounting

[Anonymous]

19:04- Where did you get your Masters in Accounting? What were prerequisites to get into the program? I'm having a quarter life crisis and am exploring some career options. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:19:04- Where did you get your Masters in Accounting? What were prerequisites to get into the program? I'm having a quarter life crisis and am exploring some career options. Thanks.

I got it from the GWU. Taking GMAT was probably the most challenging part of the application process. The GWU has a nice career center, all of the Big4 firms attend their career fairs, accept job applications through the career center's website and interview candidates on campus during the first round of interviews. I entered the program in September, and they already started interviewing us in January, distributing summer internship offers around March. So I interned during the summer, got an offer for a full-time job, graduated in December and started working full-time in January. The degree wasn't cheap (about $40K, including textbooks), but it was a great investment that has already paid off many times.