How to navigate a career change from accounting

If the average American spends roughly 90,000 hours¹ working in their lifetime, you want to do something that’s worth that time. However, a career change is intimidating, even if you’re in a job that's unsatisfying. If you’re considering a career change from accounting, it's especially difficult to leave, as you've already spent significant time and resources earning degrees, developing niche expertise, or cultivating relationships within your specialty. 

But if you are considering leaving your accounting career, we're here to help you consider your options to make the right choice.

Why consider a career change from accounting? 

It's natural for your needs, priorities, and career interests to evolve. You may be feeling the itch to leave your accounting career, but perhaps all you really need for personal fulfillment is to focus on a different area within the field. Or, maybe you do need to reboot your career in a totally new area. It's important to self-evaluate and start sifting through these questions.

Here are a few symptoms that could lead you towards a career change from accounting: 

1. Burned out 

For some, crunching numbers and analyzing reports is a cathartic puzzle that intrigues the mind and, while difficult, is a satisfying effort. But if it leaves you feeling mentally and emotionally drained, with no satisfaction or energy gained from the process, it may be time to reevaluate. 

2. Feeling bored and unsatisfied 

On the other hand, maybe you are simply bored in your work. While everyone has days that feel sluggish, you should overall feel interested in what you do. If you’re going through the motions day in and day out, not stimulated or impassioned by what you do, you likely feel dissatisfied and need something more fulfilling. 

3. Long hours 

If you're in a role that requires long hours and late nights, even weekends, especially in busy season, you may want a career that supports a better work/life balance. 

4. Corporate environment 

Accounting careers often follow the corporate ladder’s traditional structure. For some, this organizational clarity may be helpful in planning and achieving their goals. But you may find the corporate environment is much less appealing and makes you want to pursue a career change from accounting. 

5. Additional training requirements 

The accounting profession often requires additional training, certifications, and licensures to stay relevant or advance your career. While these provide opportunities to grow and learn, they also require significant time and financial investments. Again, if this is something you can’t or don’t want to do, it may push you to consider leaving your accounting career.

Do you want to make a career change from accounting? 

You may not need a complete overhaul to experience fulfillment in your professional life. To help you pinpoint your needs and create a plan of action, start by making a list of what’s working and not working for you. Ask yourself: 

• What parts of my job energize me? 
• What drains me? 
• What’s preventing me from reaching my professional goals? 
• What do I wish I had or could do that would help me feel more fulfilled at work? 

A change of direction may not mean a complete career change from accounting. With all the work you’ve poured into getting this far, it’s worth considering your options to see if a shift in direction will solve the issues or if you really need a total upheaval. 

Consider these alternatives: 

Change industries

If you’re feeling unfulfilled or sick of a corporate environment, a change in industry may help rejuvenate your job interest. For example, moving from a corporate company to working in healthcare accounting or a not-for-profit organization might help you see your job’s purpose and the impact that you can make. Plus, you may experience a much different pace and working environment than that of the corporate world. 

Change specializations

Another option to avoid burnout and spark interest is to investigate other specializations within the accounting industry. Perhaps you’re currently in tax, but instead of leaving your accounting career, you would simply be happier in an auditing role. Or maybe you would find greater interest in niche areas like forensic accounting or managerial accounting, which all employ different skillsets and require different knowledge. 

Start your own firm

If you want to set your own rules (within reason) and determine your own future, you could start your own accounting firm. It is a challenge but provides you with the liberty to build the environment you want, the motivation to pour your efforts into a goal, and the flexibility to choose exactly what you want to do and how to do it. You’d be your own boss and get to reap the benefits and pride of all your accomplishments. 

Work as a consultant or contractor

You can get out of the daily grind, gain a better work/life balance, and ultimately take more control over your work by opting to contract out your services, rather than hold a full-time position. 

How to navigate leaving your accounting career 

Perhaps you have decided on leaving your accounting career. There are steps you can take to help smoothen the process. 

