I’m currently a (28 year old) chartered accountant working for one of the big four, but have decided that the pay doesn’t justify the long hours, inflexibility and most importantly the fact that I don’t find the work all that interesting, and don’t feel as though I am creating anything (worthwhile at least). So i’ve decided on a career change.

I want to do something IT based, as I’ve always been interested in technology (fixing/building PCs, home networks, messing about with smartphones, gaming etc). I’d love to be able to build mobile apps, so I’ve begun investigating that option. I prefer Android, so I’ve started learning Java using Oracle’s tutorials as a first step and loved it so far.

A few questions for the knowledgeable STW folk (thought I’d ask here since there must be a lot of IT types):

1. Am I stupid to be thinking of a career change into this industry, is it doable? I should probably mention that I also like to spend time riding my bike, and have two young children… Although I am willing to sacrifice the former to an extent!

2. Where should I go next in my quest to develop an android app? As above i’ve gone through the Oracle tutorials (https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/index.html). Are the paid for courses on udemy etc worth it?

Udacity have a free course in developing Android apps.

Have you tried to find somewhere that does part time app development courses that would suit your time slot? I know one of our colleges did evening app development courses for adults. Would give you the knowledge and ability to pick someone else’s brain about it?

This certainly works….

After a couple of weeks research and typing, I’d nearly finished an in-depth report when, unbeknown to me, my line manager (X), printed it off and presented it to the boss before going on leave. I finished it two days later and took it to said boss who pointed out that X had already presented it.

I challenged X on his return, who smugly pointed out that there’s no “I” in team. Without thinking or pause, I retorted with “Aye but there’s a “U” in C*nt!” There soon followed a career changing appraisal leading to my exit from the department. That was 10 years ago, he’s still a c*nt and I haven’t been promoted since. Career changing indeed…..

Udacity have a free course in developing Android apps.

Thanks will check it out.

Have you tried to find somewhere that does part time app development courses that would suit your time slot? I know one of our colleges did evening app development courses for adults. Would give you the knowledge and ability to pick someone else’s brain about it?

I’d love to be able to do this, but unfortunately I tend to work pretty late and by the time i’ve got home, spent time with the kids and my partner its at least past 10pm, often later. At the moment i’m getting up very early in the morning to spend time learning to code, and then carrying on after the above for an hour or two.

This certainly works….

After a couple of weeks research and typing, I’d nearly finished an in-depth report when, unbeknown to me, my line manager (X), printed it off and presented it to the boss before going on leave. I finished it two days later and took it to said boss who pointed out that X had already presented it.

I challenged X on his return, who smugly pointed out that there’s no “I” in team. Without thinking or pause, I retorted with “Aye but there’s a “U” in C*nt!” There soon followed a career changing appraisal leading to my exit from the department. That was 10 years ago, he’s still a c*nt and I haven’t been promoted since. Career changing indeed…..

Thanks, I think there’s a moral in that story… I won’t be calling anyone at my current workplace a c*nt any time soon no matter how much I feel like it 🙂

I once told my boss “if you speak like that to me again I’ll break your **** legs”. I had already handed in my notice though.

If you are working for one of the big 4 then look at the internal vacancy board an see if there is a way to move internally to get some experience/training on the house and then make a run for the hills.

For Android related stuff you really want to also be looking here:

https://developer.android.com

This link has a tutorial on making a minimal Android app; that’s probably a good place to start with the whole Android thing:

https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/index.html

Good luck, let us know how you get on!

Still a lot of questions to ask yourself;

Do you intend to work for someone else as a developer?
Or do you want to self publish apps / games?
Would you be better of satisfying your creative yearnings in your own time and paying the bills with your day job?

I’d do it as a hobby till you have at least one app on google play then make some decisions. If you want to make decent money be aware android alone won’t cut it and you will need to learn ios (objective-C) at some point too. It’s not that different to Java but obviously its a new set of API’s to learn.

