I have researched three different types of career opportunities in the discipline of accounting. The first is a certified public accountant, the second is government accounting, and the third is internal auditing. CPAs, or certified public accountants, are much like government accountants in that they both prepare financial reports for companies and individuals. However, CPAs earn their certification by completing their education and passing a rigorous examination. These professionals sometimes have the opportunity to specialize in certain areas of accounting, such as tax preparation or auditing. Internal auditors work for a company’s internal audit department and ensure the accuracy of financial statements and reports.
Accounting is the recording of financial transactions and the analysis and reporting of the results in budgets, forecasts, and trends. Understanding what is required for the different accountancy careers can help determine which position is right for you. In this research, I understood these three most common jobs in the accounting field. I got familiarized with each job’s responsibilities and daily tasks. After taking this research, I can say that I now have a better idea of what career path to take in accounting and finance. Starting to research a career in accounting seemed overwhelming, with all the different job titles and responsibilities. I have had to start by assessing my interests and goals, determining how much training I want, the money, and how I want to advance in accounting. All paths offer professional development opportunities, but some are more hands-on than others (Ghani, Said, Nasir& Jusoff 2008).
Each of these has different aspects that make a strong case for consideration over the other two. An internal auditor has the advantage of being the very safer career among the three. It is unlikely that you will be fired for the sole reason of a bad economy. However, this comes with the disadvantage of lacking diversity. The opportunities in this type of work are extremely limited. The Government accountant is advantaged because there is greater stability in the government hence job security. There is a good chance that you’ll have to move up in rank to be promoted. CPA provides unlimited possibilities because of its diverse nature and flexibility of the qualification. A CPA can become involved in numerous areas within accounting. However, to qualify, one must undertake strict and specific examinations to acquire the requirements. To achieve certified public accountant status, one must meet specific educational requirements (Warrick, Daniels& Scott 2010).
These all sound interesting to me, but I will choose internal auditing for my career. After researching these three options, I learned that an internal auditor has various skills and can apply them to many different companies in many different industries. They are thought of as a detective in the business world. They use those skills to find leaks in their financial system and then share their findings with the CFO or CEO to change their weaknesses (Uyar, Gungormus, Kuzey2011). This information will influence my studies and future career by enabling me to learn more effectively and concentrate on specific areas that will help me reach my long-term goal of becoming an internal auditor at a big company like KPMG or PWC.
References
Warrick, C. S., Daniels, B., & Scott, C. (2010). Accounting students’ perceptions on employment opportunities. Research in Higher Education Journal, 7, 1.
Uyar, A., Gungormus, A. H., & Kuzey, C. (2011). Factors affecting students career choice in accounting: the case of a Turkish University. American Journal of Business Education (AJBE), 4(10), 29-38.
Ghani, E. K., Said, J., Nasir, N. M., & Jusoff, K. (2008). The 21st century accounting career from the perspective of the Malaysian university students. Asian Social Science, 4(8), 73-83.
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