Is accounting worth it?

southpasdena
Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:25:30 +0000

This convo has kinda passed now, but its an issue that needs to be addressed.

I enjoy how everyone says you have to be “passionate about your job to succeed.” The truth is - straight out of college- no matter where you work, you will be doing monkey/slave work - even if its a field you enjoy. Lets say you love sealions and go into marine biology…right out of college you’d mostly be sitting infront of a computer entering weather changes data into a computer. Also, even if you enjoy your job, you will grow bored of it…much like I loved the show 24 and am currently sick of it. Furthermore, no one knows if they’ll enjoy a job until they actually do it, and an internship really doesn’t present close to a whole picture…basing your job choice on what you “enjoy” is at best an ambigious idea that doesn’t hold up to analysis.

For ibanking: even if you “enjoy” math or enjoy “problem solving” and compared to someone who “enjoys making money,” you are no better off. You sit in front of a computer and model all day. Its repetitive and isn’t overly challenging beyond the first few months. No one enjoys this…you can say you enjoy pitching deals, or that you enjoy the competitive spirit…but none of this is present to atleast Vice president level. To tell people they should only do investment banking if they like it is a poor statement (although you can make an arguement that the hours are too much), telling people that they won’t succeed if they don’t like it and only are doing it for the money is an even worse statement (no one really likes it, the few that claim to, generally mean they love the lifestyle/prestige/career advancement it gives).

Infact I would go as far as to say that doing a job because you like the money and lifestyle is MORE motivation than liking the job for the job itself. If you enjoy the lifestyle you have - or want even more- you’re going to try your darn hardest to maintain your job and get promoted; whereas if you do it because you “enjoy doing it” you will eventually get bored and stop caring.

I work in the financial world, and I can tell you that NO ONE enjoys the “job” at entry level. The best anyone comes to “enjoying” the job is that they like the “experience,” but again the experience is just so they can make more money in the future.

The people who do best in finance are the people who have the right combination of intelligence and social aptitude, passion for the job does not matter at all unless the disdain for your causes you to stop working or trying (which it won’t if you are addicted to your lifestyle).

If you disagree with me, please use a logical argument and not the ad hominem attacks or strawman arguments or the sparase anecdotal evidence that is used everywhere throught this forum.



shall i quote this entire post like cali.

This is a totally biased opinion and is representative of the industry that you are working in. Considering the size of that industry in relation to the whole, i would have to say, speak for yourself.