Accounting is a field that offers financial opportunity as well as growth in your career. For those entering college and deciding what major to pursue, accounting may well be on the list. Those already in school (or in their career) may be thinking of entering a new field that provides more financial freedom or exercises strengths you have not been able to use. In either case, accounting has many benefits beyond the crunching of numbers. Here are some of the many reasons you should consider a career in accounting.
- Demand is High. Accountants are always wanted. Every company, government, non-profit, and individual needs some sort of accounting. Often, they will need to hire an accountant to do that for them. An accountant’s expertise is always necessary to keep a company running smoothly and ethically. Also, consider this: because you are already in-demand, you will be able to take your skill set wherever you go. Becoming an accountant means that you can move just about anywhere. It does not matter the state of the economy—in high times and low times, you will always be essential.
- Accountants—especially private accountants—enjoy a high level of job stability. If you decide to be a private accountant, you will often work regular hours in a facility and perhaps in your own office. You will often specialize solely in the company’s product or service and its capacity to earn profit. Therefore, you will not have to learn from the ground up with every client; you can instead build knowledge within your own niche. Like travel? Public accountants will have the opportunity to be paid to travel more so than private accountants. You may work with clients across the country or across the world that will allow you
- Great Salary Prospects. One of the biggest reasons people become accountants is for the impressive salary. Because accountants are always in-demand, companies offer competitive rates. Those interested in accounting will receive, over time, a drastic increase in salary due to experience and promotion. According to salary.com, the national average entry-level salary is about $48,000, with the potential to grow into the hundreds of thousands over time depending on position and experience. This is no doubt appealing to anyone looking make more money and live a lifestyle suitable to their needs.
- Use Your Skills. If you want a career in accounting, you need to seriously assess your natural talents. You will undoubtedly need to be detail-oriented, analytical, and highly organized. In addition, you must be an effective communicator. You may often have the task of breaking down complex financial scenarios into easily digestible information. Being an effective communicator also means building relations with other people—especially if you strive to be in a leadership position. While some accountants, such as private ones, may have more solitary time in an office, there will be many times you will still need to create and strengthen solidarity with others. Consider whether these are innate talents you have, or whether you can properly develop them.
- Accounting positions allow you to learn a wide breadth of information; the amount of knowledge and expertise is only as limited as the company you work for. Working for the government may teach you a lot about the government structure, process, and law, while a non-profit may teach you more about cancer research or disadvantaged third world countries. Working in accounting is just one way to have a variety of experiences and meet various people.
- The Education is Worth it. The road to becoming an accountant is by no means easy. You will have to go through rigorous education, with most people gaining not only a bachelor’s, but also a master’s degree in accounting or even a doctoral degree. You will also have to gain a lot of experience at an established firm to gain credibility. The most trying of all of these is obtaining the correct certificate. As a public accountant, you will have to get a CPA. In order to do this, you must dedicate yourself to months of studying. Luckily, there are many reputable resources to help you. Make sure you invest in the best CPA review course to suit your educational needs. In the end, many accountants believe that the hours of studying are worth the pay off.