Next Steps

I've been back from HK for three weeks and M has been bugging me to meet up for all this time.  So, although I was a little hesitant, we finally met up for lunch today.

(Right off the bat, I was a little annoyed that she was late.  How is it possible to be 30min late when the location is 5min away?  I really don't get it.)

So M has new plans.  After completing 2 of 3 CFA exams, she's decided to sacrifice all of that.  The new plan...is to move into tax at a Big 4 firm to get some experience, then do a JD and become a tax lawyer.  Why?  Based on my understanding, it's for the status and money, although she says she likes that kind of work and that working at an accounting firm would get boring.

Quite frankly, that's something I have no interest in, but if that's what she wants, then sure.

I admire people that have plans and know what they want to do, because I'm never like that.  I never know where I'm going.  I'm not a planning person.  I can only make choices as they come up.

So what's next for me?

I guess right now there are two main questions:
(1)  Should I try to get a job at a big firm?  If so, when?
(2)  Should I do CFA?

A lot of people around me tell me I should do both.  I guess from a career perspective it makes sense.  Getting some big firm work experience improves my chances of working at big companies later on down the road.  Doing CFA gives me extra credentials which, again, improves my prospects of getting good jobs.

I know everyone around me means good, but they're forgetting one thing......

What do I actually want?

I really have no interest in having high power and status or making lots and lots of money.  I take no interest in being a CFO or CEO.  In fact, I'm not even sure I'd want to be a partner at a public practice.  All I want is good pay and stability, and there's a point where it's enough.

Over the years, enough has happened in my life that I know what my priorities are.  It's definitely not a career.  It's nice to move up professionally, but there are lots of other things that take precedence to that.

If I could choose, I would willingly give up a career for other things that are more important to me.