What educational preparation would you recommend
#finance #salary #money #accounting
5 answers
Rachael’s Answer
It can certainly be difficult determining a career path in high school you will stick with for your entire career. I would highly recommend taking a career assessment to determine which fields might possibly suit you. You know yourself best so take the results with a grain of salt. If you truly don't think you'd be interested in pursuing one of the results, then don't include it! I think it's important to consider your values and field interests first and foremost because this will guide you in your career.
It sounds like accounting and finance may be of interest to you based on your tags. I would suggest double majoring in these and perhaps continuing on to completing an MBA. Your first year of college mainly consists of introductory courses which should give you a taste of what the field is like. It's not until later in your college career when you're in the more detailed courses I think you have the idea it might not be for you. Choosing a major which can set you up with a foundation is a very important part. There's nothing wrong in pivoting from that but at least it gets you started.
A major can lead to many different career paths,I would suggest finding someone within the field to inquiry with/interview in order to get a first-hand perspective of what that line of work is like. You can start with your network (family, friends, relatives, etc.). If someone in your network in not within the field of interest, perhaps someone in their network is. If you are interested after speaking with them I would suggest you ask to shadow within that field in order to get an idea of the day to day is like. I would suggest you complete as many different internships as possible throughout your college career to get insight into each to determine which application of that major you want to pursue.
I would recommend college level education to get the best start on preparing for the profession you are interested in. If you are unsure what to major in, take introductory classes your first year. Another option is to intern with a company over the summer to get real life experience.
Laurel Waites
Allie’s Answer
Hi Anaya!
If you have an interest in Accounting, I would definitely start by exploring a basic college financial or managerial accounting course. While I was in high school, we had a neighboring college which offered many courses to high school students for dual credit. This is where I first learned about accounting and the career opportunities available in the field.
After you decide that is definitely the path you want to take, find a college that best suits your needs and declare the accounting major. Another thing to think about is a possible minor or double major in a technology field. You might not think these too would be work together, but we use technology every day at PwC!
Natalie’s Answer
Once you decide what you want to focus on (which could take a while! there are a lot of industries/groups to choose from), you can focus your efforts on those specific requirements. For example, you could bring this valuable information to your academic advisor who would be able to recommend relevant classes to you. There are a lot of options towards your educational preparation, but many are specific to the area you would like to end up in. Once you find out what this is, hopefully the route will become clearer!
Geetha’s Answer
Carter’s Answer
This is a good question! I am a recent college graduate who double majored in accounting and finance myself and began my career in the accounting industry at PwC. As I'm sure you're aware, some of the basic educational requirements that are needed in order to start a career in either profession include obtaining an undergraduate degree (with good grades if you're looking to break into more reputable firms) and a solid 150 credit plan (if you lean towards starting off your career in accounting). If you end up wanting to begin your professional career in accounting like I did, I highly encourage you to set up a meeting with your college counselors on how this can be done within your 4 year undergraduate program. I mention this 150 credit requirement because it is needed if you want to obtain your CPA licensure (which I know you can get if you really wanted to). In America, this CPA license is crucial for your long term success in the the accounting profession because it will open up so many career opportunities for you (including more $$ in salary) vs those who don't have that licensure. If you end up wanting to start your career in finance, there are other licenses that are generally required such as the CFA, for example. Either way, I believe that you've made the right decision in looking to major in one (or both!) of the subjects as they will enable you to learn so much about businesses and how money truly works. Goodluck in your journey my friend!