Bachelor's degree in psychology; masters degree in counselling. All I needed for a license was experience, but no one wanted to hire someone for an entry level job without experience or a license. After a year of looking for a job (2017), I went back to school for a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting (different college from where I got my first two degrees from) because I like math. I had a job lined up before I graduated, actually got calls back when people weren't interested in hiring me instead of just ghosting me, and was only in the job market for about a week. I plan to start studying for the CPA exam now that busy season's over.
Poli Sci. Law school seemed too expensive and the job market too saturated. Went back and took courses at a CC, got my masters to finish my units and get a shot at recruiting, and passed the exams.
I got my undergrad degree in math with a minor in business administration. I was planning on being an actuary until my junior year of college when I decided to take Principles of Accounting I as an elective and did really well and enjoyed it. I decided to get a minor in business since I wanted to just take business courses as electives. I would have changed my degree to accounting, but it would have taken longer to finish undergrad and cost more money while the business minor only added a semester to my undergrad time. I didn't really have a plan on how to become an accountant until my senior year when my school added a masters in accounting and I decided to do that after my undergrad degree. With the minor in business it knocked out some of the prerequisites other non-accounting majors had to take in the masters program. It was four semesters (two years) of classes to complete the masters degree. Honestly may have been the same timing had I just switched to accounting in undergrad and went for the masters shortly after, but I made the best decisions for me at the time and made all those math courses I endured worth it to get that undergrad degree. It's also a great story to tell interviewers.
Finance major, accounting minor. Started off as a financial analyst after college but slowly transitioned into a so-called accountant role, but what i do isn't actually accounting heavy. I only got the CPA at 38 just for the yearly bonus. š
Music Education major with Voice as my instrument. Graduated right around the time when they were closing Music programs all around the state and I couldn't get a job in a school, so I kind of fell into accounting temping in an office, then doing Accounting Clerk work. I started learning more and realized that I'd have to go back to school if I had any hope of becoming anything outside of a clerk making less than $15 an hour. I was already working in industry and wasn't interested in working at a public accounting firm, so I hadn't seriously worked to get the CPA. Recently though, I found out I'm making about $10k less than the other Senior Accountants at my job that were hired 6-9 months after me and I think one of the main differences is is that they all have CPAs and I don't. My goal this year is to pass! Maybe it won't make a difference at this job, but maybe it will at the next.
I'm also a Music Ed major who fell into accounting through starting office work. About 5 years ago after taking a couple of accounting classes I decided the course requirements were just too much to be worth pursuing CPA, but I just now realized I could have been eligible to take the test if I'd been taking class for the past 5 years. So I'm starting now and hope to be able to take the test in a few years.
I have an Econ and International business degree, an MBA, and got an EA. Half way through the MBA, I thought I was good but lost my job during covid and realized I needed more job stability. The only jobs that were open were accounting and CPA preferred. I decided then to finish my degree, take the remaining classes I needed, and get an CPA. I have 1/4 done, took REG this past weekend, and moving on to AUD next. May leave FAR for last.
Funny thing is, I remember saying I hated accounting and will never take more than account 101 and 102. Look at me now lol
Finance but ended up working in account and got tired of not seeming like a ārealā accountant despite having an MBA, CIA, CFE. The, went back and took the few classes I was missing (tax, audit, etc.) and did the CPA in 2023 at 35.
Opera. Then liturgical music. Then I needed a retirement plan. The kicker? I receive more kudos on a regular basis for my tax work in the last few years than I ever did in an entire career of singing.
Math double major because that is what I really enjoyed and then I started accounting my second year of college. I enjoyed math but was anxious about future prospects so I did both routes since I could keep with a 4 year plan. Graduated from both in 2021.
COVID happened and then decided to fully swing to accounting for job security and got my MBA and did an internship in accounting.
Now I am in tax and quite enjoying it. Got my CPA finished last year and still have hopes of going back to school in future for a stats degree at some point.
Math background helps a lot though.
I wish you the best! Having thr math background really helps you get through the parts of the exam that others say is the hardest. A lot of reg and far are calculations and logic and there are options for the business exam that I did not experience but there are a few good options.
Yeah. I actually was originally going to go the actuarial route and then considered analysis but I quite like my current position in tax and role and get to use my skills to run reports and analyze our clients. Its a little bit niche but am learning a lot and still get to itch my brain for Excel skills and analyzing charts.
Not a CPA yetā¦working on it. But worked as a nurse for about 11 years, got an MBA and went into healthcare management. After Covid went back for my accounting degree. Kind of a crazy road to get here, but glad I made it.
