Is it truly okay to leave my accounting career for a new career?
This may come off mostly the employer not the career but hear me out. I have been a public accountant for nearly 5 years (between two different firms). I got my bachelor’s in accounting in 2017 and my MBA in finance in 2020 (extra credits for the CPA exam). It was always a dream of mine to be a CPA ever since I changed my major to accounting. I went off the path for almost 5 years and was in retail banking because the firm I wanted to be at shot me down after verbally offering me a position. It devastated me and made me feel I wasn’t good enough to be an accountant. Fast forward to now. I do well at my job as an accountant, as I said it’s been 5 years almost in the field, and I enjoy what I do for the most part.
There are several reasons I feel like leaving the field altogether (and not to pursue a finance career as my mba would suggest, that was strictly to get the extra credits for the cpa exam).
The managers and partners at my firm who are in their position because they are CPAs work non stop year round. Their entire life revolves around work and as much as I enjoy what I do, I envision a family one day where im not away from them all the time because of my workload. I want balance and more so for my family.
Studying for the CPA exam and taking a section I realized, sure making partner can make you a lot of money but I know so many people who have careers in different fields that make so much more doing so much less. Getting the CPA now doesn’t seem as worth it as it did when I was 22. Yes it’s prestigious but all it comes with is longer hours and more work.
My managers/ co workers now seem to not care about me as a colleague or a person for that matter. Not that they are mean or I’m overly sensitive. I just mean in the sense they don’t respond to my work inquiries most of the time, they don’t provide consistent feedback on my performance, and they don’t involve me in firm events to the extent I would like to be. Even the occasional sports talk I’m left on read… Also they know that I know I am underpaid for market value for a senior accountant…( this is the part I referenced would be more about where I’m at rather than the career itself)
I’m not looking for an “easy escape” I’m looking for a career that I don’t get the short end of stick. I am paid fairly, my co workers collaborate without pushback or ignoring me, and I feel appreciated for what I do.
I know it’s on me to find said career that fits right but I was hoping for opinions on if changing my career altogether can be the right strategic move for me as a 30yo.
Thank you.