How to Stop Feeling Shame for Being Overqualified as a Bookkeeper
May 23, 2022
This post is all about the shame surrounding being overqualified as a bookkeeper. I was inspired to do this post from an application for one of my programs, where a CPA filled it out and wrote that something that’s stopped them from starting their business is that they feel funny about what people would say.
They noted — maybe not in these exact words — that they’d feel shame from going from being a CPA to starting a bookkeeping business because, essentially, they know they’re overqualified. It was really foreign for me to hear this when I’m SO proud of my business and all that it brings to my life.
But that doesn’t go to say that I don’t understand the stigma. That’s what I want to talk about today.
The Need to Defend Your Decision
Many people who consider going from a CPA in the corporate world to starting a bookkeeping business feel like they’d be sliding down the ladder and going into the “lowest level” accounting job.
I polled my Instagram followers to see if they’ve felt this shame. Over 40 people said that they feel this shame, so it’s an important thing to discuss.
When I started my bookkeeping business, I remember feeling like I should still call myself a CPA. But the fact that I’m a CPA isn’t what makes my clients care, hire me, or respect me.
But, as you transition to doing something somewhat risky - starting your own business - you may feel like people in your life are questioning your decision, which prompts the need to defend yourself.
I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to do that. People’s opinions are rarely actually about you. Instead, they’re usually projecting their own feelings and fears relating to themselves onto you. And remember that if people are questioning your decision, they may be simply responding to what you’re doing rather than judging.
Stop Seeking External Validation
In life, you can do hard things and grind and hustle to get ahead, but you don’t have to do that. In fact, there are ways to do quite the opposite AND have a better life for it.
In my program Life by the Books, we really tap into what you desire for your life to look like and aim to build a business intentionally around your vision. Doing this allows you to shed the need to seek external validation from those around you.
You don’t need the permission of others to make your next move - you can decide for yourself what you want to be different from the status quo or what people expect out of you. Once you free yourself from the yearning for the approval of others, you’ll find a huge weight has been lifted and you’ll stop floundering from place to place and find that you’re able to be content with yourself.
The Value of Bookkeeping: The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, just because bookkeeping may seem like a simple task to CPAs, it doesn’t mean it’s easy or low-value. I’ve found that the value that I add to the life of my clients and my team is irreplaceable.
This work gets to be simple while also being meaningful and rewarding. The truth is that once you build your job around the desires you have for your life, you’ll become a much more powerful person.
Ready to take action? Apply for the program that's right for you:
If you're looking for more insight on how to become a bookkeeper, and how to say hello to a more confident business model, enroll in Become A Bookkeeper (BABs).
Or to learn more about growing your bookkeeping business and hiring a team, enroll in Life By The Books™ (Libby).
If you have enjoyed this blog post, head on over to Instagram and share your IG stories and tag me, @orderlyaccountingbykatie
