I’m a CPA but unsure if I want to do accounting for the rest of my life. What do I do?

This is something that I’ve heard many times over and is also a topic that I know quite a bit about, since I’ve experienced it firsthand.

As a CPA career coach with a CPA designation myself, I know very well what it was like to undergo those years of studying, writing exams and putting in your sweat and tears to simply gain a designation that you hope would set you up on the “right” path for life.

When going through the CPA process we believed that getting the designation was a ticket to resolving any future problems we’d ever have in our career.

We thought that as long as we got our CPA, we could do anything we wanted.

That we’d be invincible.

Our parents, friends, classmates, professors instilled this idea that all you need is this three letter acronym of a designation beside your name and your life would be golden.

So the majority of us optimistically trekked through our early career years with the following thought:

“Get my CPA = Have an awesome life-long career!”

After passing all our exams, meeting the qualification requirements and enduring the long hours at the accounting firms or companies we’ve been working at…we hit a fork in the road and reality hits.

We must ask ourselves,

“Do I want to continue doing this type of work…crunching numbers, looking at financial statements, running financial analysis models? Or…do I want to do something else?”

In most cases, this question tends to pass our minds only on an occasional basis and for those of us who can confidently say “yes”, there are no issues.

But for the rest of us who aren’t so sure…this question either gets dismissed because it’s too hard to answer (only to pop back up again in our heads a little while later) or is a constant, non-stop thought running on repeat in the back of our minds.

Until we received our CPA designation, we didn’t think much further beyond about what we truly wanted in our careers.

Mainly because you had so much work to do that you had no time to really think about anything else. The audit engagements, reviews, tax returns, clients, partners and managers you worked with kept your mind far busier than you could have managed to alone. And if you were in industry and not at an accounting firm, you probably felt the same way.

So what do you do if you think there’s a tiny-teensy possibility that accounting may not be what you truly want to do as a long-term career, despite having your CPA?

Here are four questions to ask yourself to dig deeper and confirm if it’s true, and will help you figure out what to do next.

#1. WHY did I pursue my CPA in the first place?

Herein lies a big clue. In order to feel committed to a career, project or cause, we have to first know why we’re doing it.

Depending on how you answer the following questions, it’ll be pretty obvious where your intentions lie.

Did you get your CPA because…

• You enjoy working with numbers and find accounting to be challenging, exciting and useful?
• You knew that being a CFO or Partner at an accounting firm was your long-term career goal?
• You’re really good at numbers and want to use it in a positive way?
• You really liked and were good at accounting as well as either audit, tax or financial modelling and analysis?

OR, was it because…

• Everyone else at your university was also getting the CPA so you didn’t want to feel ‘left out’?
• Your parents told you it was a “good” career path (or are CPAs themselves)?
• You felt it would give you job stability, because being an accountant was a “safe and secure” job?
• You wanted the prestige of having “CPA” next to your name?
• You thought that you could get it for its reputation, then move on and find out what you TRULY wanted to do after?

I don’t need to ask much more than that! Reflect on those questions and move on to #2.

#2. What do I SPECIFICALLY dislike about the work I’m doing?

This is something people don’t always know. They just know that they feel frustrated, irritable and unhappy at their jobs.

But have you pinpointed what it is that makes you so unhappy? Knowing the reason may guide you to another direction.

Could it be that perhaps you’re not really all that good at your job?

It’s hard to admit this but you’ve got to be honest with yourself if you truly want clarity. Not being a strong performer in your job and only “sweeping by” is, in my opinion, a very clear sign from the universe that there is definitely something else out there that you would excel at.

It’s time to start figuring out what that is.

At the end of the day, why pursue a job you’re mediocre at and don’t enjoy vs. doing something you love and are great at?

Is it because you find it super, mind-numbingly boring?

That’s another good reason that perhaps you’re meant to do something more interesting or challenging and suited to your talents and abilities.

Is it really the job, or is it the company itself?

Sometimes we can get mixed up and wonder if the CPA career path is right for us by confusing it with a bad work environment. If you’re not getting along with your co-workers, bosses or there’s something “off” about the place you work, it might just be THAT and that alone.

It’s good to confirm whether it’s the really the work you’re doing or the people you’re doing it with that is causing your distaste.

If the company is the problem, it’s time to figure out exactly what type of environment would make you happy.

From there, envision landing a new role where you’re working in a vibrant company and FEEL yourself feeling amazing as you work there. (I am a big believer in the power of visualization before taking any external action.)

After you’ve got that vision down, it’s time to physically start your job hunt for a better organization.

#3. How do I FEEL during my daily drive/commute to work?

Our bodies are smart. They tell us how we REALLY feel, despite how much we may try to deny it in our minds.

We can suppress our thoughts and feelings as much as we want, but the truth will reveal itself during our daily commute into the office.

How are you feeling each morning? Excited, alive, fulfilled? Or anxious and miserable?

If you’re feeling the latter, and can’t shake those feelings, then either your specific job with that particular company has to change (i.e. find a similar job elsewhere) or you’ll need to make a complete career overhaul/transition altogether.

#4. What ELSE do I see myself doing?

This is the most exciting question to ask yourself…and for some, it can be scary. Not everyone wants to admit that there’s something else they’d rather do instead of using the CPA they worked their butts off to obtain.

But I say that kind of thinking is fear-based. It’s fearful in the sense that you’re afraid to admit that there’s potentially more to you than the CPA designation alone.

Afraid to admit that perhaps your decision to pursue the CPA in the first place was also fear-based; being fearful of not landing a “safe and secure” job after graduation.  

The CPA is a fantastic designation.

The process to obtaining it is one that is life-altering where, for many, it can be a very humbling experience.

As CPAs, we’re taught to put ourselves in all kinds of situations and are forced to resolve them intelligently.

It’s a GREAT designation to have.

Although having a CPA can enhance your career, it doesn’t define it.

What do you see yourself doing if money wasn’t an issue? What type of work truly interests you? What talents and skills have you left to the wayside that you would love to pick back up again? How can you incorporate them into a different career path?

We don’t have to live our lives and pursue careers simply because we went to school to get the degrees and designations for them.

Through recognizing what we don’t want to do, we can begin to discover what we’d truly LOVE to do.

Now that you have your CPA and related experience under your belt…take a chance on yourself and explore other career paths…for your own personal well-being sake.

See if anything comes up.

You can’t figure out a strategy without imagining what you want first!

I’d love to hear from you.

If you had $1 billion, meaning, money is no longer an issue…what type of work would you do that would be truly fulfilling, meaningful and inspiring?

Feel free to leave your comments!

For more strategies, tips and advice on your CPA career, visit: www.LindaRaynier.com 

To contact Linda directly, email her at: lindaraynier@gmail.com