USA Need Help Deciding on Transitioning to Accounting

[rreyes47]

Hello,

I'm a hotel employee who is currently on extended furlough and wouldn't be surprised if I may lose my job due to the current crisis. I have a Bachelor's in Hospitality and Tourism Management and this industry will need a ton of time to recover (assuming post-vaccine). In this meantime, I was considering to return to school and transition into Accounting.

I don't know if a second Bachelor's Degree or a Master's Degree program is the way to go. I enjoyed and performed excellent in the Accounting classes I took for this degree (I was tutoring my classmates who struggled in those classes) so I think it is something I should explore further. I don't have any accounting work experience yet as I work in a hotel. The only loose related experience would be that I was a night auditor at the hotel to post charges and verify sheets to prepare the property management system for the next day of operations. If I were to enroll, I would reach out to my professors and the University's career services center to seek appropriate work experience that would count to sit for the CPA.

I would like to work at accounting firm or any place that offers great learning experience to help me figure out what exactly I want to do in Accounting (This part I still need to explore and figure out). I can also do Accounting for the hotel company I am already with (though hospitality has taken a huge hit- this would be a long shot). A concern I have is that companies in general may be on a hiring freeze during the current pandemic, but I think it would be wise to still go to school in this meantime to knock out the education aspect? Here are some of my thoughts:

Bachelors:

-Less costly
-More "starter" friendly for me as I am doing a career transition
-Leads to the same goal to pursue the CPA
-Might be considered redundant (I already have a Bachelor's Degree, so why not pursue the Master's?)

Masters:

-More costly/increased risk?
-I'm going to be in there with students who already have a ton of experience and education (folks who did their Bachelor's directly in Accounting/Finance, etc. and who have already been working the field/maybe even already have their CPA). Would I end up struggling?

For either option, I will still be taking the undergraduate classes as a pre-req anyways before starting any graduate classes.

I live in Maryland and the school I am looking to attend is UMGC (Online. I don't think physical classroom schooling will be taking place anytime soon).

Any input would be wonderful, please note this is a career transition for me and this is for brainstorming ideas on what to do next career wise. Thank you

 

[kirby]

but I think it would be wise to still go to school in this meantime to knock out the education aspect
I agree
I already have a Bachelor's Degree, so why not pursue the Master's?)
I agree
I'm going to be in there with students who already have a ton of experience and education (folks who did their Bachelor's directly in Accounting/Finance, etc. and who have already been working the field/maybe even already have their CPA). Would I end up struggling?
Yes if you don't do your homework and your readings. If you do the work you will be in a position to succeed. Also, the Master's group of students gives you an excellent group to network with.
Also one more aspect that I want to cover via private message. Log in to the forum and click on the envelope icon at top.

 

[Varunjain]

You can easily crack your way into accounting. It somehow embraces all backgrounds. But, I would suggest you take up accounting certificate courses for further career growth to back up your experience in the future.

 

[rreyes47]

Thank you all for your insight. I am also currently reaching out to my past professors for advice

 

[Varunjain]

Thank you all for your insight. I am also currently reaching out to my past professors for advice

Yes, they will give you better insights.

 

[rreyes47]

Hi all,

I am now registered for my prerequisite classes for my grad program. I will be taking Principles of Accounting I & II then Intermediate Accounting I & II after. I am currently on furlough until October; but after a talk with my boss, chances are pretty high I will be losing my job due to the pandemic.

My question for now is, are there some accounting realm jobs that I can apply for now? Or should I complete some classes first and seek internships to start out? Or should I just get back to a job just to be re-employed? This may be in gray area as I am risking COVID exposure in a customer service setting as places like that are hiring at the moment, and I already have a Bachelor's in Hospitality. I will ask these same questions to my school advisors and professors when classes start later this month. Any input would be great! Thanks =)

 

[kirby]

Get back to a job just to be re-employed, unless you are already wealthy.

ASAP

 

[rreyes47]

Get back to a job just to be re-employed, unless you are already wealthy.

ASAP

Thank you, I hope later on the process for virtual internships or job hunting won't be too complicated down the road for accounting while I begin school.

Any accountants here that still have to physically go to work? If so, what type of accounting are you in and what companies need accountants in house as opposed to being sent home to work during Covid 19?