Does anyone regret majoring in Accounting?

<p>Whether you are a graduate working in an accounting firm or a current student, discuss why you regret it</p>

<p>I regret it. I would rather major in something more quantitative and then move on for some accounting. It’s harder and more time consuming to build a quant foundation than it is to pick up accounting. Also, accountants for the most part have awful personalities. That is not to say that quant majors have better ones either.</p>

<p>What’s your reason for regretting it?</p>

<p>I don’t. It was the best I had available.</p>

<p>I sort of do. Im a current student. For me it was between accounting or something completely different (such as a vet). I ended up choosing accounting based on some faulty information/assumptions (much of were my fault for making). Here were my faulty assumptions:

  1. I thought that a 4 year accounting degree would be enough: I later learned that you need a 5th year (or 150 semester credits) to sit for the CPA and get access to most of the employers on campus. I’m not quite sure the extra expense/effort of an additional yr of schooling (which to remain competitive, most students end up doing an expensive masters degree) is worth it for begining accounting wages. Also: once you earn one degree, you only get grants from FAFSA. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>I thought that a high gpa, and decent social skills would ensure lots of interviews and at least a couple offers. Nope. </p></li>
<li><p>I thought that in accounting, you would just need to be great at the work. I wanted to learn the material, and that would allow me to get a job and do good work. A much more practical degree than a degree in a humanities. However, it seems most employers prefer salesmanship over everything else and you don’t really learn how to do a job; you just get the foundation. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>If I hadnt gone into accounting, I would have probably gone into engineering or vetrinary majors. Honestly, I do not know if they are any better, but wish I would have looked more into it. I sorta also agree with dawgie, in that I know I could have done well in a more quantitative/difficult major, and think that great grades in those subjects would be more impressive to employers than great grades in accounting (because: alot of accounting students have good grades). </p>

<p>That said, accountings a great major, better than most, and i’ve learned crapload. So dont really regret it. Just wonder what would had happend if i did something else.</p>

<p>I don’t know yet. I like the accounting classes well enough, but the regular business classes are excruciating, and the level of some of the courses are frankly embarrassing. </p>

<p>Whatdidyou hits home for me. I tried out a harder math class after I decided for accounting out of curiosity and am doing well. Ah well, you never know what might have been.</p>

<p>Dawgie you are so right. Some of these people make my skin crawl.</p>

<p>This thread is depressing me.</p>

<p>I’m graduating in about a week. I’m a little older than your normal student (well a lot older) so I have a completely different perspective. I don’t have any experience (meaning I have never worked for an accounting firm) but I tend to see things very practical and logical. </p>

<p>I would say for my graduating accounting class right now, it’s rare to find an individual who’s looking for a job. Most people graduating next week (month of may) have had jobs line up since October of last year. Whereas in my capstone class (all business majors), half of the students are still trying to look for a job. So I hope that one key aspect can put your mind to rest, because you tend to not everyone, but you tend to go to college to find a job.</p>

<p>as far as regretting, that’s a strong word. when you get into your senior classes, you will begin to realize that a lot of things are mixed into accounting. You can diversify into any field with accounting. For example, a female friend of mine loves fashion. She’s doing accounting now, going to work for a big 4 firm, and eventually hopes to work for a fashion company. you can try to do the same with engineering or some sort of veterinary practice. </p>

<p>@whatdidyou
if you have a high gpa, that will only help you get an interview. if you have the right social skills that will get you the job. no one wants to work with someone 10-12 hours days with someone who’s antisocial. It will be like this in any job you go for but there are exceptions.
Honestly if you have high gpa AND great social skills… its either your #1 school (who’s not giving you these great opportunities) #2 competition (you have some crazy competition) or #3 you (meaning you did not attend the events when the recruiters were there or you’re not making a mark with them).
I think it’s either 1 or 2. </p>

