If you love working with numbers and have an affinity for mathematical computations, then you do have what it takes for a career in accounting. When you start your university career and pursue a degree in accounting, you will be on your way to finding many different types of employment. Some of the jobs you can have in this field include:
- Certified Public accountant
- Private accountant
- Tax accountant
- Certified management accountant
- Budget analyst
- Chief controller
- Cost accountant
- Financial analyst
- Internal auditor
With a degree in accounting, you need to have many different skills and abilities. You will be interacting with different people even if you work on your own. In order to be successful, an accountant needs clients and this calls for good interpersonal skills as well as good oral and written communication skills. You need to be good a solving problems and at analyzing financial data to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. Organization skills are important so that you can prioritize your tasks, but you also should be able to multi-task. Ethical behavior and professionalism is essential in an accounting career and there are high standards that you must maintain in your job.
During the program you choose leading to a degree in accounting, you will have to engage in work terms where you work with a private accounting firm. This will give you some experience and help you to apply the accounting principles and methods you learn in your courses to real-life applications. In the summer when you are not attending classes, you can get a job as a payroll clerk or as an accounts payable or receivable clerk in a company that hires summer staff. This will give you some on-the-job training that will help you look for jobs after you graduate.
In order to get ahead in your accounting career with a degree in accounting, you will need to take the CPA exam to become a certified public accountant. To be eligible to write this exam, you must have courses beyond that required for your degree. There are many universities that offer both a four and a five-year degree program. With a four-year program, you graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, but then you have to take additional courses while you work to meet the CPA requirement. With a five-year program, you have these courses, so all you need to concentrate on is getting the two years of work experience required.
During your studies for a degree in accounting, you will take courses in all aspects of accounting. This will give you a good idea of the areas of specialization in the accounting industry. You may choose to specialize in one or more of these areas and concentrate on taking the courses that will help you gain the certification you need to become a specialist. Once you start working, all accountants start out in entry-level positions and then work their way up the ladder to more prestigious positions in the government or in private firms.
