Starting from “scratch” at 40, CPA? EA?
A long long time ago in this very galaxy I worked my way through college in accounting functions. I was an accounting manager at a small ($5M) business (responsible for AR, AP, credit & collections), and after that I became a bookkeeper at a business management firm for HNWI in entertainment (responsible for chart of accounts, reconciliations, account creation, we did mostly S Corps but some clients had LLCs for side business ventures). I eventually went into exec support and project management, so the accounting stuff is not on my resume currently.
I think I want to go back to a role in the bookkeeping world but I’m looking to really formalize/“double down”. I don’t have an accounting degree, only experience from 2006-2012 which I’d figure is virtually irrelevant now. Since then I’ve worked in executive support, was last reporting to a CFO and VP, FP&A. That said:
Should I get an EA license first and see how I like it? Should I go back to college and get an accounting associates (I have a bachelors in Anthro)? Grad school? Realistically what advice would you have that would make me sustainably employable at the end of the road?