<p>Sorry for making this so long, and this is based only from my opinion</p>

<p>Thats what I think too. Accounting majors seem to have better prospects than other business majors. However, I ended up chosing acctg over non-business majors. When you compare accting with non-business majors, it gets a bit more complex. Also, how you described the job prospects at your school is nothing like at mine. </p>

<p>Thats true, with accounting, you can do accounting/mgmt work in all sorts of different companies eventually.</p>

<p>From your list, I think it is mostly #1 and #2 as well. For the limited number of companies recruiting on campus- there is just way too much competition. Alot of people are majoring in accounting and companies get to cherry pick the best of the best. So lots of students with high gpas and good social skills (which may have been considered the best of the best in the past) are left out with those with bad gpas and bad social skills. </p>

<p>Hopefully, it gets better next year.</p>

<p>There are a ton of Accounting majors and it’s increasing year by year as more people realize Accounting is where they have the best shot at getting a job.</p>

<p>This is a thread derailment but how many of you WANTED to major in accounting but couldn’t because you weren’t good at it or whatever.</p>

<p>That’s how I feel. My school attracts accounting firms because there located in Downtown Houston and my business school as a whole throws all the resources it has at the accounting department.</p>

<p>Most of the professors suck at teaching and what I’ve noticed is that most accounting majors just get it. They may not be able to teach what they learned to others but they get accounting.</p>

<p>Unfortuantely I don’t and I’m stuck deciding what I want to do :(</p>

<p>AAli4Real, I am going to answer your question in a different way. Traditionally, and certainly at my kids’ schools, there is a 50% drop out rate in accounting. This means that approximately 50 kids graduate in accounting out of every 100 who start off in it. Obviously, giving a fixed stereotypic number is always dangerous. This 50% drop out that I cite may vary by school and probably by year,but this is the general rule from what I have seen.</p>

<p>I agree with taxguy… when you get into intermediate II… it determines if you get accounting or not. If you “just” don’t get intermediate II, then you will need to hunker down and really understand the basics in and out. </p>

<p>If you say that teachers aren’t that great, try a tutor or another professor. There’s always one guy/girl in the class… who’s a huge smartbutt (or someone really nice) and will tutor you.</p>

<p>Look at it this way, there are too many people chasing too few jobs in accounting already. If you have a good alternative that you are better at(SCM or MIS if you are very computer oriented), then you should go for that if you are struggling with accounting.</p>

<p>It is hard out there folks. Why would you want to compete against people that thought accounting was easy and tutored you?</p>

<p>There are definitely accounting jobs to be had if a student can keep a high GPA.</p>

<p>goose,</p>

<p>There are accounting jobs. But not enough to go around to all the students with high gpas. </p>

<p>But i think it there are still more opportunities in accounting than most other business majors. unfortunately, thats still not saying alot.</p>

<p>Define what you consider a high GPA? If someone has a high GPA and social/interview skills them they have practically a 100% chance of finding a job in accounting.</p>

<p>Well, if their interview/social skills are substantially better than their peers/those they’re interviewing against and they have a high GPA, then yes. Of course that would be the case. </p>

<p>But it is competitive enough, with too few openings and too many students, that alot students with great gpas and good social skills arent getting offers. Sad, but true.</p>

<p>So is [this</a> link](<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos001.htm#earnings]this”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos001.htm#earnings) wrong?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I feel like I keep posting the same things in three different threads all in response to your comments.</p>

<p>I think your definition of “good” and “great” might need to be revised in relation to what the marketplace considers to be “good” and “great”. </p>

<p>Yes, the job market is competitive but a well-rounded individual with quality interviewing skills can almost always land a job. </p>

<p>Another thing to remember is not everyone can land a B4 job, but that does not mean an individual cannot land a job at all. Internal audit, corporate accounting, and small or regional firms are always options that have lower social and GPA expectations/requirements. </p>

<p>Once GPAs drop beneath a 3.3, people start having issues finding any job due to the competition.</p>