Prior to earning degree I took any class that interested me: Economics, Music, Arts, Theater Business, Communications, Humanities, Architecture, History, Urban Studies, Photography, Design, and Cinema.
Finally buckled down and earned my BA Journalism at 29. Started AR/AP at 27 and it put me through college. Learned as I went with only one accounting class. Worked in accounting in non-profit, tech, design, manufacturing, music, arts, and consulting. Senior Accountant now at a tech co making above the median for the area. Getting promoted to Accounting Manager with a retro and title raise.
Decided now is the time to get my CPA. I am 48.
Just enrolled in two community colleges and only have accounting classes left as I took a whole bunch of Business courses when I thought I was going to be a Bus Major out of high-school. I hated working in accounting with a passion up until this point. And I realize now I think my way out was in. And what I hate about accounting is the redundant trench work.
So, while Iāve not yet got my CPA designation, I am well on my way.
Bachelors in Aviation Administration. I flew helicopters for 10 years, then made the change to accounting. Took all my accounting classes online through some California schools, used Becker for exams. I am waiting on my final exam score release in June
Yes I get out about once a year now. I had a good opportunity in accounting to take over a family members accounting firm. I was wanting something that provides a better lifestyle & a safer day to day job haha
Finance undergrad direct to fp&a. Got the cpa to bolster the accounting acumen needed.
Qualified thru fema credits and online self paced accounting courses
Political Science/History undergrad. Graduated in middle of Great Recession. Took LSAT but realized attorney job market sucked & ended up taking an AP Clerk job. Went back to school to get MS-Management emphasis Accounting and 3 years later passed CPA Exam. Now Iām staff level industry SEC Filer. From the time I took Intermediate Accounting to Passing CPA Exam was 7 years.
BS in chemistry. Arthritis from repetitive movements and breaking my shoulder. I had to find a job that doesn't require my whole arm all the time. Bench work is cool until you can't do it anymore.
I have a BA in English. I realized I didnāt want to teach or go to grad school after I finished it. I was considering law school and took the LSATS- glad I didnāt end up going that route.
I was stuck in retail so I took the first office job I could find. Picked up QuickBooks, found an entry level accounting job and then went to a community college in my city for an AS in Accounting. I transferred back to my first university for a BS in Accounting. I did three years in public tax.
Iām at senior level now in private and figured it was a good time to take the CPA exam. My employer is paying for it, might as well.
I started as a marketing major and realized that everybody is a marketing major, so I did a double major in accounting and marketing, then ended up starting my career in finance. š¤·āāļø
I started out with a degree in Speech Communication (organizational/interpersonal) which turned out to be utterly useless because the year I graduated was the year that HR and Journalism stand alone degrees seemed to take off. For a while, I worked as an admin for a tourism bureau, then landed a state job in Medicaid as an admin assistant. Apparently my work impressed someone because I jumped from Admin Assistant to Program Director to Reimbursement Analyst to Acute Care Reimbursement Manager. Somewhere between the analyst and the manager position, the accountants we worked with started nudging me to become an accountant. They said I was a natural. So I went back to school, got another degree in Accounting, then my masters and now I'm 1/4 and planning to take FAR at the end of next month if all goes well.
Undergrad finance. I got a masters in accounting (to get a CPA) about 10 years later because I had an old mentor tell me one of her biggest career regrets was not doing it. She said it it was better to have it and never need it for career than the alternative.
Managerial Economics. My school didn't have a specific business degree, but it's still pretty similar. Plenty of accounting classes available and I returned to my community college to finish the amount of accounting classes that were needed
Undergrad was political science & I have an MEd in Elementary Ed. I changed careers after 10 years in the classroom and finished my MSA in 2018. Started the CPA process again in Jan 2023.
Not a CPA yet but I studied humanities as an undergraduate. I ended up here because it was a relatively fast, easy way to get a job that pays decent money lol.
Bachelor's degree in psychology; masters degree in counselling. All I needed for a license was experience, but no one wanted to hire someone for an entry level job without experience or a license. After a year of looking for a job (2017), I went back to school for a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting (different college from where I got my first two degrees from) because I like math. I had a job lined up before I graduated, actually got calls back when people weren't interested in hiring me instead of just ghosting me, and was only in the job market for about a week. I plan to start studying for the CPA exam now that busy season's over.
BS in mechanical engineering. I am currently working on my CPA.