Get to know your skills, interests, and strengths 

Sometimes we don’t know what we want next, just that whatever we’re doing right now isn’t “it.” When you’re feeling out of alignment, it’s time to create a matrix of your professional traits and desired outcomes. You’ll start to see themes emerge when you write everything down in one place: 

1. Current skills 
2. What you’re passionate about and love doing 
3. Your strengths 
4. What you want to avoid (i.e. being on the phone all day, rigid schedules, client-facing activities, etc.) 

Let’s look at this sample profile: 

1. Skills: advanced Excel, financial analysis, project management, people management, auditing, tax, CPA license, tax regulations, financial reporting 
2. Interests/passions: fundraising, sales, customer experience, public speaking 
3. Strengths: attention to detail, problem-solving, risk assessment, “reading people”/EQ, communication, working in ambiguity 

Although this person’s hard skills are in accounting, her/his strengths suggest success in other professions, such as entrepreneurship. If a traditional public accounting route hasn’t worked thus far, this person could consider opening an accounting venture, blending skills in accounting and entrepreneurship. 

Leverage new certifications and licenses 

A new certification or license can help you upskill and appear more valuable to new job prospects. It also shows prospective employers that you’re willing to do the work to grow your accounting abilities. The pursuit of a new license is far from easy, but the benefits far outweigh the cost. 

For instance, having a CPA license conveys more in-depth knowledge and expertise across public accounting. Although this distinction gives you the privilege of performing duties reserved only for CPAs, having this credential doesn’t limit you to working strictly in an accounting capacity. The value of this professional designation, apart from having higher earning potential, is that it translates surprisingly well across different industries and roles. While having your license isn’t always a hard requirement, it does help you stand out when applying for leadership roles or other professions, given the rigorous process to earn one. 

Ask for help and build your community 

It doesn’t hurt to see if your company offers benefits that promote professional development, such as subsidizing the cost of a CPA Exam review or providing a stipend for continuing professional education. If your company doesn’t offer these benefits, try talking to your manager about other ways they might support your career. This could look like adjusting schedules for study time or working on new initiatives that better align with your interests and goals. 

You could also join an employee resource group (ERG) to connect with other employees and gain valuable skills. ERGs often need volunteers to run them, so if leadership is a skill you’d like to develop, applying for one of these positions within the group could expedite your progress. 

As you explore the options within your organization, remember to also check out communities outside of your company. Whether you’re researching unconventional CPA career paths or want to elevate your accounting expertise, joining accounting and finance organizations can connect you to people who can share their experience and wisdom with you. 

Think outside of the box 

Your CPA experience doesn’t box you in. Rather, it can serve as a jumping-off point as you consider a career change from accounting. When you can answer how being a CPA has enriched your professional expertise—above and beyond the technical skills—you’ll be able to articulate and believe that you can contribute the same value to unexpected industries and functions. 

For example, CPAs can cross over into unique careers that include: 

• Fashion buyer 
• Film production manager 
• Forensic auditor 
• Management consultant for financial and accounting clients 
• Educator 
• Engineer, programmer, or developer for a FinTech company 

You might be surprised to find that success factors in these roles overlap with the same expertise needed for CPAs: 

• Financial and data analysis 
• Budget planning 
• Creative problem-solving 
• Managing client and internal stakeholder relationships  
   

Redirect your career with new skills

If you’re unhappy in your current role and are exploring a career change from accounting, stay encouraged. You’re never “stuck” and the option to reassess and recalibrate is always there. Exploring CPE can help you get started uncovering new topics of interest or honing skills in an area that you’ve already decided. 

If you’re leaving your accounting career, consider training in areas like tech, cybersecurity, leadership, or project management, which all closely align with the skills you’ve already built, but shift direction from the day-to-day of your accounting job. 

Get a free CPE course from Becker!

No matter which direction your career takes, Becker can help you achieve your goals. If you'd like to start expanding your skills and gaining new information to inform your options or support an accounting career change, we can help you get started. Try a free CPE course to get started today!