In the business world, accounting is a discipline which all people, regardless of the job position should possess some knowledge. Noting that accounting is a business language, there are thousands of accounting jobs today. The concepts of the subject are applied to almost all job specialties and its importance has been promoted over the recent past, with the business revolution.

There is a lot in accounting career, perhaps among them is to first learn how the business works. Accounting jobs are very evolving and may be the very reason why people see them as stimulating and challenging. Since the role of an accountant is to spend time checking the business hoods, they well know each and every nut and bolt of those businesses. It’s no surprise that the key leaders in business and most prominent leaders in business began with accounting jobs.

To most accountants, accounting job starts when one joins an accounting firm, such as the PricewaterhouseCoopers . It is through spending time with these firms that the accountants gets to acquire knowledge outside the class, from the real world, before they start looking for accounting teaching jobs, auditing jobs, among other related fields.

Examples of accounting jobs: Most terms, when students are about to complete their accounting courses, they are not sure if they will get an accounting career. The start point is usually the problem. But looking things on the positive side, accounting courses allows the learner to study different financial analysis which is crucial for any business job.

Preparation of basic financial statements: Today, businesses are not just looking for information, but subst a ntial information which will help the maximize profits as well as the company’s growth. Ac counting courses plays a major role in understanding how to prepare statements and financial information which managers, business owners, creditors, customers, government and the public c an use as well. People belie ve that accounting jobs can be challenging and exhausting, which is to some extent true. Preparation of income statements of a company, also known as the pro fit and loss accounts statements is not easy. Preparation of these accounting statements brings the accounting skills learnt to investigate the performance of the organization/business. However, it depends on the proficiency on the accounting course one has. In fact; ask most of those who have been in one accounting job to the other, they will tell you that it only take a matter of time, before you get used to see it just as a ‘normal’ job. Information gotten from the income statements of the company’s are needed by the business itself, the competitors and the existing shareholders. Preparation of balance sheet: This is one fraction of accounting cycle. Balance sheet is a financial statement used to show the value of the organization, in terms of assets. Very qualified accountants are needed to help the company in understanding its position and determination of the business stability. Most companies provide accounting jobs to employees who have ability to prepare and analyze balance sheet for determination of financial stability of an operation. Interpretation of financial statements: Interpreting financial statements of any business is very essential.  The process is known as statement analysis. Accounting job of this kind requires proficient accountant who will know the kind of questions to ask and how to use the answers given in determining the company’s efficiency, liquidity and profitability. All these needs well prepared balance sheet and other financial statements. As far as accounting career is concerned, every business which requires a competitive edge must have proper findings, analysis and interpretation of its position; situation where the accounting jobs comes in.

According to most of career advisers, college students interested in accounting jobs should start with their careers in public accounting. The route carries lots of benefits including higher salary, more interesting and diverse work. In addition, there is exposure to many different industries and ability to fill requirement for certification. Whether working on private or public accounting, as internal auditor or management accountant, accounting jobs will always use the same accounting principles. Bearing in mind the perennial shortage nature of the accountants and with the weak economy, accounting teaching jobs, will be plentiful in a bit to provide more accountants to fill for the very many jobs that have been left vacant. Above all the plentiful accounting salary for the well trained accountants is attracting. As long as taxation, auditing and book-keeping are the strong holds of business, accounting jobs will remain a matter of choice, for the accountants to work for any company or business.

Math is one subject that not most professionals can boast about. However, not all have trouble working with numbers, and often end in the accounting jobs. Accounting jobs are challenging but comes with big rewards, which are rare on other types of jobs in organization and businesses. Working as an accountant provides opportunity for one to see big picture and peak inside how companies operates. Chances of learning how corporations succeed in accounting career are thus real.

How to Succeed in Accounting Jobs

• Value of education: Accounting professionals (accountants) spend lot of time continuing with education, accounting degrees and certification, not forgetting additional degrees. Accounting career requires Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to gain more and more certifications, which can be an expensive step. But fact remains that accounting job description will require employees who believe in their future investment.
• Getting into routine: The accounting jobs are all about getting into routine. It’s very difficult to stay motivated with the accounting routine work but accounting work will at times offer unexpected challenges and problems which keeps you on your toes.

• Constant collaboration: Most people think that accountants to their work individually. Truth is that accounting jobs involves constant relation and collaboration with others on a team. Accountants’ works together in ensuring correct accounts principles are put in place for the business growth.
• Communication is crucial: Once you solve a problem in accounting, sign off reports or projects, you are required to communicate results with others in the company. Accounting job is not easy for those who are not working inside the organization; hence the professionals should have ability to explain their work to others. Strong skills in communication will be key in helping accounting professionals during voicing of ideas or during presentation to the executives.
• Networking: Crucial for success of accounting job workers looking to get ahead shouldn’t feel uncomfortable asking help regarding accounting career from the veteran team members. Knowing well that accounting job is technical and requires lots of hours of training and experience, best way for accounting professionals to skyrocket to top jobs is through networking. According to the AIPCA . American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, more than 91% of accounting firms expect jobs for accounting major to increase or remain constant. This becomes the greatest news for students and graduates seeking for accounting career. Lots of accounting colleges have been worrying of their graduates looking for job opportunities especially considering global economic crises. With the constant rise in unemployment, it becomes very comforting to see the high demand for accounting jobs.
• The baseline to accounting jobs: Regional firms represent the clients doing most of their business both local and international. Accounting jobs are based first at the starting point, immediately the graduate has completed his/her accounting course and is looking forward to start an accounting career. In the US, there are four largest firms which are known to practice stronger accounting. However there are other smaller categories which offer the same job opportunity depending on the region. If you are considering starting your accounting career in a public accounting firm, ensure that you first check the quality of that firms practice.

