My nontraditional path to accounting and what it taught me

by Heidi Lellman, CPA, MBA

If you’re thinking about a career in accounting, you might or might not have a vision for what your professional future will look like. The truth is, there are many different things you can do within the accounting industry, the vast majority of which are far from the stereotype: working long hours at a desk and staring at spreadsheets. Thankfully, the path to get to accounting doesn’t have to be linear—I should know.

I came to accounting over a decade ago following what most would call a nontraditional career path. Here’s how I got here, and a few things I’ve learned along the way.

How it started

I graduated college with a biology degree and then went to work in the biotech field. Later, I accidentally went into real estate (that’s a story in and of itself!) and became a realtor. At the time, I was also doing the books for my mom and stepdad’s company. I really enjoyed the work and got to know their accountant. He encouraged me to get my MBA and pursue an accounting career.

What hooked me on accounting

I’ve always been one for solving problems and mysteries, and I especially enjoy hunting for things (ask me about geocaching). The art of identifying an issue enthralls me. I love math and when things make sense.

Accounting checks all of these boxes for me.

There’s actually quite a bit of overlap between biotech and accounting: Both require problem solving. Both involve figuring out what you’re trying to solve and understanding there are more than one ways to solve it.

With accounting, though, you have to find the solution that works best for each client or business, meaning there’s always a new mystery to solve.

What surprised me about accounting

The thing that surprised me most about accounting is the number of directions you can go with it. Also, there is so much to know, and so much you don’t have to know. (Yes, it helps there are so many smart people at Abdo who I can go to when I don’t know something.)

Even when I was “all in” for accounting during graduate school, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it.

This didn’t come until later. I did some informational interviews in the private, public, and nonprofit accounting sectors. I had actually written off public accounting until I interviewed with four people at Abdo, and they made me want to stick around (OK, actually I insisted I wasn’t leaving!). Given my background, I started working within Abdo’s real estate and construction group, and I’ve been there ever since.

What’s surprising me today about accounting

Currently, the accounting industry is in the midst of a staffing shortage. The cost of college is definitely contributing to this, but there’s also the aforementioned stigma around accounting—that it requires a desire to work long hours and a type A personality.

What I do know is this: the stereotypical CPA is far from the truth. Accounting is full of amazing professionals who aren’t working just on tax returns from January to April. You can carve out an accounting career to be what you really want it to be, which is exactly what I’ve been doing since joining Abdo in 2012.

What will your path to accounting look like?

Standing on the precipice of your future is both exhilarating and terrifying. Take it from me: don’t worry if you don’t see a clear path ahead or end up on a detour. Explore your options, talk to as many people in the industry as you can, and keep an open mind. You don’t have to take the traditional route; you can make accounting your own.

To learn more about what an accounting career at Abdo could look like, head to our careers page.