How do you deal with knowing that everything we do is meaningless?

We’ll continue working hard, but not be able to live a lofty lifestyle. Constant stress about bills, putting food on the table, and how expensive it is to just live. It’s disheartening.

Being grateful that I have my health, family, and friends. Which my job helps me to enjoy. That is how I feel rich, not by my bank account, but the people who love me.

Every single occupation has moments where the worker can look back with an attitude and will lack feeling any kind of meaning in their job. I’d go as far to say as doctors at times in extremes (obviously far less than us) but at the end of the day it’s how you view yourself and worth outside of work. The grass is always greener so water your own yard

I work as much as I get paid, which ain’t enough. Public accounting is going to implode into itself in the near future as people stop wanting to work 24/7.

Sometimes the only thing you can control is your attitude. So I start there, and also remember I’m doing way better than 90% of my peers and 99% of the world.

Someone needs a hard reset. “Lofty lifestyle”? To some that means you don’t have a dirt floor with the nearest source of water a mile away.

Stop comparing yourself to others that you really don’t know.

Change your lifestyle to fit the income you have. And don’t change it simply because your income later increases. I know a retired EY partner who still lives in the first house he bought.

There’s nothing wrong with driving a used Honda instead of a new BMW. The Honda’s likely more reliable anyway.

If you’re on either coast, move. The middle of the country offers a good life at a fraction of the cost.

I started in this profession a LONG time ago making $1600 a month (paid once at the end). I now make that every day. Persevere.

Call me a bad person, but I really don’t care if what I do is meaningless. I’m here to get my paycheck. I make solid money and I’m a significant step up from where I was financially just two years ago. I used to sit down and look at my budget and cry nearly every day. Now, I barely have to check my bank account more than once a week to make sure nothing’s awry. I don’t have kids or a significant other, but I would also be a dual income household if I did. I can’t afford the house that a couple with two incomes could afford, but I could still afford to buy a small home as a single person once I save up a down payment for a year or two. That’s pretty much unheard of for most single Americans these days. I don’t care about the meaning of my work if I’m in the 95% percentile for income for people my age.

I am 36 and I have only recently begun to be more conscious of the hamster wheel that we live in. I have come to learn that, while many present as being buttoned up and polished, they're all just winging it. Stay encouraged!

I’m not sure why I chose this profession. Why is it one of the hardest professions that pays the least

Some days I’m sure we all go through that thinking especially when working in this profession, but at the end of the day the little things can count in a large perspective. Sure we’re not saving lives, but you never know. Auditing a client or completing a tax return can do a lot more than you think. An incomplete or misleading audit can cause turmoil to a company’s future and wipe them out of business if the financial statements weren’t done or audited appropriately. Not completing a tax return for an individual or the company can cause stress and financial burden to the other party if they are not prepared in accordance with the standards and regulations. Sure it doesn’t look like it’s a lot on face value, but trust me, our work can help a company bring in more clients and bring a person out of financial burden. Don’t focus on others, focus on you and know you’re doing great. Things take time to build up, so respect yourself and the career you have chosen to make a difference one way or another

You might consider therapy

Change your life then. Move to a cheaper location. Lower your expenses. I’m not sure what rank you are, but PA firms pay really well as you get higher up (like 200K+). If you can’t put food on the table and pay your bills with that, then you need to reevaluate your spending.

Also, not sure what you mean by meaningless. Different people find meaning in different things. If this job isn’t rewarding to you, why don’t you do some volunteer work? Most firms are big on volunteering in the community and would be supportive of you wanting to be involved in that. For me, my job is meaningful since it gives me the means to impact my life, my family’s life, and others.

Public accounting isn’t set up for Staff IIs, Seniors, and even managers to live “lofty” lifestyles. It’s set up for the people who stick with it, to live “lofty” lifestyles off the blood, sweat and tears of the people who come in and out of our firms. Play the game long enough and you’ll make more than doctors, engineers, and most other “highly compensated” professionals.

I really don’t stress about putting food on my table or paying my bills. I don’t have kids, but if I did I would also, presumably, have an extra income too.

As of now, I make enough to live alone and still save about $1800 a month.

It’s expensive to live and I’m little more than a glorified data entry clerk, but for a 1st year associate I don’t think this is that bad of a career.

If you have your health and your family, everything else is less important. You can make a good living in this industry, but that takes a back seat to your health/family.

That’s why I left audit. In advisory now and I’m making $127k at 26 in LCOL. Hardly work over 45 hrs too. I feel way better about life now that i moved from audit

I can tell you are close or at burnout. If continued it will lead to some illness. It’s time to examine your values and what truly matters for you compared to external expectations or something you thought life would be better. This is also a growth opportunity for you. Please be mindful of your health and adjust life before you are to tired.

I recently lost my job and since i had the time I decided to go overseas for a while. Almost any foreign country is cheaper. Food is cheaper, rent is cheaper, medical is cheaper....... The main point is these people don't have the money and things we have, but they are so much more happier. They are more friendly and KIND. Neighbors stop by all the time with meals for me to try... At some point i am coming back, but i have to wonder why. So many American's on antidepressants, no one wants to marry, no one wants to build a home of family. I guess that is partly due to the high cost and instability. It's just sad. But as they say, we must keep going.

Try adding venturing other off tech avenues in your life’s daily menu

drugs

I liked BDO. I would have stayed but I was underpaid and I got a position paying 11% more with ability to make OT. So it's been okay. But I work way more than 55 hours that was required.