Accounting Careers and Types

Accountants are skilled professionals who provide processed data to be used in present and future present economic activities of individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and government bodies. Accountants are required to complete tasks other than preparing financial statements and maintaining records of daily business transactions. An accountant is also responsible to calculate computing costs and efficiency gains of proposed technologies and make suggestions for participation in acquisitions and mergers. He also thinks for introducing IT systems to properly track accounting performance, tax related matters and employee benefit management.

You may think that you can become a general accountant after getting diploma in accounting but it’s not true. Becoming a general accountant is not only option after studying in account that you can avail. You can follow tens if not hundreds of options that you can follow with accounting knowledge and special skills for instance auditor, management policy maker, information system personnel, tax department officer, computer operator etc. There are lots of options for you in accounting career. I have worked on few of these options and providing you an outlines of few career options in accounting:

Areas of Career in Accounting:

Auditor: Audit is one of the core options after studying in accounting. Career in auditing involves checking accuracy of ledgers and other financial statements of a business, public or non-profit organizations or government bodies. An auditor can now rely on computer based accounting systems and do a check with sampling techniques. A person as an auditor can earn handsome livelihood and make progress.

Budget Analyst: A budget analyst is responsible to develop and manage financial plans for an organization. A person skilled in budget analysis can get job in government or private industry. A person needs to have extensive people skills and quantitative skills for his job work.

Financial Officer: Financial accountants take information from general ledgers and prepare complex and meaningful financial statement for several business decisions. They also take part in financial decisions of a business like mergers, acquisitions, employee benefits and long-term financial plans. An accountant must have knowledge and skills in finance and accounting to become a financial officer.

Management Accountant: Companies hire management accountants who take part in decisions about capital budgeting and business analysis. Major tasks of management accountants include cost benefit analysis, contracts analysis and take part in schemes to control business expenses. They serve as major contributors in business decisions, working within marketing and financial managers for development of new business concern.

Tax Officer: Tax accountants prepare different tax statements. They are responsible to prepare strategies for deferring taxes. A tax officer must have complete knowledge of economics and tax codes. Some firms require a tax officer to have legal knowledge also.

Types of Careers in Accounting:

Public Accounting Firms: People having expertise in accounting can work as a team to provide accounting and auditing services to individuals, businesses and government bodies.

Government: Government bodies hire people skilled in accounting at any level of government to prepare budgets, track costs and analyze government initiatives. You can find better options for development within accounting career in government businesses.

Corporations: Businesses of all size and nature hire personnel expert in accounting operations to prepare financial statements, tack costs, deal with tax returns and work on major transactions. Nature of work is more dynamic in corporations.

Independent: People who like to work as self-employed can establish home based accounting services business. Having good customer contacts, independence and proficiencies in accounting can benefit a lot for an accountant working independently.