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ACCOUNTING AS A
CAREER

To: Mr. Matevski

From: Ayah AlKhalil
Due Date: 13 March, 2015

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................... 2
Career Opportunities........................................................................................ 2
Advantages...................................................................................................... 3
The Outlook...................................................................................................... 4
REFERENCES..................................................................................................... 5

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ACCOUNTING AS A CAREER
Introduction
Accounting is a very fascinating career available to business students.
It appeals to people who are detail oriented and logical. In addition,
accountants need to have good communication and people skills as they will
be dealing with clients on an on-going basis. An advantage of a career in
accounting is the fact that you can work in a variety of businesses whether
they be small, medium or large size businesses. Accountants work in all
fields of business and finance, including audit, taxation, financial and general
management. Some are engaged in public practice work, others work in the
private sector and some are employed by government bodies. It is also a
career which has a professional designation. Not everyone has these
qualifications or can call themselves a chartered accountant (CA), a certified
management accountant (CMA), or a certified general accountant (CGA).
Like lawyers or doctors, each of these professions has its own professional
body which looks after licensing and regulation of its members.

Career Opportunities
Your career opportunities will depend on the amount of education and the type of
educational qualifications you wish to pursue. If you take grade 11 accounting, you will have
sufficient background to work as an Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable Clerk (Anderson,
11). An accounts receivable clerk performs tasks related to looking after the accounts of clients
who owe the business money. An accounts receivable clerk performs tasks related to looking
after the accounts of people to whom the business owes money (Roussie, 293). A high school

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diploma with good marks in accounting should also allow you to apply for a position as a payroll
clerk. You would be responsible for all of the work leading up to issuing a cheque on payday.
You can also pursue higher education and obtain your qualifications as a certified general
accountant, a certified management account or a chartered accountant. All three accounting
designations require that you must have a university degree. Differences revolve around the
number of courses, length of articling period, types of mandatory courses required in each
program, and the examinations which must be passed.
A chartered accountant and a certified general accountant are the only individuals
allowed to audit financial statements and attest to the accuracy of such statements (Anderson,
138). Chartered Accountants are often employed by an accounting firm that provides accounting
services to a variety of clients. Certified management accountants tend to provide their services
to a particular employer rather than to the public (Anderson, 139). They do not audit financial
statements. Rather they focus on the internal accounting requirements of medium to large
corporations. A certified general accountant using provides accounting services to medium and
large size companies. Some certified general accountants like to freelance and provide
accounting services to a variety of smaller clients.

Advantages
There are many advantages to a career in accounting. Here are just a few (Vickery):

Accountants are in high demand in both good and bad economies. No matter what
happens, businesses will still need accountants. Taxes must still be paid and financial
audits must continue to occur.

Accountants are well paid. Experienced accountants can earn up to six figures annually.

There are many types of accounting careers to go into and not all require years and years
of schooling. Those in accounting can concentrate on tax preparation, auditing, payroll or
even management.
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Accounting can be an opening to many other careers that a person might tend towards in
the future, because when the way a business works and operates is understood and
observed, it can be extremely easy to start a personal or private business.

The Outlook
Government projections show a strong trend for accounting careers for at least the next
10 years (Parker, B1). Salaries are significantly above the national average. The average
chartered accountant with five years of work experience earns approximately $113,000 per year.
Even those who enter accounting after high school, have the option of taking courses at night to
improve their career options.
Some of our leading business leaders have a CA designation. Accountants have excellent
reputations within their communities as they are required to practice the highest of ethics at all
times. Given the interesting work, positive trends, status within the community and good
salaries, why wait! Make sure you sign up for accounting in grade 11.

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REFERENCES

Anderson, G. (2012). Looking at Career Trends. Toronto: Wiley & Sons.

Hagan, T. (n.d.). Ask a CPA. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from AICPA:
http://www.startheregoplaces.com/why-accounting/ask-a-cpa/advantages-anddisadvantages/

Parker, A. (2011). Career Opportunities The 10 Year Trend. Retrieved Ebsco Online database
http://web.ebscohost.com

Roussie, S. (December 28, 2011). How to Avoid Becoming a Barrista. Macleans Magazine.
Retrieved from http://www2.macleans.ca/category/canada/

Vickery, V. (n.d.) The Advantages of a Career in Accounting. EHow Money. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5163808_advantages-career-accounting.html

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