yes stop going on in your mind that you feel you were misled about the role. This is NOT productive so get over it and forget it. Try to change your attitude towards your job and see it as a challenge. If you put your all into this, you can change perceptions. I am talking about doing things you will not want to do like coming in early, showing enthusiasm, asking your boss what you can do to improve, showing tremendous interest in the job and making allies out of your coworkers. if the job is so mindless, you can succeed. Learn the culture there and the way things are done and don’t pipe up with your suggestions if they won’t make sense there. Don’t assume that the people there aren’t smart. Make the job what you want it to be. I also learned in my long career that the stock market isn’t nearly as interesting as people think it is looking in from the outside.
imagine a new hire coming in that is so excited to have a job, any job. How would that person approach the work? be that person! soak everything up like a sponge. prove yourself.
As others have said, try to identify areas where your skills can really add value to this job. Be the best you can possibly be at it and look to see what you can learn from it. I am sure that this experience will pay off in some future job. Finally stop living in fear and don’t assume that your career is toast etc. you can always turn things around, if you want to. I speak from experience while in similar roles.
I disagree with you, 789. You might just not have found the real job, the right fit, yet. Keep looking, SEVEN.
As for the OP: you arent really blaming the company for misleading you into this job, are you? Who would take a job without reading the job discription? What does that tell us about your analytical skills? You sound like you are all quant, so go for it. Do some financial modelling classes. And be more humble man. The people you work with have certain ways of doing things and bringing up ideas you read in a textbook wont convince them. Just the wrong tool.
Accounting is easy, it looks like you have no idea what you want to do. I suggest you read about the job and ask many questions at the interview to see what you are getting into. You suck at research sorry to say. I would research the role I want to get into and find it. you shouldve stuck with what youre good at instead of hopping around like a clueless desperate person looking for the next thrill
Thank you for the advice. However, this job is not for me. Its is very operations and accounting focused, the problem is I have been trying my best it doesn’t show in the work. My ideas aren’t appreciated. I have already turned in my resignation and have a few interviews lined up. Planning on being very picky this time.
I have let go of this job and feel much better because of it. It has nothing to do with ‘finance’ as the word is defined here.
I have literally been critizised for saying ‘uh’ before answering a question because it may take roughly 1.5 secs to come up with the answer. You can’t win with these types of people.
I have read the description, it was ‘Financial Analyst’. The problem is they use a lot of impressive vocabulary, forecasting, analysis, quantitative, etc. because the job is boring and mundane as hell and they have to dress it up a little bit.
It is a food company and the entire office is oriented around operations, I work with a bunch of accountants which should have been a huge red flag but I ignored it. The problem is my reputation is already toast at this company, they know I don’t fit in.
I am great at quants and surprisingly found some opportunities in marketing departments that require quantitative analysis. going for a few interviews, making it clear I want no operations. Carmax rejected me because of this which is perfectly fine by me.
I have learned a very bitter lesson, hopefully someone here can take advantage of it and not repeat the same mistakes.
Keep in mind that you are speaking to possibly the worst accountant on the planet. I am terrible at accounting. I am great at quants. For most people its the opposite.
The problem is they keep calling these positions ‘Financial Analyst’ when it has nothing to do with Finance or analysis! The most analysis you may have to do is find out why an account is off budget, either thier revenues are down or costs are up…thats it! No one told me that if you work as an FA for a non-financial company its accounting!!! When was the world going to let me in on this secret?? I was an econ major and did not have the benefit of internships while in school. As I just stated previously, the job descriptions use a lot of impressive words and are impressed with my CFA stuff and past experiences, but the things they do have nothing to do with that. I failed to mention the budgeting process…5 months worth of mindless paperwork, zero ‘analysis’ unless its researching an accounting issue.
I do not want to hop around anymore, I cannot do this forever. I am making that very clear in interviews. I have recieved some good feedback so far.
I should have stayed at my original finance company, but please keep in mind I was making 32k a year, an absolute joke of a salary, with no chance of promotion or raise. The boss was super cheap. Yes hindsight is 20/20 but I had a good reason to leave that job.
My experiences are not unique, I refer you guys again to this link
Here’s a basic definition of Ops Analyst. Is this what you were doing? “Operations Analysts are responsible for the day-to-day analysis, research and resolution of various problems. Operations Analysts conduct business unit reviews, manage process improvement and administration, execute quality monitoring, provide analysis and complex report generation, and engage in operational activities to support the business unit. They provide any necessary guidance for their team regarding new procedural, technical, or operational changes. Operations Analysts may also assist in the design, documentation, implementation, and monitoring of new products and services.”
This is a very accurate description of what I was doing. In addition to the budget process, where you are a glorified secretary to the operations team (who is actually running the show)…what pissed me off to no end is that my official title is ‘Financial Analyst’. I mentioned creative, quantitative thinking during the interview, they nodded their heads in approval. However, in an accounting related field there is little room for actual creativity. Literally yesterday a new hire said she was excited to be working in ‘Corporate Finance’ I have one week left at this company, then I am out the damn door and not looking back.
I agree. And as someone who has an accounting degree and spent ten years as a warhead designer, I’m not being flippant when I say that accounting ain’t rocket science: I’m giving an expert opinion; I used to be a rocket scientist.
Double down your effort. Get in before anyone, don’t leave on the 5:00 shuttle. Show interest in the job. Ask to help out on mundane tasks. Talk to manager, or manager’s manager and demonstrate your resolve to improve things.
And stop saying you’re terrible at accounting. You’re just making excuses.
I appreciate the advice from everyone here. I have already turned in my resignation so staying is a moot point.
I understand that accounting is easy on a theoretical basis but working with accounting issues, learning accounting systems and how they function (credits, debits) and operations in general is not something I am good at. I do not think like an accountant, I think like an true financial analyst, and a lot of my ideas do not make sense to these accounting folks.
Once they know you don’t fit in your are out. I have worked the nonstop 11 and 12 hour days. I still get told that I have 3 hours of idle time per day. I this is after I started cc’ing my boss when sending out emails at 8pm. There is nothing I can do at that point. You’re either a great accountant/operations person or you are out. My idea’s from the CFA program sound like complete nonsense to these people. It is all transaction and accounting focused.
I was given the choice of quitting or facing likely termination and I chose the former.