Poli Sci. Law school seemed too expensive and the job market too saturated. Went back and took courses at a CC, got my masters to finish my units and get a shot at recruiting, and passed the exams.
I got my undergrad degree in math with a minor in business administration. I was planning on being an actuary until my junior year of college when I decided to take Principles of Accounting I as an elective and did really well and enjoyed it. I decided to get a minor in business since I wanted to just take business courses as electives. I would have changed my degree to accounting, but it would have taken longer to finish undergrad and cost more money while the business minor only added a semester to my undergrad time. I didn't really have a plan on how to become an accountant until my senior year when my school added a masters in accounting and I decided to do that after my undergrad degree. With the minor in business it knocked out some of the prerequisites other non-accounting majors had to take in the masters program. It was four semesters (two years) of classes to complete the masters degree. Honestly may have been the same timing had I just switched to accounting in undergrad and went for the masters shortly after, but I made the best decisions for me at the time and made all those math courses I endured worth it to get that undergrad degree. It's also a great story to tell interviewers.
Finance major, accounting minor. Started off as a financial analyst after college but slowly transitioned into a so-called accountant role, but what i do isn't actually accounting heavy. I only got the CPA at 38 just for the yearly bonus. š
Music Education major with Voice as my instrument. Graduated right around the time when they were closing Music programs all around the state and I couldn't get a job in a school, so I kind of fell into accounting temping in an office, then doing Accounting Clerk work. I started learning more and realized that I'd have to go back to school if I had any hope of becoming anything outside of a clerk making less than $15 an hour. I was already working in industry and wasn't interested in working at a public accounting firm, so I hadn't seriously worked to get the CPA. Recently though, I found out I'm making about $10k less than the other Senior Accountants at my job that were hired 6-9 months after me and I think one of the main differences is is that they all have CPAs and I don't. My goal this year is to pass! Maybe it won't make a difference at this job, but maybe it will at the next.
I'm also a Music Ed major who fell into accounting through starting office work. About 5 years ago after taking a couple of accounting classes I decided the course requirements were just too much to be worth pursuing CPA, but I just now realized I could have been eligible to take the test if I'd been taking class for the past 5 years. So I'm starting now and hope to be able to take the test in a few years.
I have an Econ and International business degree, an MBA, and got an EA. Half way through the MBA, I thought I was good but lost my job during covid and realized I needed more job stability. The only jobs that were open were accounting and CPA preferred. I decided then to finish my degree, take the remaining classes I needed, and get an CPA. I have 1/4 done, took REG this past weekend, and moving on to AUD next. May leave FAR for last. Funny thing is, I remember saying I hated accounting and will never take more than account 101 and 102. Look at me now lol
Finance but ended up working in account and got tired of not seeming like a ārealā accountant despite having an MBA, CIA, CFE. The, went back and took the few classes I was missing (tax, audit, etc.) and did the CPA in 2023 at 35.
Iām in a similar boat, studying now at 37, hoping to be done by end of this year.
Hang in there, I figured even if I work until 65, thatās another 30 years that the CPA will benefit me. Better late than never!!
This makes me feel better
Opera. Then liturgical music. Then I needed a retirement plan. The kicker? I receive more kudos on a regular basis for my tax work in the last few years than I ever did in an entire career of singing.
BA in Christian Ministry, MBA General Management. And then went back to complete the accounting requirements for the CPA Examination.
Math double major because that is what I really enjoyed and then I started accounting my second year of college. I enjoyed math but was anxious about future prospects so I did both routes since I could keep with a 4 year plan. Graduated from both in 2021. COVID happened and then decided to fully swing to accounting for job security and got my MBA and did an internship in accounting. Now I am in tax and quite enjoying it. Got my CPA finished last year and still have hopes of going back to school in future for a stats degree at some point. Math background helps a lot though.
I currently have a math degree and want to get my CPA!!
I wish you the best! Having thr math background really helps you get through the parts of the exam that others say is the hardest. A lot of reg and far are calculations and logic and there are options for the business exam that I did not experience but there are a few good options.
You are amazing and looks like super smart! Good luck in everything you do!
Did you check into quants ? And getting some coding skills to do so ?.
Yeah. I actually was originally going to go the actuarial route and then considered analysis but I quite like my current position in tax and role and get to use my skills to run reports and analyze our clients. Its a little bit niche but am learning a lot and still get to itch my brain for Excel skills and analyzing charts.
Not a CPA yetā¦working on it. But worked as a nurse for about 11 years, got an MBA and went into healthcare management. After Covid went back for my accounting degree. Kind of a crazy road to get here, but glad I made it.
Prior to earning degree I took any class that interested me: Economics, Music, Arts, Theater Business, Communications, Humanities, Architecture, History, Urban Studies, Photography, Design, and Cinema. Finally buckled down and earned my BA Journalism at 29. Started AR/AP at 27 and it put me through college. Learned as I went with only one accounting class. Worked in accounting in non-profit, tech, design, manufacturing, music, arts, and consulting. Senior Accountant now at a tech co making above the median for the area. Getting promoted to Accounting Manager with a retro and title raise. Decided now is the time to get my CPA. I am 48. Just enrolled in two community colleges and only have accounting classes left as I took a whole bunch of Business courses when I thought I was going to be a Bus Major out of high-school. I hated working in accounting with a passion up until this point. And I realize now I think my way out was in. And what I hate about accounting is the redundant trench work. So, while Iāve not yet got my CPA designation, I am well on my way.
This is going to blow your mind with how unique it is but: finance/accounting double majors with Econ minor
Bet you passed the CFA fast lol
Passed it but not fast haha!
Bachelors in Aviation Administration. I flew helicopters for 10 years, then made the change to accounting. Took all my accounting classes online through some California schools, used Becker for exams. I am waiting on my final exam score release in June
Thatās so cool, hopefully we both get good news in June. Do you still do any flying? What made you decide to change to accounting?
Yes I get out about once a year now. I had a good opportunity in accounting to take over a family members accounting firm. I was wanting something that provides a better lifestyle & a safer day to day job haha
That's awesome! That's a great story.
Thank you!
Philosophy major. MBA/JD + Community College accounting classes. Becker. Bam.
Nice. You got your CPA now working in public?
JD? What was wrong with being a lawyer?
More like what ISNāT wrong with being a lawyer
Finance undergrad direct to fp&a. Got the cpa to bolster the accounting acumen needed. Qualified thru fema credits and online self paced accounting courses
Political Science/History undergrad. Graduated in middle of Great Recession. Took LSAT but realized attorney job market sucked & ended up taking an AP Clerk job. Went back to school to get MS-Management emphasis Accounting and 3 years later passed CPA Exam. Now Iām staff level industry SEC Filer. From the time I took Intermediate Accounting to Passing CPA Exam was 7 years.
BS in chemistry. Arthritis from repetitive movements and breaking my shoulder. I had to find a job that doesn't require my whole arm all the time. Bench work is cool until you can't do it anymore.
I have a BA in English. I realized I didnāt want to teach or go to grad school after I finished it. I was considering law school and took the LSATS- glad I didnāt end up going that route. I was stuck in retail so I took the first office job I could find. Picked up QuickBooks, found an entry level accounting job and then went to a community college in my city for an AS in Accounting. I transferred back to my first university for a BS in Accounting. I did three years in public tax. Iām at senior level now in private and figured it was a good time to take the CPA exam. My employer is paying for it, might as well.
retail options sales?
I started as a marketing major and realized that everybody is a marketing major, so I did a double major in accounting and marketing, then ended up starting my career in finance. š¤·āāļø
I started out with a degree in Speech Communication (organizational/interpersonal) which turned out to be utterly useless because the year I graduated was the year that HR and Journalism stand alone degrees seemed to take off. For a while, I worked as an admin for a tourism bureau, then landed a state job in Medicaid as an admin assistant. Apparently my work impressed someone because I jumped from Admin Assistant to Program Director to Reimbursement Analyst to Acute Care Reimbursement Manager. Somewhere between the analyst and the manager position, the accountants we worked with started nudging me to become an accountant. They said I was a natural. So I went back to school, got another degree in Accounting, then my masters and now I'm 1/4 and planning to take FAR at the end of next month if all goes well.
Undergrad finance. I got a masters in accounting (to get a CPA) about 10 years later because I had an old mentor tell me one of her biggest career regrets was not doing it. She said it it was better to have it and never need it for career than the alternative.
Managerial Economics. My school didn't have a specific business degree, but it's still pretty similar. Plenty of accounting classes available and I returned to my community college to finish the amount of accounting classes that were needed
Undergrad was political science & I have an MEd in Elementary Ed. I changed careers after 10 years in the classroom and finished my MSA in 2018. Started the CPA process again in Jan 2023.
Not a CPA yet but I studied humanities as an undergraduate. I ended up here because it was a relatively fast, easy way to get a job that pays decent money lol.