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Zeratul
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Joined: 11 Jun 2009
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Posted: 11 Aug 2011 at 17:20 \| IP Logged

I think your definition of passionate is too mild. Passion indicates a strong level of love/interest in something. Someone who merely likes his job enough to not stare at the clock and bolt the second it hits 5 isn't passionate per se -- he just enjoys the job more than others.

Not that it matters, but I think one who is passionate about accounting would be more predisposed to discuss matters of accounting with one's boss than outside interests; in our example, I think A would be much more likely than B to bring up such topics, assuming of course that it wasn't necessary in order to do the job.

I disagree that it's at all important to like your job. While it can help, ultimately it's how you act and what you do which will get you ahead. Liking your job can certainly help in that you'll probably act and do more positively, but it isn't a necessary condition. And it's not really a guarantee that one who likes his job will rise faster than one who does not -- at least, not in my experience.

db729
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Joined: 22 Apr 2010
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Posted: 11 Aug 2011 at 19:51 \| IP Logged

almurra1 wrote:

Wow...it's really sad to see that so many of you are pursuing
accounting with no passion for it at all. What a dreary view of what the
professional world has in store for me. I'm fresh out of a masters
program and I've had the Accounting bug for at least 5 years now.
When I took my first intro to financial accounting course, there wasn't
a doubt in my mind that I was born for a career in Accounting. Part of
me wishes that more people that I'll be working with were as
passionate about it as I am, but people who lack passion for the area
will invariably leave or be stepping stones on the way up anyway.
Bottom line, sure, you can work in the field without being extremely
passionate about it, however, you will likely find yourself lacking drive
and constantly miserable about work. A man who can wake up and be
happy about what he does is a lucky man. I hope you gain experience
in Accounting and eventually find something that you are truly
passionate about.

What part of accounting does it make you so passionate? Is it the topic and technical knowledge themselves, or the actual tasks/responsibilities surrounding the use of accounting? No offense but I think you're casting a very judgmental and probably naive view of the profession. You said that you're fresh out of masters? If that's the case, I doubt you've really worked in the profession that long. I know you're 28, but was the work that you were doing previously actually in the accounting profession? Like Kfan said, studying accounting is very different than working in accounting.

Do I think Big 4 provides a lot of learning opportunities and builds skill sets that I can leverage off later on? Absolutely. I would say there are very few other places where I'd get the same amount of training, experience, learning, and challenges. But am I passionate about sending out 150 selections to the AR clerk just to check the service dates to make sure revenue was properly recognized? Not really...I don't want to look at 150 bill of ladings, nor does the client want to put up with the auditors when the client has to deal with month end closing.

At the end of the day, Big 4 is only a stepping stone for other things in life. And industry is for stability and decent pay. If you can convince me otherwise, I welcome you to. But I have yet to meet someone that's genuinely passionate about accounting and the profession, that includes Partners and CFOs.

almurra1
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Joined: 13 Mar 2011
Location: United States
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Posts: 35

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 at 02:58 \| IP Logged

Well, granted, audit isn't the most exciting field there
is...I wouldn't want to look at 150 bills of lading
either. I've had experience in forensic accounting and
internal audit/consulting. External audit would not make
me happy...I don't like to be spoon-fed.

@Zerateul

"a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object, concept"
is one of several definitions for "passion". For your own
reference, they run the gamut from this to "ardent love"
or "sexual desire". I mean, pick your poison...there is a
veritable slew of definitions to choose from.

I can't definitively say one way or another that I won't
want to blow my brains out in 5 years, but I've had 2
solid internships in public accounting and did my
bachelors in Accounting. When I did my masters in
accounting, I was contemporaneously taking the CPA exam
as well as teaching an introductory managerial accounting
course at the same university. Additionally, I spent my
last Summer teaching an introductory financial accounting
course. So I guess you can call me crazy...but I love the
stuff. Maybe I just thought other people saw it the same
way...guess not.

As a final note, I find it ironic that someone who claims
to lack "passion" for the field is designated a "major
contributor" on a CPA forum with almost 1,000 posts to
boot. Maybe you're more passionate about it than you
thought!

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Zeratul
Major Contributor

Joined: 11 Jun 2009
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Posted: 12 Aug 2011 at 09:41 \| IP Logged

Academically, perhaps. I enjoyed studying accounting. But not professionally. Reality is a harsh mistress.

Kfan
Major Contributor

Joined: 02 Oct 2009
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Posts: 861

Posted: 12 Aug 2011 at 12:45 \| IP Logged

+1. That's the thing-you keep equating studying accounting with
working in accounting, when they are nothing alike.

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