<p>just wondering... is being an accountant taxing on your your lifestyle akin to the likes of i-banking and other rigorous business careers? </p>
<p>i know the exam is crazy, only about 25% pass or something like that, but after you take the exam, is it difficult getting a job, and once you do get one, how many hours are you expected to work a week? </p>
<p>i just finished reading running with the bulls (from wharton to wall street), and it was VERY interesting, but some of the stories scared me a bit: these 22-year-olds out of college were working 140hr weeks, and staying at the office well past 3AM everyday! i could never do that... </p>
<p>is going into accountancy the right path for me? i am decent at math (currently taking calc ab) and good at communicating with others. i am a very detailed person and a good writer, one of my strongest ECs is studio art (odd, i know lol) which takes much patience and effort. i am also pretty good with computers and various software, i'm a quick learner. :) </p>
<p>however, i have never taken anything related to business or accounting or have experience with the field at all. i've taken mostly science courses in high school... what qualities do you need to be a good accountant? </p>
<p>AND also, are the interviews for entry level accountants at big 4 as taxing as for per se, going into i-banking, hedge funds, consulting...?</p>
<p>Sounds like accounting would be a pretty decent match for you, and no, the interviews are not as tough as IB or consulting interviews; the big 4 are so short staffed.</p>
<p>I would also want to know about life as an accountant, if anyone can expand on? Is there a path that will provide better hours? Can one make enough money in a self-owned business while limiting clients?</p>
<p>Yes, there are some long hours ,but is is nothing akin to IB jobs. If you go into taxes, you will work some long days between January and April 15. Auditors have fewer long days,but they do have some. As I said, both in terms of hours and in terms of stress, it is less for accountants than for lawyers with big firms and for IB jobs.</p>
<p>I'm a CPA who worked in public accounting for a pretty big firm for years. I was an in-charge auditor and had several big clients with year ends all over the place (6/30, 10/31, 12/31, 1/31) which meant I was out on field work virtually most of the year and the only spent time in my office was when the audit report was being drafted. In public accounting, there is pressure to get the work done on deadline and underbudget...and often that leads to long hours that are often not billed to the client. But your productivity is carefully scrutinized by partners, so it can be a catch 22. The solution... you'd better work fast and be accurate.</p>
<p>For me, the hardest part was not being able to take vacation at the holidays. That part of the year was crunch time, working 7 days a week until 10:00 every night trying to get the field work done and the report drafted before time to begin the next client's fieldwork. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day were usually the only days off at that time of the year.</p>
<p>And for women, there is additional pressure with respect to family. When I became pregnant with my first child (after working at the firm for 7 years), the first words out of the partners' mouths was 'when is the baby due?' (NOT congratulations...lol!) And then they informed me that I'd better not go into labor before I delivered the City Utility field work completely reviewed. Nice....huh? ;) And while I was out on maternity leave, a couple of the guys who worked for me actually tried to steal my office (they were in cubicles). lol!!</p>
<p>But, it was very challenging work, NOT boring (contrary to the usual cliche) and I enjoyed it. Most in public who aren't on partner track end up selling out for the high level positions in private accounting after a few years anyway...so it's not forever.</p>