Qualifications Required
Certain qualification requirements must be complied with before you have a good shot at these job opportunities. Keep in mind that the accounting and audition profession is very competitive because of the great responsibilities expected of the individuals involved in it. Said responsibilities include but are not limited to setting up the books of accounts, establishing internal controls, complying with governmental and industrial financial compliance laws and standards, and improving on the profession itself through education. But that's getting ahead of the story.
To become eligible for almost all types of accounting career opportunities, a bachelor's degree in accountancy or in any related field like management accounting and business administration are necessary. Most colleges and universities offer these bachelor degrees, which can range from four to five years in length depending on the specialization.
If you already have a degree in an unrelated field and yet you want to take advantage of the abundant accounting job listings, we suggest enrolling in a few special classes, workshops and training seminars to acquire the necessary knowledge. Ask your local community colleges and universities for such programs as well as the local accounting and auditing associations.
Many individuals also take advantage of the in-house training opportunities to hone their basic accounting skills. In this way, specializations in fields like tax accounting, management accounting and internal auditing are possible and, in turn, moving up the corporate ladder is faster.
For the high-ranking accounting job opportunities, you have to possess higher education, broader training and longer work experience. Usually, a master's degree or a license as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is necessary along with the right certifications of training from the various certifying professional associations.
As for work experience, you can start with summer internship programs as a student and then progressing into full-time jobs in any industry. Indeed, this is the beauty of accounting employment listings - you will find one in every industry be it from apple companies to zoo organizations simply because all of these establishments will require accounting and auditing of their financial affairs.
Personality traits are as important as professional credentials in the accounting profession. You must possess good analytical abilities, proficient knowledge in computer software packages, excellent communication skills and the ability to deal with many types of people in the hierarchy. Add in a strong sense of work ethics, responsibility and integrity and accounting employment opportunities will open up for you.
Possible Positions
When browsing through accounting employment listings, you will observe that there are many possibilities to carve out a career for yourself in the profession. Among these possible positions are the following:
* Public accountants are usually employed by accounting and auditing firms although many are also owners of their own service companies. The services offered usually include accounting, auditing and taxation activities for many types of public and private organizations and individuals.
* Government accountants obviously work in government offices like the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Of course, almost all government agencies will have accounting departments.
* Management accountants are employed by private organizations to perform budgeting, recording and forecasting activities related to the financial aspects of the operations. Responsibilities will vary from one industry to the next such that a management accountant in a manufacturing company will focus on cost accounting while a professional in an insurance company will be tasked with, well, insurance accounting.
Needless to say, the accounting job opportunities are not limited to top-level jobs requiring a master's degree or a CPA license. Entry level jobs include positions as accounts receivable or accounts payable clerk, inventory assistant and other accounting clerical work. Just go through the accounting employment listings in the job site and you are sure to find one that best fits your qualifications. Visit AccountingCrossing.com today and avail of their free trial period and secure one of accounting jobs available. It will be the start of a lucrative career!