Yesterday was National Accounting Day and that got me thinking a little bit on the path people choose into making their passion a career. Some of us turn out to be lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers, etc. Others choose not to go to school and wind up being extremely successful business men and women. The point is that everything that we do passionately 9 out of 10 times turns out to be successful.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer. My friends all made fun of me because I never really took classes or never really sang anywhere. So they found the thought to be completely ridiculous. (FYI I don’t sing that bad at all…LOL). Truth is that even though I loved singing, and I still do, I wasn’t passionate enough to make it a career. So off to college I went!
I started my first semester at the Miami-Dade College and I had no idea what career path to chose. So I thought, well, I’m good in calculous and math, so maybe I could be an architect. I sat down with my counselor and I decided to pursue an architecture major. Once the first semester was over, I began to have second thoughts about the path I had chosen. I went back to my counselor and decided to change it to pre-law. I was a little more excited about this major and I started enjoying my electives a little more. Then the thought creeped in. What kind of law? Business? Criminal? Finally I thought, well if I do law, then I have to get a “whatever” major first and then apply to law school. What if I don’t make it to law school? What if I end up getting stuck with a major I could never find a job in? Oh no….the horror! So finally one afternoon, out of the blue, I decided to switch my major to accounting and after I finished my four years (or 2 and a half at this point), pursue a legal career.
I started taking a few accounting courses and everything seemed to be falling into place. We clicked. It was magic! Love at first sight. I became a little more secure on my career path and I was actually enjoying it. What helped me bring it all home was passing my financial accounting 1 course. This course was one of the hardest in the whole curriculum and since I was a little behind (due to all my changes), I had to take it in the summer. I spoke to my counselor at Florida International University and she was the most discouraging person I have encountered in my whole journey. She told me I was wasting my time and my money and I was never going to pass that class. Oh boy! That ignited a fire within my soul and you better believe I took the course and passed it; with an A! After that, I sailed through the remaining classes and graduated with a Bachelors’ Degree in December 2006.
By this time, I had already worked in Grant Thornton for a year and I had enjoyed every second of it. The thought of law school was further and further away and the accounting industry was my new love. I enrolled in graduate school to pursue the 30 extra credits to sit for the CPA exam. I got my EMST degree by December 2007. After many years of victories and heartaches, I ended up taking and passing my CPA exam by the end of 2016. I had my business at this time and a bagful of lessons.
After 15 years in this rocky relationship, accounting is still one of my biggest loves. We have had our moments like every relationship not going to lie. I have questioned my knowledge and even my sanity at times. But here we are, going strong. I also love to see how the industry has changed and continues to change. The use of technology has opened up opportunities in the forensic, investigative, and computer science fields. Accounting professionals are edgier and more creative. No more old men crunching numbers with glasses over their noses. This career has allowed me to travel, to meet wonderful and interesting people, and now it even has given me the opportunity to teach.
So if you don’t know what career path to choose, whether you’re 18 fresh out of high school or a 50 year old with years of experience, make sure you follow your heart. It is ok to try different things and change your mind. We are not stuck in one particular place. If you want to talk a little more or if you want to tell me a little bit on how you landed on your career path, email me at mirel@corp1llc.com. I would love to hear your story.
Let’s catch up soon!
Till then,
Mirel