The local firms tend to operate in small number and also focus on small businesses, as well as individuals. These firms conduct tax and planning engagement, which is more than book-keeping. Nevertheless, public accounting is not for anyone. It is good noting that private accountants don’t do much traveling as the public accountants, and thus accounting jobs of their caliber is more stable. Private accounting jobs do not involve the changeability issue, where there is pressure on public to work in billable projects in most of the time as possible.

For the public accounting jobs, management and internal auditing, they all have much ,mobility, and hence practitioners (accounting professionals) find themselves shifting from management accounting to internal auditing and vice versa. Later, as they rise through the organization, they advance to chief accountants, manager of internal auditing, and accounting manager among other levels of accounting job. Additionally, due to the fact that they learn about and also reviews internal controls of different business units, within the company, internal auditors usually gains experience needed to become upper level managers, the very dream of every person in the accounting career.

Succeeding in accounting jobs, can be said to be a matter of choice, depending on whether one has all it takes. Though we have been used to the idea that only through studies and getting almost everything in math’s can give as way, there is more than just the studies, the personality, and understanding what accounting jobs requires from a successful candidate. Of course education, is a part of the accounting job determinant, but doesn’t hold everything, as discussed above on this article. Job opportunities for accounting are not the only reasons students should consider accounting. Accounting job openings can be rewarding too. The average accounting salary as of by March 2009 was $51000. However the change can exist due to the company, its location and the industry.

Types of accounting jobs: Accountants and auditors helps in ensuring efficient running of the firms, accurate keeping of public records, proper payments of taxes and ensuring payments are made on time. In addition, they also analyze and communicate the information (as discussed in part 2) for various entities such as individual clients, the company, state and the government. Beyond the fundamental accounting jobs; provision of information to clients through preparation, analyzing and verification of financial statements, most of accounting professionals offers budget analysis, IT consulting, financial and investment planning, and limited legal services.

Major types of accounting jobs are classified into 4 categories;

1. Public accounting
2. Management accounting
3. Government accounting
4. Internal auditing

• Public accounting job: The accounting professionals working in public accounting are paid accounting salary for services provided to businesses, individuals, and the government. Most of public accounting involves combination of tax, auditing and management consulting. For smaller companies, the accountants offer tax and book-keeping services, unlike the larger firms which have internal accounting departments. Due to the requirement of public company to have yearly audit, large accounting firms becomes important in this requirement fulfillment. Some of the public accounting professionals specializes in forensic accounting. This involves investigation and interpreting of white-collar crimes such as embezzlement, security fraud, contract dispute, bankruptcies, among other complex criminal financial transactions. Forensic accounting job requires combination of accounting (finance) and law with investigative techniques in determining whether an activity is illegal or not.
• Management accounting job: Here, accountants work on several areas of corporation especially on financial and accounting sides. On finance, they can work on financial planning and analysis of treasure’s group, making analysis on potential acquisition and funding decisions for a given company. On accounting, opportunities of handling taxation issues and working with external auditors in preparation of financial statement are common. Usually, the management accountants are involved in executive teams for strategic development of new products.
• Government accounting jobs: This involves working in public sector maintaining and examining government agencies records as well as auditing private businesses which activities are subject to the government regulation and taxation. The DOD-Department of Defense, IRS-Internal Revenue Service, GAO-General Accounting Office and SEC-Security Exchange Commission has typically high number of accounting jobs within their organization. IRS has responsibility of reviewing individual and corporate tax return. The SEC ensures it hires experienced accounting professionals for the evaluation of filing made by public companies
• Internal auditing: This accounting job involves the accountant reviewing firm or company’s financial practices; checking the mismanagement, waste and fraud activities. They also evaluate firms budgeting and management systems and the operations for performance and efficiency, in addition to compliance with law and regulations.

These tasks are all performed within the organization.

Accounting job applications: Internal controls are crucial for any existing business. This is for the purpose of internal theft control. Having good set of internal control; it becomes difficult for employees to embezzle funds or merchandise. The important part of internal control accounting job is the separation of duties. This simply means that nobody performs all jobs of a company. It creates a room of responsibility sequence in that one person checks the others work, making fabrication of accounting data difficult; where loops of money stealing exists. Accounting jobs provides base for these companies’ controls and checks to ensure that they are as well enforced. As people becomes more and more intelligent, more do there exist chances of accounting frauds increase, risking business in loosing lots of cash. This also increases demand for accounting jobs openings for people with FBI knowledge. Companies, institutions, businesses and organizations are looking for people who can decouple the financial statements and able to pick bad accounting form for uncovering sophisticated fraud dealings.

Accounting jobs are also on the increase for trial purposes. This is as a result of necessity of evidence provision to lawyers and prosecutors when need arises (where necessary). This means that the jobs will be very rewarding. Lots of accountants also feel rewarded upon discovering fraudulent activities uncovering and prosecution of those who tries to manipulate the company’s financial data for their won personal gain. With such fraudulent activities being committed each year, strict auditing by accounting firms and accounting professionals will be essentially needed. This means that more accounting jobs for the firms, and ultimately for the accounting professionals too.