Hello,

I am a college student that will be graduating with my bachelors at the top of my class in Accounting in a year and will be starting my masters in Accounting a few months later. My plan for the last four years has been to get my CPA license and pursue a job in the accounting field. However, I have now done two different accounting internships in different facets of accounting and have not enjoyed either of them. Horses have always been my number one passion. I competitively amateur rodeo, college rodeo, barrel race, and breakaway. I am so passionate about all fields of the horse industry such as breeding, nutrition, training, and scientific studies about new and advancing technology.

Being that I am so passionate about those things it really makes my accounting plan feel very lack luster. One of my biggest fears is being stuck in a job that I do not love or enjoy doing. I know that work isn't always going to be fun or easy but at least finding some fufillment in what I am doing is very important to me. I just do not know what to do as profitable jobs in the horse industry are hard to come by. . .

being able to afford food and housing is very fulfilling 

I think we've all worked jobs we hated but you have to take life one day at a time and with any luck that "great" job will find you.  

Do you have a Ag background.  Look into Ag finance.  There is a very big shortage of ag lenders.   They just can't find anybody with ag backgrounds.

I had 2 internships in college.

Hated the first one.  Hated it.

I loved the second one - still work in the industry today - but disctinctly remember a gal in my internship group doing her final presentation on how she hated the job, but that was okay because it taught her what she didn’t like and due to coaching from HR and some other minor tasks, she figured out that HR might be something she could be passionate about.

so where you are at - is ok!  I have no idea what you can do with a Bachelors in accounting, is continuing on to your Masters something you pretty much have to do in order to use the bachelors degree?  Or can you look for an entry level job and gain some real experience first and then decide about going back for your Masters?

i also second Ag lending, I am in the Ag industry as well and work with some fantastic people.  Even if they aren’t “horse” people per say, we have common threads through farms and livestock and small town little league games. 

I always caution people to think hard about making a full time career out of their passion.  For me, trying to make a living in the horse industry would ruin the passion and love of it for me pretty quick. 

I would not abandon the Accounting field due to a couple of interships you did not 'enjoy'.  Typically, interns get to do the work that NO ONE enjoys.  So -- my advice is hang in there and go for it with your CPA and land a good job in your field -- give it 2 - 3 years to see where it goes.  More than likely you will find your 'happy place' and end up with a great career with great pay, great benefits -- and the means to afford your beloved horse hobby.

So I actually started out with the plan to get my masters in accounting and eventually sit for the CPA. I got my bachelor's in 2012, took a few extra classes to meet the minimum 150 credit requirement to sit for the CPA and changed my mind. Public accounting and being stuck during tax season was not going to be for me, not only with trying to have the freedom to still enjoy the first four months of the year with horses but the time I would have sacraficed away from our little girls as well.

I was actually incredibly lucky, my entire family works in the Ag industry in several different parts so I had good insight to several options I could try and pursue. I actually started at a company doing grain accounting the last couple years of school.. I am still here today, now in the controller role. I absolutley love where I work and most of what I do (I could do without the HR/Payroll/Insurance side) but as far as accounting goes I really enjoy it and its nothing like school "prepared" us for.  I would also caution the making a living through your passion, what happens if your passion becomes work? I really enjoy what I do and honestly look forward to coming to my office. There are endless opportunites in the Ag Industry for accounting :)