Worried about fitting into accounting culture. Need advice

College Majors Business Major
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<p>Been doing a lot of career research into accounting, and found that there are many aspects of the profession that I like. I enjoy the organizing aspect of it that helps companies run more efficiently. So far, I have done very well and have gotten straight A's in all my accounting classes.</p>

<p>My concern though is, I heard in another forum that the accounting profession culture can be very snobby, is this true? It's kind of hard to explain, I sincerely don't mean to offend any accountants, but I'm imagining an accountant to be a bit nerdy and very conservative high-brow humor type of person. I'm just worried about fitting into that kind of work environment.</p>

<p>Another thing that concerns me is age. If everything goes as planned, I will receive my associates degree in accounting when I'm 32-33 yrs old. Then I'll look for an accounting or bookkeeping entry-level position where I will work for a year or two before I apply for graduate school to get my MSA (I already have a Bachelor's degree.) I have no plans interning for Big4. I would like to work in industry or a local firm. Maybe, if I can, be a self-employed accountant that can earn a decent living when I'm in my late 30's or early 40's after I pass the CPA exam. Will my age give me any problems in finding accounting jobs in the future according to my career plan? </p>

<p>BTW Here is the post I found on another forum, that caused me to have concern about pursuing an accounting career:</p>

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<p>First off, the fact that you are concerned based off of a forum post is ridiculous. You’re 33 but are swayed by an Internet stranger?</p>

<p>That guy is a moron. And with that one post he showed why he is and always will be unsuccessful. He calls himself an introvert. Being an introvert is fine. I work with introverts. I work with extreme extroverts. Success comes with finding out what your strengths are and adapting your style to a team. </p>

<p>The guy labels people who are not awkward, like himself, as snobs and goes on to complain that they’re fake and that’s why he can’t succeed. The guy can’t succeed because he lacks basic social skills and blames others for that problem. There is a HUGE difference between being introverted and lacking basic social skills. This guy is the latter and he has put a positive spin on it by calling himself an introvert. An introvert isn’t going to be the popular guy on the team but put them in front of a client or go out to lunch with them and they’ll able to hold a strong conversation. Clearly this poster who has you nervous is just the awkward kid sitting in the corner. </p>

<p>I work with snobs, I work with people who curl in a ball when given any sort of praise. Don’t let second hand knowledge deter you from doing what you set out to do. It’s a slippery slope.</p>

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<p>I was just wondering what you guys think, since I have learned a lot from this forum and it has been very helpful for me in sorting out a career/education plan. I’m actually 30 years old. Because of financial reasons, I’ll be 32-33 when I receive my associates degree. Otherwise I could probably attain the associates degree within a year from now.</p>

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<p>It’s actually not the first time, I read from a forum, that someone regretted going into accounting. Yes the way that guy, from the other forum, described his situation, kind of worried me. That’s all. I’m still at an early stage of my accounting studies, where I can cut my losses, and change majors without have invested too much in it. So I’m just wanting to know if accounting is the right fit for me for my situation, in the long-term, before I invest my time in it.</p>

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<p>Doraem0n -</p>

<p>I work for a smaller public firm which operates on the national level and I can tell you that you would be a desirable candidate in the eyes of our partners. Straight from the owner’s mouth, she prefers staffing those in their 30’s because of many different factors and so far her model has proven highly effective. Is that her target age area? No, considering I’m 25 and I work with a few younger, some much older. I will say networking plays a huge role in our hiring process and having understanding of other industries aside from just accounting to be more rounded. I would pick a focus, get your resume out there, stay close with your professors, and you will have a good shot of finding something. Good luck.</p>