Out of the rat race?

Out of the rat race?

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Discussion

Legend83

Original Poster:

9,986 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience or recommendations of retraining/career changes that got them out of a rubbish/stressful job - but paid the same or better!

At the moment I am an auditor in a large firm and though not even fully qualified yet, am disillusioned with long hours, boring work and general lack of motivation. You sit and think, 'oh well, that's life' but surely at some point you have to think 'why I am I wasting my life doing this!'

Eric Mc

122,050 posts

266 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Stck at it until you get your qualification. Once that is out of the way, all sorts of options become available.

Boring advice I know, but in the end, it has enabled me to take control over my working life (even if it did take 25 years).

Legend83

Original Poster:

9,986 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
That is indeed the sensible option. I get my finals (re-sit unfortunatley) results in 7 days time so hopefully my motivation will get a kick!

Eric - Forgive me for my lack of knowledge on this forum, but I am guessing you work as an independent accountant? This is something I would consider in the future as I have many friends in high places, and therefore good networking opportunities.

Eric Mc

122,050 posts

266 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Correct.

I've been a sole-practitioner for the past 5 years (after 25 years being an employee) and have not regretted a single moment of it.

Legend83

Original Poster:

9,986 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Brilliant. Who was your employer if you don't mind me asking? How did you manage the transition?

Eric Mc

122,050 posts

266 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Over the 25 years of employment, I'd worked in seven different firms - three in Ireland and four in the UK.

I had no problem making the change as a whole bunch of clients didn't want to stay with the firm I was leaving - they wanted to continue using me (which was vey gratifying). I'd also reached the stage where I'd really lost any incentive to work for anyone else and was confident in my abilities to manage a portfolio of my own clients (which I'd been doing for years as an employee anyway).

Legend83

Original Poster:

9,986 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
I think I would be looking to move to a smaller firm in the future to facilitate asimilar strategy. There is no way I could take any client's of my current employer as they are mostly multinational corporations!

Plus, I have a friend who will be a bigshot in the film and theatre industry - she has already asked for advice and knows of many others that she would refer in the future. So my plan for the future is currently wrapped up waiting to escape - all balancing on these bloody exams.

David_s

7,960 posts

245 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
I'd also reached the stage where I'd really lost any incentive to work for anyone else.
That's what did it for me. Plus the fact that I could earn a lot more working for myself than anyone else would pay me.

emicen

8,594 posts

219 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Legend83 said:
Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has any experience or recommendations of retraining/career changes that got them out of a rubbish/stressful job - but paid the same or better!

At the moment I am an auditor in a large firm and though not even fully qualified yet, am disillusioned with long hours, boring work and general lack of motivation. You sit and think, 'oh well, that's life' but surely at some point you have to think 'why I am I wasting my life doing this!'
My mate works for one of the big boys in exactly your field, accounting graduate working as an auditor, just completed his CA exams.

He's known from pretty much day one as soon as his training contract was up he was going to do the smurf on them.

He's quitting in Sept in moving in to a higher paying job within a small firm (small is relative, their net worth is quite large) and should be making VERY good money within a couple of years with equity in the company as a bonus.

I dont work in accountancy, but to quote someone who came to talk to us at Uni regarding our graduate employers, "get the biggest company you can under your belt. it looks impressive and they pour wads in to your training and development. milk it for everything you can get then find the job you really want."

Legend83

Original Poster:

9,986 posts

223 months

Thursday 24th May 2007
quotequote all
Indeed.

Mx_Stu

810 posts

224 months

Friday 1st June 2007
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If you are in a larger firm is there no prospect of moving departments or such like? I work in a big four firm in Cambridge and find that people move departments all the time between audit and tax etc.

I love my job but if I was in your position and coming to work and auditing everyday I would hate it!!