I’ve changed careers a couple of times so I’d encourage anyone to stop doing something if your getting nothing from it. But I did it when the economy was stronger and I had no kids or a mortgage to pay.

Good luck.

I’d echo looking at another aspect of accounting. I got to the stage that audit felt unrewarding due to the lack of output/creation. Moved into corporate finance and then into industry, both of which are very rewarding from an output point of view.

Hours are notoriously bad at the big 4 but can open many doors.

You could always retrain as a lion tamer.

I’m currently a (28 year old) chartered accountant working for one of the big four, but have decided that the pay doesn’t justify the long hours, inflexibility and most importantly the fact that I don’t find the work all that interesting, and don’t feel as though I am creating anything (worthwhile at least). So i’ve decided on a career change.

I went to work for one of the big (more than 4 then 🙂 )accountancy companies in the early 90’s and was amazed at the hours and working conditions, as in amazed how crap they were compared to my previous jobs in industry. It was all based around “the sacrifice is worth it as I might make partner”.

Managed a couple of years before I went back to industry; more money, less hours and far more fulfilment.

tbh I wouldn’t go into IT (I’ve been in IT for 30 years, and currently manage a small software house) but look at moving as an accountant into Industry. Internal Audit is normally the first dept to look at (I did IT Audit for +15 years, both external and internal), before moving into the business.

Accountancy friend of mine left a big 4 job for a SME accountancy firm (about 30 staff). He enjoys it a lot more as he is out meeting with tech clients around Old Street area. So maybe you could look at joining a smaller accountancy firm with a tech focus?

If you are working for one of the big 4 then look at the internal vacancy board an see if there is a way to move internally to get some experience/training on the house and then make a run for the hills.

Having used (or tried to use) some of the in-house developed mobile and desktop apps, they don’t strike me as a bunch of people I would want to be learning from. Plus I’d still be working in the same stuffy environment and have to wear a suit 🙂

This link has a tutorial on making a minimal Android app; that’s probably a good place to start with the whole Android thing:

https://developer.android.com/training/basics/firstapp/index.html
Thanks! I made a start on that this morning. Think I need a new laptop, the emulator is sloooooow.

Do you intend to work for someone else as a developer?
Or do you want to self publish apps / games?
Would you be better of satisfying your creative yearnings in your own time and paying the bills with your day job?

I’d do it as a hobby till you have at least one app on google play then make some decisions. If you want to make decent money be aware android alone won’t cut it and you will need to learn ios (objective-C) at some point too. It’s not that different to Java but obviously its a new set of API’s to learn.

That’s really helpful, thanks. Current plan would be to work for someone else to learn the ropes, but eventually I would like to work for myself, freelance or running my own company. At the moment i’m doing it in my own time as you say, but given the long hours at work it takes its toll on family (and riding time) which I couldn’t maintain long term. Happy to do it in the short term in order to secure the career change though – as then i’ll be able to do something I really enjoy during the day and get paid for it, with free time at weekends to do family stuff. My original plan was to get an app finished before applying for any jobs, like you say.

I’d echo looking at another aspect of accounting. I got to the stage that audit felt unrewarding due to the lack of output/creation. Moved into corporate finance and then into industry, both of which are very rewarding from an output point of view.

I’ve already done a few stints in different departments at my firm (audit, brief secondments in forensics and restructuring, now in financial due dil) and come to the conclusion that i’ll never be 100% happy working in finance generally, as it just doesn’t excite me enough. But moving into industry would definitely be a plan B.

It was all based around “the sacrifice is worth it as I might make partner”.

This is still very much the case! I think the sacrifice required increases as you get nearer and nearer to making partner too.

tbh I wouldn’t go into IT (I’ve been in IT for 30 years, and currently manage a small software house) but look at moving as an accountant into Industry.

Why do you say that (not go into IT)? I could move in to industry but I worry that if I did, and decided a year or two later that I still wanted to move over to IT it would be too late as i’d be 30 then. I’m feeling a bit like its now or never!

