The Accounting Job
The accounting profession may appear complex, but this is straightened out by fields of competencies. Tax accountants, junior accountants, and financial analysts — no matter how diverse their specializations — are all bound by the same accounting principles and concepts that dictate the profession's standards.
Accountants are fixtures in private and government agencies, and corporate companies and small enterprises. Their jobs are complex and different because business finance is complex and unique in various ways. In a company, accountants handle tax papers, purchase and expenditures, and general accountancy services.
In the accountancy rank, one has to make the grade in Certified Public Accountancy, a national licensure exam required for accountancy graduates in order to qualify for junior positions in private and public institutions. Non-CPAs though can still gain employment but will be assigned as staff accountants working under a supervising accountant.
What You Need to Know
Check out if you are eligible for a four-year or a two-year college program. Bear in mind that an accountancy program requires coursework on some math subjects. You must have completed 21 credits of required core course, 12 credits of supplemental major courses, 3 credits of required capstone course, 18 credits of mandatory minor courses, and 9 related courses.
Check out accountancy sites and online universities offering accountancy certification courses or a full four-year course. Get a feel of the career by browsing websites devoted to accounting job descriptions. You can also visit job fairs to get first-hand information about job opportunities in accounting.
If you are already a professional with a background in banking or finance, you qualify for a certificate program in accountancy. Having a degree in a different course and an accountancy certification doubly boost your chances for employment or a better job. These days, employers are looking at resumes closely.
Check out job descriptions for accountant positions in high profile corporations. You may find a niche in audit and assurance, billing, control, payroll, internal audit, credit collections, accounts payable, accounts receiving, tax, or financial planning and analysis.
Benefits of an Accounting Degree
A college degree in accountancy is the ticket to high-paying or stable accountancy jobs. The next step is taking the CPA exam to affix this acronym to your name. The CPA tag opens doors and opportunities and if you are there at the right time, you can get an accountancy job that can pay as much as $50,000 to $70,000 in metro areas and $40,000 to $50,000 in the suburbs.
If your profession takes you to the big time as a financial analyst, you can earn as much as $100,000 in major cities and $74,000 elsewhere. Just imagine how much you can earn if you are employed by a giant global company? But before you can get there, you have to know what it takes to be an accountant handling the company ledger. If you are considering an accountant job or an accountancy course, you might want more information before committing yourself to the demands of the job, but first you must be good with numbers.
