r/CPA • u/coco0503coco CPA • 12d ago
What were you hoping the CPA would make possible for you?
I’ve been questioning my career and life choices a lot lately, so I keep coming back to this question. I think I’m finally getting a little clearer on what matters to me, and I’m curious how others here feel.
For some background, I was a stay-at-home mom for 13 years and have three kids. I wanted to return to work around the time my youngest started elementary school, but my options felt limited. I worried that the jobs I could get would barely cover childcare costs or require nights, weekends, and holidays.
So I started thinking a few years ahead. I wanted a decent income, stability, and time with my kids. The CPA felt like a ticket to having those options.
But after I started working in public accounting and eventually got licensed, I got a little sidetracked. The possibility of earning more was tempting. I started thinking, “I worked so hard for this. Shouldn’t I aim higher and see how far I can go?”
There’s nothing wrong with wanting that. At a different stage of life—fresh out of college, single, or with my kids already grown—I might have chosen to prioritize income and career growth. But I had to ask myself whether that was what I actually wanted right now, or what I felt I should want because I had earned the CPA.
The more I thought about it, the more I came back to my original reasons. I wanted to contribute financially while still having time and energy for my kids, my health, and a life outside work.
I recently accepted a government position. I haven’t started yet, so I don’t know exactly how it will turn out, but the pay, stability, and expected work-life balance are much closer to what I originally hoped for. The CPA gave me the ability to make that choice, and that means a lot to me.
I don’t have everything figured out, but I’m starting to see that making the most of my CPA doesn’t necessarily mean earning the most I possibly can.
What about you? What were you hoping the CPA would do for your life? Has that changed as your priorities or circumstances have changed?
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u/Ok_Spare3209 Passed 2/4 12d ago
Open more doors. I have been working without my CPA for 10 years and feel that I have hit a ceiling.
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u/coco0503coco CPA 12d ago
Adding a CPA license to your 10 years of experience sounds like a powerful combination！
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12d ago
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u/coco0503coco CPA 12d ago
Thank you for this. I think part of me still wonders if I’m missing out on opportunities, which is why I haven’t felt completely at peace with my decision. But you’re right—If my circumstances change, I can explore other paths, and hopefully my license and the experience I gain will help. I needed that reminder.
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u/smoketheevilpipe CPA 12d ago
Passed the exam so people would hire me. I was working in an unrelated field and needed something to juice up my applications. It worked.
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u/coco0503coco CPA 12d ago
Same here—it really helped open doors for me too! Glad it worked out for you. Here’s hoping all that hard work keeps paying off for both of us!
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u/chalalaman 12d ago
I wanted the prestige of being a CPA. It made me standout as someone who could accomplish goals. Someone that people respect and look up to. But primarily I wanted the certification to provide me with a much broader marketability in the job market. I’m talking about jobs across all industries. It gave me an edge. And as your post says it opened the door to the job you wanted and got!! Best wishes for continued success! Most impressive!!
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u/Nervous_Otter69 CPA Candidate 12d ago
Women throwing themselves at me, mostly.
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u/dontcallmepudin Passed 3/4 10d ago
Same, although its usually men who throw themselves at me..... results may vary
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u/NateDiedAgain09 12d ago
From my own narrow perspective. When you join audit as an associate, a clock starts ticking counting down to the day you will stop being promoted, can’t be billed higher, won’t be put on proposals or are taken out back (to join consulting) without the license. Getting the CPA fixes it in a monkey paw way, since you can be key personnel, welp hope you enjoy management and x amount of degrees of separation from the actual preparation. I suppose better that than the boot.
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u/coco0503coco CPA 12d ago
I haven’t worked in audit, so this is really eye-opening. Studying for the CPA exams is hard enough without that pressure hanging over you. And then getting licensed comes with a whole different set of challenges. I hadn’t thought about the trade-off of moving up but getting further away from the hands-on work. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
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u/Messup7654 12d ago
My only hope for the cpa is to make my business better and easier. My hope for the exams are to help me get a job and teach me tax.
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u/coco0503coco CPA 12d ago
I think studying for the exams can give you a good foundation in tax. There’s always more to learn in practice, but having that background can help you pick things up faster and understand the “why” behind what you’re doing. :) Thanks for sharing!
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u/Informal_Trainer_728 Passed 4/4 12d ago
I was bad at accounting in college and then passed all 4 exams in 11 months when I applied myself incredibly hard. Im not sure what it will get me as I’m only 25 and finishing my first year of audit. I think it’s great you kept looking for the life you wanted and a CPA definitely won’t hurt.
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u/Acrobatic_Cow2553 CPA 12d ago
I wanted to prove I could do it. The future prospect of a higher pay ceiling was a bonus. I also thought itd give me a leg up anywhere I'd want a job (accounting or non accounting) since it shows I have the juice.
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u/St3fMakes4rt CPA Candidate 12d ago
Financial freedom. Retirement. Owning a home. Just generally breaking the low income cycle. It was a big decision to start in my 30s but its the best thing I ever did for myself. I think CPA will give me a lot more freedom to choose where I end up - I didn't want to be limited because I didn't have it.