For an Android emulator, look at Genymotion.

Genymotion Homepage

best to just plug a phone in via usb though.

Why do you say that (not go into IT)?

Purely as it’d take you a fair few years to get back to your earnings you’ll be on currently.

And a qualified accountant can ALWAYS get work.

Thanks! I made a start on that this morning. Think I need a new laptop, the emulator is sloooooow.

It’ll be slow if it has to fall back to software OpenGL rendering for the UI; try to make sure you’re using hardware GL rendering instead which will be much faster.

Or as above, just get a real phone (but the emulator is quite useful for testing out funky screen sizes and things).

And a qualified accountant can ALWAYS get work.

Indeed, but as I have now found (as one myself) it is nearly always excruciatingly boring whilst being stressful as having far too much to do in too little time. And I don’t even work in practice.

I’d love to be able to retrain, but unless I have some kind of windfall it just ain’t gonna happen.

I’m with you OP, except I haven’t even got the first idea what I’d rather do! I’m in a similar situation with two young’uns and thus a level of responsibility that makes me feel too much like a grown-up.

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of finance folk I have met who had actually wanted to do it. Most are like me (and the OP) having fallen into it by showing a bit of intelligence, but not really having a plan.

Hope you find something and it works out. Please post up if it does as it might give me the courage of my convictions and prompt me to get out of it!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD77qJTZQSU[/video]

If you can afford it, go for it, better to try now and take the risk than regret it and end up spending your whole career in something that doesn’t excite you. I think you can do that in lower paid, less demanding jobs perhaps as the hours/stress levels and work/life balance are more favourable.

I understand how you feel, I’ve got a decent job, good pay for the area, decent terms, but although the job carries quite a lot of responsibility, and requires a broad range of skills and knowledge, there’s no creativity in it at all, or much sense of achievement, it’s generally just going through the motions, with some occasional problem solving.

Bottom line is money I guess, I saw an ad earlier for a workshop manager at bike shop/hire place, had a read through out of interest, quite a lot of responsibility, longer hours than I do, plus some weekends, would certainly be worse pension, and less holiday, got to the end, salary was half of what I’m on currently. Sounded a nice job, sorr of thing I’d like, but there’s just no way I could make it work financially.

Purely as it’d take you a fair few years to get back to your earnings you’ll be on currently.

And a qualified accountant can ALWAYS get work.

Yes I fully expect to take a big salary decrease, but then happiness > money!
As you say, being a qualified accountant means I can (presumably) start back where I currently am if in a couple of years time the career change hasn’t worked out as I expected.

It’ll be slow if it has to fall back to software OpenGL rendering for the UI; try to make sure you’re using hardware GL rendering instead which will be much faster.

Or as above, just get a real phone (but the emulator is quite useful for testing out funky screen sizes and things).

Thanks, i’ve got HAXM installed now and it seems better! I’ve got a Nexus 4 and Galaxy S4, good excuse to expand the collection 🙂

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of finance folk I have met who had actually wanted to do it.

This is exactly what made me want to pursue the career change, looking at the people who have stuck it out and realising I do not want to be like them. I’ve got around 40 years of working ahead of me, and already feel like working in this industry has changed me for the worse (after 3 years).

If you can afford it, go for it, better to try now and take the risk than regret it and end up spending your whole career in something that doesn’t excite you.

My partner has just finished her uni course so I’m hoping she will be able to start contributing a bit and ease the financial burden. There are actually quite a few jobs I could see myself really enjoying, but as you say most of them seem to be relatively poorly paid.

Make the change, but maybe also start freelancing doing accounts for small businesses and the self-employed on the side to keep a steady income?

Keep that up and you could be a very attractive proposition to many employers in future.

And if you transition to freelance app developer you’ll **** own your tax returns.

As others have said I would have a look internally and track down someone in your digital team to see what opportunities there are there. I take people from all over the business into my area (I’m a Partner in a big4 !)