Hello. I will share my torment. I am a woman approaching 40 years of age, whose entire work experience was spent in trade and in low-paid administrative positions. I had to take out a big loan and since I have a degree in Accounting and Control, I decided to reorient myself to this profession. I applied to an accounting firm and was hired as an Operating Accountant on a relatively good salary. I applied to leave at my current position and now I have a notice, but the more time passes, the more I worry if I made a mistake. I don't know at this age if I will be able to cope in a new field. Please tell me, is accounting very difficult and stressful?
Answers 13
Exactly in the offices there is a big convulsion and exploitation (I hope yours is not like that), but it usually starts from there. Gain some experience there, and then look for a suitable company (not an office). If you want to develop in this direction at all. If you think it's not worth waiting a few years to develop and get a good salary under normal working conditions, maybe it's better to go back to the old profession. But there is stress. Accounting is not a quiet easy office job like a "secretary". And frankly, accounting is a boring profession and not for everyone. Even for me she is boring, and I am a very boring person.
Up to 1 I have acquaintances who work as legal consultants in offices and write to me all day on Viber.
2, I thought that there was a slight difference between a lawyer-consultant and an accountant and between an accounting firm and a law firm, but when you say, I believe they are the same.
No, they are not, of course. I am referring to the offices as a workplace. To the author - think about an insurer.
I guess it depends on the person and his understanding of stress. I have acquaintances in accounting firms, some are infinitely happy and others are overworked and nervous. The environment has an impact, because everything is much worse if our colleagues are not pleasant to us. Your tolerance and perception have an even stronger influence. You had to take out a big loan, now you need a higher salary. I fully understand your decision and I would do the same in your place. It's too late to regret and think. Even if you were 50 years old, it is never too late to change your profession. You studied accounting, you probably have memories of previous knowledge. Sit down, give old lectures, ask colleagues from the university and don't worry. At the beginning of your new job, you will probably have a big seizure, because you didn't do accounting professionally and you've been in light positions so far. Not to mention that in each company the rules, base and materials are different. You will see a difference from one accounting firm to another, so your problem will not be directly with the professional reorientation. It's normal, every start in a new company is a nightmare, you won't be afraid of that. You will have a feeling that you are behind and you do not understand anything, but there people will train you and for the first month or two you will be free to ask questions and catch up. You start this position because you need a higher salary. It's just your case and you don't have much choice. All you have to do is accept the facts, get together and do everything in your power to cope with the work ahead. I can't know how busy you will feel, and I can't know how much work there will be. In the end, if you don't like it at all, you will work there for half / one year and find a new job. As number 1 said, it always starts somewhere.
And I thought it would be a legal adviser. Accounting is a job like any other. A lot depends on your bosses. Most of my acquaintances in accounting firms are happy, there is work, but it is not scary. I also have an acquaintance for whom there is no Saturday, no Sunday, no child gets sick. It depends a lot.
You weren't wrong. In order to develop, you need to step out of your comfort zone. Gain experience in the office, and then you can work from home and be your own boss.
Thanks numbers 1, 5 and 6 for the inspired courage! I will try and hopefully it will work. I really hope to find a decent team to train me, even though I start from scratch. Otherwise, I can't think of a relatively decent salary, what else could I do, given that my English level is A2. I wish it was something less responsible and busy. I guess I couldn't be an insurer because I'm not very sociable, I'm a bit of an introvert. Boredom does not bother me, I even prefer something that is quickly absorbed and is monotonous. Rather, the tension in accounting worries me a little, but it probably suffers. From the author
You speak as if you are retiring. Wait, you have another 25 years of experience, time to change your profession at least once more. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the accounting house you will find yourself in is not a chicken coop and you are not super busy.
Accounting is a craft. And it is difficult to "steal" a craft. Usually in the accounting offices the operational accountant posts invoices for sales and purchases, the VAT is worked by the 14th, then writing off goods, production, etc., prepares payrolls, accounting of the bank, etc. and the month ends, and again it is the 01th number and all over again. If you graduated a long time ago and have not worked with accounting, it will be very difficult for you. You have two options - to sit down and study the accounts - which account is debated and which is credited as a theory, but it also requires an attempt to apply what you have learned, and it happens with work. If you do not like accounting, you do not understand it, you are bored or you can not cope, we go to option 2- better give up and look for another realization in a similar job or a new field you will decide. Sometimes we are guided by the need / credit / and do not take into account our real capabilities. I went this way and did not choose accounting, but a job in a large organization. I liked this job more. As the saying goes, "beauty does not happen by force."
Thanks to everyone who wrote to me! You are very useful to me and you calmed me down a lot :) From the author
It all depends on you and the team. I am an accountant. From the very beginning I wanted this and I have such an education, I am not afraid of work. I left the previous company because Ch. accountant, and from the new ch. accountant, I had nothing to learn, even I taught him, I was angry that there was no dialogue between us. I think my opinion is how it should be, and she said that she would want another opinion and see and finally end the financial year with debit opening balances, on accounts which should not have a debit balance. To me, she is the owner's man and she didn't understand many things, so I left. I started in a new company, the management also changes in the new company, ie my direct manager will see how it will go, if she does not understand accounting, I will still have to look for a new company and leave. I am a human, who wants to develop, I can not close my eyes to things that should not be so. A diploma alone does not make an accountant, theory and practice must be combined. Accounting is an exact science, there may be some exceptions, but they are still within the law. For ch. accountant or to find my own office I do not think yet, because I know that in practice I still have a lot to learn, although I already have over 3 years and 6 months of professional experience., I want to work with people who really know more from me to develop. There is no wrong person, both the operating accountant can make a mistake and the chief accountant can make a mistake, but when a mistake is found, to correct it, not to end the financial year with the wrong account balance. A diploma alone does not make an accountant, theory and practice must be combined. Accounting is an exact science, there may be some exceptions, but they are still within the law. For ch. accountant or to find my own office I do not think yet, because I know that in practice I still have a lot to learn, although I already have over 3 years and 6 months of professional experience., I want to work with people who really know more from me to develop. There is no wrong person, both the operating accountant can make a mistake and the chief accountant can make a mistake, but when a mistake is found, to correct it, not to end the financial year with the wrong account balance. A diploma alone does not make an accountant, theory and practice must be combined. Accounting is an exact science, there may be some exceptions, but they are still within the law. For ch. accountant or to find my own office I do not think yet, because I know that in practice I still have a lot to learn, although I already have over 3 years and 6 months of professional experience., I want to work with people who really know more from me to develop. There is no wrong person, both the operating accountant can make a mistake and the chief accountant can make a mistake, but when a mistake is found, to correct it, not to end the financial year with the wrong account balance. accountant or to find my own office I do not think yet, because I know that in practice I still have a lot to learn, although I already have over 3 years and 6 months of professional experience., I want to work with people who really know more from me to develop. There is no wrong person, both the operating accountant can make a mistake and the chief accountant can make a mistake, but when a mistake is found, it should be corrected and not the financial year should end with a wrong account balance. accountant or to find my own office I do not think yet, because I know that in practice I still have a lot to learn, although I already have over 3 years and 6 months of professional experience., I want to work with people who really know more from me to develop. There is no wrong person, both the operating accountant can make a mistake and the chief accountant can make a mistake, but when a mistake is found, to correct it, not to end the financial year with the wrong account balance.
Honey, you're not even 40, so I don't think it's too late for you to start a new job, especially if you've finished it, ie you always remember something and you won't start with A and B. Don't worry so much about it , and go boldly. And if your colleagues are cool, even better. You will find a new environment, with new people. Success!