My meaningless, depressing, painful life

Listen! I mean really listen! You need to get out of that CAREER, not job, but CAREER!

I am 46 years old and hate, I mean really hate accounting. I have been doing this for about 13 years and just hate it tremendously. I got my bachelors degree in accounting and sucked in my major , good sign that i really wasnt cut out for it. i did it because i wanted to be a "professional" , people would look at me as a smart person, help my self-esteem, etc. well it SUCKS! i wish i had done something, anything else but accounting. the day to day job of meeting deadlines, boring number crunching, coworkers who just hate it as well! true! most people i have met in this work hate it as well, working for the weekend. YOU NEED TO GET ANOTHER CAREER! you are only 23 and already hate it. imagine the same crap for the next 40 years! DONT DO IT! your health will pay, i know personally. i have only done this for awhile, i am now currently chasing online marketing opportunities to replace my income which is not bad but no amount of money can numb that monday morning feeling. GOOD LUCK
Rob

I hear you! I was in a similar situation. Got my accounting degree and started at a Big 4 firm straight out of college for the same exact reasons you mentioned. Absolutely hated it! Everyone was miserable including me. I want to tell you that it's not your age. You're not going to get older and somehow enjoy sitting in a back room with no windows staring at spreadsheets for 12 hours a day. I was 29 years old when I started there so I had a pretty good idea about what I was good at and what I wasn't good at. So, after being there less than a year I jumped from accounting into construction management. What a relief! I was finally working in a field where I could excel. It wasn't perfect though. Still long hours and tough deadlines. One of the things I noticed is that as an auditor I was continuously poring over somebody else's numbers. These numbers had no life to me. I could care less. I'm not saying you should go into construction management (especially in this economy) but my point is that you should get the hell out of there....especially at your age. There are so many fields out there where you can be yourself and excel. You're not lazy. You just hate what your doing.

Good advice here. Try to get some perspective on this and stop the self-sabotage & doing things to drive yourself mental. You don't like your career choice - you hardly need to procrastinate, dump on yourself etc. to make that point clearer.

You are very young & managed to establish yourself in a decent profession. You don't like it. So make a plan. What will it take to move on & where would you like to go? Try to think of occupations that don't require the long hours & short deadlines & chew up your personal time.

Also it is normal to like the out of work activities you do, and to want to travel. You give me the impression that you are kind of a round peg guy trying to fit into a square hole. Frustrated, and occasionally overwhelmed & depressed.

But you must have a lot of talent & I bet will find a new path for yourself. Once you do, you'll be grateful to have been honest to yourself about how things, as they currently are, just suck for you.

As far as I understand it, you only have one problem: You hate your job. Even in current economic climate, when people get fired, lots of them see it as an opportunity to try something different. It's clear that your job, whatever the salary and prestige that comes with it, is not for you. Wait till the recession is over and then start looking for another job. And please don't shun your friends, they are always there for you and you should be able to share your problems with them all the time. I'm sure they have even better advice then I do.

Try reading The Power of Now. And also, quit your job :). Be a bum for a little bit. Reconnect with people.

OMG 23 I wish I was 23. If you want to travel have you thought about teaching English in a foreign country? you can make enough dolalrs to travel. How about being an intern in costa rica at Rancho Mastatal learning natural building and spanish. Then bring your foriegn language skills back to the states or take buses all the way to argentina working odd jobs in hostels and wwoofing on organic farms. get out and have some fun. you're not missing much in the states at the moment. :)

It probably doesn't feel like it 23/24 is still very young. You have time to make a career change, so just do it. You already have a degree so getting a new degree will be much faster/easier. Maybe get a job that allows you to travel and be outdoors since you like that. Or maybe a job that allows you to work from a home office.

It's called depression. Quickest help : smoke a blunt. It's dumb but when your uberly depressed and sick n' tired, theres nothing better to take the weight off your shoulders and make everything okay. Good anti-depressor too. And you dont need an appointment or 100$ to get a prescription -.- good luck m8

I can understand your situation and very well relate to it. I know we usually end up studying/working things which we feel will be good in terms of "name" or money. I really think you should look at your life from a fresh angle, its never too late and you are just 23. its just the beginning. think how would you feel when you are 33, do you still see yourself working in this field. Don't feel you are weak, weak are those who are stuck and dont want to change. you can and take anything which interests you even if it is very small.

OMG i can relate to you so much, i am turning 23 this year and i have been in an accounting field for a year now. as i was reading your post and the comments sections i cried because i feel it too much and people commenting are so encouraging and positive. all my friends around my age most of them told me to stay which is more pressuring and drained. im glad i came across this. its been years since you posted, i hope you are doing what you like or even if youre not, i hope at least you are happy along the way of finding it

You need a girlfriend.

If all you hate is your job, I think you're doing pretty good. You can always get a new job. Might take a while in this economic climate, but still...

You hate your job - your not the only one! People hate their jobs all over the world, more than half the world do. But, if this job is seriously depressing you then GET A NEW ONE!! yh, easier said than done, but, think of something you enjoy doing: (working with animals/dogs ect., art, sport ect. ect. Good luck !

It's hard to say right now with the economy the way it is... but you really need to find another job! Even if it takes awhile, you might feel better just knowing you are attempting to move in a different direction. If you don't like accounting, go back to school and do something else. If that isn't an option, just keep searching for a new job in a completely different area. You might have a degree in accounting, but I'm sure you are right for many other jobs. Good luck, and remember, you are NOT alone!

LOOKS LIKE A SHOTGUN TO THE FACE WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM