34 and trying to restart my accounting career in Canada — feeling stuck and need honest advice
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some honest career advice because I feel a little stuck about what I should do next.
I’m 34 and living in Toronto. My career path has been a bit complicated because I moved between countries and had to take different jobs along the way.
My background:
I studied accounting/finance and worked in accounting in Syria for around 3 years.
After moving to Lebanon, I couldn’t continue on the same accounting path, so I worked as a store manager until I eventually moved to Canada.
After arriving in Canada, I completed a Banking & Financial Services diploma because I thought banking might be a good career direction for me.
After completing it, I realized that banking didn’t really feel like the right fit.
I then decided to return to accounting and payroll and spent about a year studying/upgrading my accounting and payroll knowledge.
During my time in Canada, I have also been working as a security guard for about 3 years to support myself.
Right now, I’m doing an accounting/payroll internship at a tax firm, where I’m trying to get Canadian experience and improve practical skills, especially QuickBooks, bookkeeping, reconciliations, payroll and accounting administration.
The problem is that I’m starting to feel tired and stuck.
I’ve studied, changed career direction, worked security to pay my bills, and now I’m doing an internship to get Canadian accounting experience. But the Toronto job market seems difficult, especially when so many entry-level jobs ask for Canadian experience.
My questions:
Based on my background, what should my next career step be?
What accounting positions should I realistically target now?
What skills should I focus on to become more employable?
Should I focus on getting an accounting job first, or start pursuing CPA?
If you were in my situation, what would you do over the next 6–12 months?
I’m willing to work and learn. I’m just tired of going from one program to another without knowing whether I’m moving in the right direction.
Thank you.