Careers: What path should I take, and why? (Job Future, Security, benefits).

[Coldkilla]

I'm considering entering two fields of business:

Accounting
Corporate Finance

And am unsure, but for those who are in the business field. I ask you:

1. What do you do? What does your job entail. Where do you work?
2. What kind of hours do you work?
3. How much are you paid? (From when you got out of college directly, to now, and the time it took to get there).
4. Do you Enjoy your job?
5. What do you wish you could have done in the past to make you get further along in your career today? (So others may not make the same mistake twice).

Should I join a large company like Northwestern Mutual, or a smaller company? What shows promise, and what route would be bad to take? I'm unsure witch path to take at this point and am just gathering as many opinions as possible before I venture further.

 

[Phokus]

I started in accounting, hated it (although my situation was not typical, the company and co-workers sucked balls). Now i'm in a hybrid accounting/corporate finance role and it's a better job with better people. Started at 44.5K at the 1st company, now i'm at 60k.

I think i worked about 50 hours a week at my old job, but i work 40 hours a week at this new one (the boss is slowly adding responsibilities to my role, i think he's waiting until he trusts me before he hands me over the important stuff).

Larger companies will always pay more and also you'll be able to get the hell out of accounting if you don't like it easily.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
I'm considering entering two fields of business:

Accounting
Corporate Finance

And am unsure, but for those who are in the business field. I ask you:

1. What do you do? What does your job entail. Where do you work?
2. What kind of hours do you work?
3. How much are you paid? (From when you got out of college directly, to now, and the time it took to get there).
4. Do you Enjoy your job?
5. What do you wish you could have done in the past to make you get further along in your career today? (So others may not make the same mistake twice).

Should I join a large company like Northwestern Mutual, or a smaller company? What shows promise, and what route would be bad to take? I'm unsure witch path to take at this point and am just gathering as many opinions as possible before I venture further.

Did you just graduate? What point are you at?

1. Manager, Accounting & Finance. Internet company. Closing the books, financial statements, budgeting and forecasting, cash management.
2. varies, 40-80.
3. Six figures. Started in public accounting in 2004, joined this company in 2005 as a staff, promoted to manager in 2.5 years.
4. No.
5. Nothing, I got pretty lucky.

I would join a smaller "growth company" those offer more opportunity for advancement.

 

[Coldkilla]

I'm just about to finish my general courses before venturing into a business major. I've been leaning towards Finance, but am unsure.

Any ideas for researching a growing company? I'm not sure where to begin. Or was it simply luck that allowed the company to grow?

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
I'm just about to finish my general courses before venturing into a business major. I've been leaning towards Finance, but am unsure.

Any ideas for researching a growing company? I'm not sure where to begin. Or was it simply luck that allowed the company to grow?

If you are still in college you basically have two routes:
1) Major in Finance, go for investment banking. You need a very high GPA and need to be extremely bright. They can sniff out a faker fast. Based on your P&N viewpoints I would advise against this.

2) Major in Accounting (or minor in it), do public accounting for 2-5 years. Astonishingly easy work but for some reasons opens tons of doors. You hate life and are underpaid for 2-5 years but if you make it you can pretty much do whatever you want.

The chances of you going straight into a corporation are slim to none. They will all require or prefer that you have experience in wall st or public accounting, unless you want to be an AP clerk.

 

[LegendKiller]

Go Corporate Finance or as JS80 said, i-banking.

And am unsure, but for those who are in the business field. I ask you:

1. Structured Finance/Investment Banking. Structuring transactions using quantitative models, reading and editing legal documents. I work in NYC.
2. 50-90, depending on whether I have a deal close to closing.
3. Highly variable, if I have a good year, it might reach 300+, not so good, my base salary, which is still OK. My first position at my first job out of MBA was for 45k, I left there 3 years later at 65K to make 100K at a large bank. I make more now.
4. I absolutely love it despite the ups and downs, stress and frustrations.
5. Go into finance during undergrad (I majored in Psychology). Not go to my 2nd job and stayed with the 1st (2nd job sucked ass)

Go with a bigger company if possible and attach yourself to somebody who will help you advance through good exposure to management. That was my 1st boss and I practically idolize the guy. He was big on subordinate development, not taking credit for himself.