Some may think that the career of an accountant is quite boring. It may have used to be like that in the past but these days an accountant can choose from a wide range of professions such as financial consultant and advisor. All kinds of businesses require an accountant as he has the expertise to document all the transactions of the firm. Hence, a company invests a lot of time and money in hiring a competent and honest accountant.
Here are some tips on becoming an accountant:
Start During Your High School
To ensure that the accounting career is really suitable for you or not, you need to begin early by studying accounting in your high school. The high school level of accounting includes its basic principles and concepts. If you are good at math, probably you will score well in your accounting exams and this will let you understand whether you can pursue it as a career. Moreover, an accountant’s career can involve areas like financial accounting, management accounting, auditing and tax accounting.
Apply for Degree Course
To get a job of an accountant, you need to have a bachelor’s degree. You can start off with a degree course in accountancy or related areas such as taxation, auditing, accounting information systems and so on thatwill last for four years. Individuals can also work as accountant if they have an associate’s degree along with good work experience. Again, individuals who want to work as an accountant should have good mathematical aptitude. Since most accountants work on computer, aspiring individuals should have good computer operating skills.
Apart from a major degree, aspiring accountants are also required to study a minor degree course in another subject through an accredited university or college. This will assist you to advance further by applying for Master’s degree in accounting or to appear for a CPA exam.
Appear for a CPA Exam
If you want to work as an accountant in US, you need to clear the CPA exam. Only individuals who have acquired a major bachelor’s degree along with minor degree from an accredited institution can appear for a CPA exam.
During the exam, individuals are assessed on the basis of four areas like auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation and business environment and concepts. Passing this examination ensures that only qualified individuals can be licensed as CPA. Once you become a CPA, you can work as an accountant in any of the 55 US jurisdictions.
On-the-Job Accountant Training
Once you acquire CPA, you can work as a trainee. It will allow you to gain work experience while you learn. Most companies require accountants that have already worked as accounting internship. Even if your school does not offer you such a program, you need to search for institutions that offer accounting internship as it will considerably help in building your knowledge base and experience.
Hunt for Accounting Jobs
Accounting is a very lucrative career. As you progress, you can work as accountant, loan officers, auditor, budget analysts, actuaries, cashiers, economists, financial officer, tax accountant, and so on. However, at the beginning you need to attempt for entry-level accounting positions. You can look for jobs in your locality or in your city through the classifieds section in your newspaper or apply jobs through online job portals.
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