Hate accountancy

greendevil8

Im a first year trainee accountant (cap 1) and in the job now 6 months. I am working for a chartered practice and absolutely hate it. I have signed my 3.5 year contract but really dont feel now that I can not possibly go on with this for the following reasons:

• The work is so boring and repetitive and no way interesting I have a very low boredem threshold.
• Hate sitting in an office alll day long it has me fatigued.
• The atmosphere in the office is a little cold and unfriendly I cannot fit in here I am a people person.
• Cannot cope with going to lectures at the weekend having been working with accounts all week long. Its torture and dont think I could do this for the next 3 years, can never focus on studying as I have no interest in learning this stuff.
• I find the work confusing and tedious.
• cannot adapt to the corporate culture.
• I wake up every single day dreading going to work and count the minutes until I can go home.

My previous jobs involved a more hands on role working as a team and was more people focused and target driven. Im on 2 minds as to what to do and this is torturing me inside. People are advising me on on hand to stay and get the qualification that I'd be mad in the head to leave such a good job in this economic climate and that once finished I can do so much with the qualification. Others are telling me to get out that life is just too short for being so unhappy and its not worth that and putting myself through another years of misery.

So my question is - Do I stay put because this way im making the best use of my degree and because accouting is a safe bet in the resession? or should I leave and do something else? How do I go about getting out of this contract in the best possible way?

Mr Clonfadda

I worked in practice for over seven years. Auditing is always repetitive.

Don't stay in a job if you hate it as much as you seem.

If you are a People Person get a job dealing with people.

You really should enjoy doing what your job is.

Get out. Get out. Get Out!!! Life is too short! If you are smart enough, (and your self-reflection indicates you are), then something else worthwhile will come up.

Longerview

Greendevil8,don't do anything yet...the country is in bad,bad shape and your experience in practice is one of the only things that will put your cv on top of the pile.ONE year would look so much better than 6 months.The worst part is over.Classes will end for the summer and you'll be free at the wk ends.You'll get study leave before the exams.Make a plan for next year.Line up interviews but don't leave til you are offered a position elsewhere.There's a lot of graduate unemployment just now !

TO LEAVE NICELY:-
1.Leave at end of one year....your employer will find it nearly impossible to replace you with new trainee mid year.
2.Give employer plenty of notice,so that they can find suitable trainee and have them in place by sept 09.Maybe straighrt after exams give notice.
3.Have meeting with employer explaining the issues thanking them for the years experience/learning....no matter how you might really feel !
Remember,these guys are writing your reference !
3.

Accountancy qualification is always a good asset IF you are gooing to be working in an area where it is needed.
Consider all goals: short and long term. What do you want to do in 5y or 10y. If acc qual would help you to reach your goals then you have a difficult choice to make. But if you are hoping to be doing completly different thing in the future - dont waste your life on something that you hate.
There are 3 more yeras for you to go ..... it is a long time.

Kine

I must say, the OP literally listed out many of the reasons I never went the accounting route in college, or when the milk run was going on too.

HOWEVER, now that I'm a few years into my workign experience, when looking for a lot of new jobs, quite a few do require an accounting qualification (I'm nearly finished ACCA's now as a result).

It is hard to stay in a job that sucks so bad, but unfortunately sometimes a little bit of pain now (I'm 26 and haven't had a year without college exams yet....with another year on the horizon...) means a lot more doors are open for me when I look for another job.

But then again, we're all going to get sh1tcanned this year, so we might as well save up and party our asses off when the country pulls an 'Iceland'!

PhiliousPhogg

Get yourself a plan together first buddy. There's no point in feeling sorry for yourself. Be creative, you need to find an alternative. If you can't, stay in the day (and night) job.

Pisco Sour

greendevil8 wrote: »

Im a first year trainee accountant (cap 1) and in the job now 6 months. I am working for a chartered practice and absolutely hate it. I have signed my 3.5 year contract but really dont feel now that I can not possibly go on with this for the following reasons:

• The work is so boring and repetitive and no way interesting I have a very low boredem threshold.
• Hate sitting in an office alll day long it has me fatigued.
• The atmosphere in the office is a little cold and unfriendly I cannot fit in here I am a people person.
• Cannot cope with going to lectures at the weekend having been working with accounts all week long. Its torture and dont think I could do this for the next 3 years, can never focus on studying as I have no interest in learning this stuff.
• I find the work confusing and tedious.
• cannot adapt to the corporate culture.
• I wake up every single day dreading going to work and count the minutes until I can go home.

My previous jobs involved a more hands on role working as a team and was more people focused and target driven. Im on 2 minds as to what to do and this is torturing me inside. People are advising me on on hand to stay and get the qualification that I'd be mad in the head to leave such a good job in this economic climate and that once finished I can do so much with the qualification. Others are telling me to get out that life is just too short for being so unhappy and its not worth that and putting myself through another years of misery.

So my question is - Do I stay put because this way im making the best use of my degree and because accouting is a safe bet in the resession? or should I leave and do something else? How do I go about getting out of this contract in the best possible way?

Everything you have said is EXACTLY how I feel aswell. Your 7 points you listed is the very same reason why I hate it. About 90% of the time I feel like I dont know whats going on. The work is just so confusing.

I'm in my second year now. Been in the job 15 months now. Not sure what i can offer you in the way of advice as I'm stuck in the same situation as you, but please feel free to PM me if you want to chat about it!

shewasoctober

04072511 wrote: »

Everything you have said is EXACTLY how I feel aswell. Your 7 points you listed is the very same reason why I hate it. About 90% of the time I feel like I dont know whats going on. The work is just so confusing.

