Accounting, or the tracking of financial information, is a massive industry today. As far as the potential to provide for a comfortable living, this career is more than capable. However, for those not quite sure if this is the right move for them, some additional considerations into this vocation can help to make things a bit clearer. Here are some helpful things to think about when deciding if this particular field of work is right for you.
Core Concepts
First and foremost, let’s look to some of the core concepts and job functions of most accountancy positions. As mentioned above, this particular discipline is all about money and numbers. How much is the company earning? What are the total expenses we’re paying each quarter? Should we continue to purchase supplies from our current contractor or look elsewhere?
These are the types of questions you will be answering in such a role. To do so, you will spend a lot of time analyzing financial records, most often in the form of electronic data. This is an indoor, office-setting position that requires diligence, attention to details, and great money and mathematical awareness.
Educational Requirements
Another important clue as to this vocation’s viability to your particular interests and aspirations comes by way of looking to its typical educational requirements. Accountants are required to come equipped with a bare minimum of an Associate’s Degree in Accounting. Most employers, however, prefer a bachelor’s here. In addition, a certification is required in order to legally work in such a capacity.
Resource: Top 10 Online Accounting Degree Programs
As far as the collegiate requirements herein, most core class work will be aimed at finances, math, database usage, and integrity in operation. These are, after all, some of the most crucial components to success in this type of career. With certifications, accountants become certified by passing their state’s corresponding version of the Uniform CPA Examination, provided officially by the AICPA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The resulting, CPA Certification then entitles the holder’s legal accountancy work in all of the US.
Research
Finally, to really get into the core of this profession and understand if it’s right for you, do some research. There are many ways and places with which to do so. Contact your local college or university and seek their resources on the profession and information about it that’s of particular interest to you. You can also seek out advice from those working within accountancy positions already. Build a profile on LinkedIn and reach out to those in the know or also simply reach out to practicing firms and ask for any guidance and direction they may have to offer someone interested in such a career.
In addition, there are several great career interest profile tests you can take online. These tests essentially survey your interests and qualities and then match them with real-life careers best suited for them. Education Planner is one of these. The second recommended career interest profiler is the US Department of Labor’s O*Net. Such tests can be great tools for figuring out exactly which careers anyone is potentially best matched to.
Any career involving accountancy is certain to involve many of the aspects discussed here. While the rewards herein are certainly many, it’s always best to carefully consider the aligns of any career before fully committing. These are the basics of accounting careers today as well as some direction in deciding if this career is best for you.
