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Hi, I'm a 22 year old college sophomore. Due to my financial limitations, I have only been able to attend college part-time until recently. I have been a bartender since the age of 19 and began working in hospitality when I was 17.
I need help assessing whether or not I'm making the right choice in terms of career path and whether or not it will help me achieve the goals listed below.
I recently received a full-scholarship at a university in New England that is on the same level as NYU or Tufts. This is an amazing opportunity for me.
I began this past fall and have a 3.8 GPA
When I transferred in, the Dean asked me what I was majoring in, and I responded "Accounting".
He then enrolled me in a program called "Corporate Systems" and my concentration is in accounting.
When I graduate, I will have a BA in Corporate Systems, Concentration in Accounting.
I have never even heard of a Corporate Systems major! I don't know if this degree will be taken seriously or not.
I just want to make sure this major will facilitate me in reaching my short and long term goals.
They are:
- Having the cash to invest in businesses that I believe will be lucrative and in line with the things in life that make me happy. I would like to become part owner of either
1. a salon or spa- if I had not received this scholarship opportunity, I would have probably become a hair stylist. I love working on my feet, socializing with customers, and helping other women look and feel beautiful
2. a doggy spa, daycare, & boarding- opened in the right neighborhood could be quite lucrative.
-I want to be able to smartly invest and manage my money so I can live off of or at least generate a good piece of my income off of passive income sources. If I decide to have a family or go to Miami to visit my family I would like the freedom to just go without making serious arrangements at the office or depending on one source of income such as a 9-5 corporate gig for all of my sustenance.
I keep hearing that accounting jobs have no room for creativity, and to be honest I don't know if this is even a bad thing because every job I have ever had has had no room for creativity but allowed me to be myself as in **** talking with regulars and having shift drinks with fellow co-workers.
Thanks for reading through and your advice as well
I'm currently considering doing an intern at a big 4 or at a financial services firm and then working for the big 4 for a few years. Then working for a smaller CPA firm, and I'm hoping by then I will have enough knowledge and saved cash to complete the goals listed above.
I can't comment on everything in your post, but I doubt that the name of your major will hold you back. I'm sure the recruiters who come to your university will be familiar with the school's common majors/programs, especially if your school is a highly-regarded institution. You are still an Accounting major, the school just groups different majors into categories it seems.
assuming everything in your post is the gospel truth and not late night fantasy typing------
u will end up working at burger king like the rest of us minus the big fat student loan.
if u gota full scholarship- take it. finish your bachelors in nursing get an RN. RN is automatic lieutenant rank in military 80 to 90 k a year plus housing and benefits. unless u seriously intend to take the CPA and soon, stay out of accounting management. america does not need 20 million more managers.
get some hard skills think trade not "professional".
that is the 1st step. then buy small properties pay them off and get some more, never sell them just get more.
unless u got a steady reliable stream of income from a solid trade, the talk about investing is meaningless babble, sorry.
too many y generation people get on CDF and talk on & on about massive flipping and investment, they wana do the fast trick and get rich quick.
big mistake. this is the ghetto babble -- jump & grab the brass ring mr eddy murphy rags to riches overnight--- . dont go there.
Last edited by Huckleberry3911948; 01-15-2012 at 11:15 PM..
Huckleberry: yes everything in my post is the truth.
I really don't want to do nursing, as everyone I know is getting into nursing. I have a feeling once the number of boomers start declining, there will be more nurses than nursing jobs.
What do you mean by "hard skill"?
Any examples besides nursing?
When I say 'investment', I include property as investments, I'm not talking about the stock market or anything.
I just want to make sure this major will facilitate me in reaching my short and long term goals.
A degree in accounting isn't going to provide much aid in starting a business. Accounting, especially in small business, is just an annoying that you have to deal with...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pear Martini
-I want to be able to smartly invest and manage my money so I can live off of or at least generate a good piece of my income off of passive income sources.