I'm in my second year now. Been in the job 15 months now. Not sure what i can offer you in the way of advice as I'm stuck in the same situation as you, but please feel free to PM me if you want to chat about it!

At least I'm not alone. However, I can't really quit, unless I want to leave Ireland, and since I have a pretty good life outside of work, I don't want to go. Plus, I know the qualification will help me get a job outside of auditing. All you can do is way the pros and cons for yourself and see if it's worth it. Right now, there are more pros for me to stick with it.

ninty9er

greendevil8 wrote: »

Im a first year trainee accountant (cap 1) and in the job now 6 months. I am working for a chartered practice and absolutely hate it. I have signed my 3.5 year contract but really dont feel now that I can not possibly go on with this for the following reasons:

• The work is so boring and repetitive and no way interesting I have a very low boredem threshold.
• Hate sitting in an office alll day long it has me fatigued.
• The atmosphere in the office is a little cold and unfriendly I cannot fit in here I am a people person.
• Cannot cope with going to lectures at the weekend having been working with accounts all week long. Its torture and dont think I could do this for the next 3 years, can never focus on studying as I have no interest in learning this stuff.
• I find the work confusing and tedious.
• cannot adapt to the corporate culture.
• I wake up every single day dreading going to work and count the minutes until I can go home.

My previous jobs involved a more hands on role working as a team and was more people focused and target driven. Im on 2 minds as to what to do and this is torturing me inside. People are advising me on on hand to stay and get the qualification that I'd be mad in the head to leave such a good job in this economic climate and that once finished I can do so much with the qualification. Others are telling me to get out that life is just too short for being so unhappy and its not worth that and putting myself through another years of misery.

So my question is - Do I stay put because this way im making the best use of my degree and because accouting is a safe bet in the resession? or should I leave and do something else? How do I go about getting out of this contract in the best possible way?

Are you not being sent on audit jobs?? It doesn't seem like you are there. That was the one really enjoyable part of my work-experience, getting out of the office and meeting people. I don't have a great head for maths, but I'm starting my 3.5 year contract in October with the same company off the back of the positive experience I had. The pay is the worst of any large firm and is significantly sub €20k.

You should look at talking to the partner in charge of your department about getting out of the office more. There is always going to be a mundane aspect to every job, and that's the office part (and the audit prep).

LoveDucati2

I was in this position. Practise is very dull.

I stuck practise for a year and constantly asked for more work and after 9 months was doing the same work as the finalists. You can learn great life long working practices from the senior members.

Do a year, it will look good that you stuck a year, and then start looking on jobsites (use the exclude agencies as they are a waste of your time) for work in Industry, Financial, or Banking citing more experience as the reason for moving on (not leaving). I have worked in 6 or 7 different roles in industry, banking and finance and learnt far more in the first 4 years while I was studying than I would have by staying in practise.

walshy123

your six months in. and those 6 months will be some of the quieter months of the year. you feal like u know nothing because you probably dont! give it another 6 months, things can only get better! you will pick up alot during the busy season

actually i just realised i am assuming ur in audit?

it sounds like your in a big4? maybe see if you could get a job in a small practice?

MrMiyagi

I am interested in Accounting as a career because of the options it gives you

But I spent 7 months in Fund Accounting and hated it

Is working in practice or industry much different?

stefar

Hey Greendevil 8, suppose i'd recommend you hang in there for the mo at least through busy season....there doesn't seem to be anything out there in terms of employment....i'm in a big 4, new trainee, no experience in accounting havin come from non business degree....haven't a clue what i'm at in audit (banking), but i'm told this is to be expected in the first few jobs. and peopel are helping me...to be honest, just feel like i'm not makin any contribution at all.....but, things will change,look at what you can get out of it if you manage to get through the contract, you're much more employable being a professional....just wouldn't go handin in notice yet...

by the way, any other trainees out there who aren't sure what they're at? havin said that, confident that i'll get a grip as college/busy season progresses...

good luck!
Stefar

swanvill

Hi,
In the beginning its tough but once you get a few jobs under your belt you will start to feel more comfortable. Pure audit is dull as dishwater until you come across a fraud, I found a client had got a grant to buy a machine which he only used half of the grant for the machine and stuck the balance into a personal deposit account! When you start to bring jobs to completion it will get more interesting and when you reconcile something very awkward you will feel satisfied. When you work in Industry and train/mentor junior staff it will be rewarding or you find a way to do something more efficient that adds to the bottom line, you will feel proud. Most accountant I know like what they do and are respected by other fellow managers because of the study/apprenticeship grind.

My only advice is hang in for a year, pass your exams and talk to a senior you like/trust about your role before you quit anything. The best thing about talking it over with someone before quitting, is you can always quit after their advice.

It does come across that you really hate it alright. However, although 3.5years does seem like a long time at the moment bear in mind that the qualification is very useful to have. Also bear in mind that it's a terrible economic climate at the moment. If you have a clear idea of what you would like to do otherwise I would say by all means go for it - but don't quit until you have got a position. When you qualify with accounting you can go into any number of jobs - that don't necessarily involve anthing to do with auditing / accounts. You could look at what you could try to change in your position to make things better for yourself. If you are a people person you could look at parts of the audit process that allow for more interaction and ask to be able to do more of that. Another option would be to transfer to a different area - tax work for example is actually a lot more interesting that auditing (tax consulting more that compliance). If you really want to get out of the contract you just ask to talk with the relevant partner and say that you have realised that this is not for you and that you can't see yourself staying here unless you are fully committed to the job - they can't argue with that. Do think about what you can change in your work position first though...