Manon
What all entails a typical accounting career, and what would be the different possibilities available for me with an accounting degree?
I am currently a rising high school senior, and as it is time to pick a college according to my intended major, I have been trying to figure out what I actually want to do when I graduate college. I believe that I may be interested in accounting, as I work well with numbers and am very meticulous in my work. I desperately need some professional insight on the field to better understand all that entails a typical accounting career, which will help me make a sound decision on my future choice of career. #accounting
4 answers
Krista Moller
Krista’s Answer
It all depends on where you end up in accounting. Accounting has many different directions. I am currently in the Auditing practice - but there is a variety including tax, risk assurance, bookkeeping etc. They all have very different possibilities but an accounting degree can help you get into all of these. Auditing entails a lot of personal time management. I work at a client everyday of the week (I do not work at my office) My team and I are here throughout the year at different times communicating and getting things from the client. We have busy times (Usually january and february) where we can work 50-60 hour weeks but then we have slow times where it is easy to take vacation or do some work from home. Our schedules are flexible as long as we get our work done. Every part of accounting takes a very different approach to work so I would look at the suggested steps and go from there.
Krista recommends the following next steps:
Alicia Bowman
Alicia’s Answer
Accounting has many career options, but I might recommend you start at a public accounting firm and get a good knowledge base before going in a different career direction. A few skills necessary for success in this career are listed below. If this sounds interesting, do some more research online or with a guidance/career counselor.
- Agile (thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic and ever changing environment)
- Problem solving-skills
- Technology savvy
- Innovative thinking
- Good data analysis skills
- Effective communicators (strong writing/presentation skills)
- Ethical
- Works well independently and in teams
- Passionate about helping your clients succeed
Paul A Coulter
Paul A’s Answer
Well there is being a CPA working for someone else or having a private practice. Being an Actuary is another career possibility. Being a Comptroller for a small, medium sized or large company are other possibilities. Becoming an Operations Analyst, Insurance Underwriter or Bank Auditor are other options. Go to indeed.com and put in some of the jobs I've put above with no location and see the variety of jobs under those and just accountant. Then put in where you want to live and see the differences, explore the qualifications some of these open positions require to see what appeals/interests you the most and that might give you more clarity.
Thank you so much for providing some insight in the possibilities in being an accountant! I will definitely check out indeed.com.
Manon
Rose McGovern
Rose’s Answer
Any kind of "Analyst" (in accounting or other fields) has to have attention to detail, so searching on that term and reading various job descriptions would be enlightening. Indeed is a good resource, but you can also join groups on LinkedIn, which will allow you to network with strangers to learn more about what they do.
I started out as an accountant in financial services, retail/wholesale, and manufacturing. As a financial analyst, my role was still heavy on journal entries, month end close, and other typical accounting duties. My career gradually transitioned to finance as I built business acumen, which is not uncommon.