So start reading and investing now...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pear Martini
I keep hearing that accounting jobs have no room for creativity....
Only at the lower levels, corporate accounting, etc can get rather creative....where the name of the game is stretching the tax code as much as possible to save as much as possible on taxes.
The Accounting/Big 4 path is perfectly reasonable and acceptable to start your career. If your university is as good as you think/say it is, recruiters will understand and the companies who show up to recruit will understand what your school's program is like.
After a few years at Big 4, you can go MBA, a regular corporate job, or start your own business. A lot of people "plan" to start a business and don't actually end up doing it for a variety of reasons, so I would focus on your first career, and accounting is a great choice, with some electives that will help your (future) plans to start a business.
Big 4 out of college will often be auditing or consulting, not necessarily an "accountant" keep in mind.
Hi, I'm a 22 year old college sophomore. Due to my financial limitations, I have only been able to attend college part-time until recently. I have been a bartender since the age of 19 and began working in hospitality when I was 17.
I need help assessing whether or not I'm making the right choice in terms of career path and whether or not it will help me achieve the goals listed below.
I recently received a full-scholarship at a university in New England that is on the same level as NYU or Tufts. This is an amazing opportunity for me.
I began this past fall and have a 3.8 GPA
When I transferred in, the Dean asked me what I was majoring in, and I responded "Accounting".
He then enrolled me in a program called "Corporate Systems" and my concentration is in accounting.
Congrats on the full scholarship. That is huge.
Did you not know what majors were offered, before you met with the Dean?
Quote:
When I graduate, I will have a BA in Corporate Systems, Concentration in Accounting.
I have never even heard of a Corporate Systems major! I don't know if this degree will be taken seriously or not.
Taken seriously by whom? Depends on what you're trying to do. I think you want to focus on building marketable skills; the name of your major is secondary.
The people I know in accounting make pretty good money. I don't know what the entry-level job prospects look like in that field, though. I imagine you'd be better off than most.
Quote:
I just want to make sure this major will facilitate me in reaching my short and long term goals.
They are:
- Having the cash to invest
If I knew the answer to that one, I wouldn't be giving it out on the internet, I can tell you that much.
I taught myself how to manage my own money, too. This would be really useful, if I had any. My advice is to just focus on what will pay the rent in the short term, and come up with a million-dollar idea in the meantime.
Congrats on the scholarship. As others have stated, I wouldn't worry about the name of the degree as long as it is truly accounting that you are studying. These days a degree isn't enough to be successful in a career as many companies want to see certifications in addition to the degree.
Make sure that your degree will prepare you to sit for some type of certification exam; in this case, the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam which probably requires a few years of experience under the supervision of a CPA before even applying to take the exam.
Once you get experience and a CPA, you can begin your own business and achieve the goals that you have set. One doesn't need to be a business owner to start investing in other companies, but your income can be higher if you are an owner.
Did you not know what majors were offered, before you met with the Dean?
Taken seriously by whom? Depends on what you're trying to do. I think you want to focus on building marketable skills; the name of your major is secondary.
The people I know in accounting make pretty good money. I don't know what the entry-level job prospects look like in that field, though. I imagine you'd be better off than most.
If I knew the answer to that one, I wouldn't be giving it out on the internet, I can tell you that much.
I taught myself how to manage my own money, too. This would be really useful, if I had any. My advice is to just focus on what will pay the rent in the short term, and come up with a million-dollar idea in the meantime.
When i met with the dean, I was pretty sure about my major, and in shock when he told me my classes would be covered by a scholarship that I didn't even think to look into other programs.
I just want to make sure I'm starting in the right field of work for propelling myself into bigger and better things.
I appreciate reading the emboldened sentence. Theres a lot of pressure on me to succeed from myself and my family that sometimes I forget that its okay for me not to start my own business in my 20s.
If you don't mind me asking, what is your field/career?
thanks everyone for your input....I guess I have some more planning to do
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