ACCOUNTING CAREER

Accounting is generally concerned with transferring an organization’s information to

people who need it. The information is structured in the form of financial statements. In a business
organization, there is a lot of information that is required in order to assess the performance of the
business, its future viability, credit worthiness, and to project its future.

Some of the people who need this information include investors, suppliers, creditors,
customers, the government, commissioner of tax, and the general public. The information is
usually bulky, thus it has to be summarized into monetary form and presented as financial
statements. Accounting principles are applicable in three major categories: auditing, accounting as
well as bookkeeping (Alba, Manisha and Matthew 31).

One can take various paths in accounting as a career. The path one takes depends on the
type of organization they are working in. Such organizations include government institutions,
public companies and public institutions, tax departments, auditing departments, and private
companies.The difference occurs mostly with the person each accountant reports to. One can,
therefore, take a path in public accounting. Public accountants are accountants who provide
accounting services to companies. They can also work as partners, sole proprietors, or as
individuals. One can also take a path in government accounting. These are accountants who work
mostly for the government and government institutions.

They deal with government funds. Tax accounting, as the name suggests, deals with taxes
for individuals and businesses. Finally there is the auditing career path, which mostly deals with
verification of the financial information given by the organization’s accountant (Alba, Manisha
and Matthew 31). The auditor seeks to ensure that the information is true and fair.

Accounting is a business field of study that yields to a series of professional job positions.
Accounting careers openings range from small corporations, large scale corporations, MNCs, all
levels of government agencies to NFP organisations ('AICPA: American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants', 2004). They include:

Management Accounting:

This is part of accounting that relates to the provision of financial information to people
and managers within the organization to assist in the execution of management functions namely,
planning, controlling, and evaluation of performance, organizing and decision making for example
to make or buy decisions. Professional skills and knowledge are highly involved. Precisely, it
requires preparation and presentation of information to all levels of management in the
organization. The information generated by management accounting is for internal uses and is not
guided by any standards or legal requirements.

Management accounting, unlike financial accounting, is proactive, that is, it is future-

oriented. In a nutshell, cost accounting enables a business to, not only find out what various jobs
or processes have cost, but also what they should have cost. It indicates where possible and
potential actual losses are occurring before the task is finished and therefore appropriate corrective
action recommended should be undertaken ('AICPA: American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants', 2004). However, there is a very slim distinction between Cost accounting and
Management accounting. In fact, cost accounting is part of management accounting.

Main functions:

1. Internal Auditing; continuous review, re-evaluations, analysis and regular reporting of the
operations and other related departments.
2. Accounting management: book-keeping, preparation and maintenance of ledger books,
running of accounting information systems and cash management.
3. Budgeting: preparations, harmonizing and publishing of budget and company quantified
forecasts plans.
4. Reporting: preparation and presentation of regular relevant reports and ad hoc reporting to
authority.Any other prescribed function by the depending on unique features of the
operating sector.

Government Accounting:

This is set of job opportunities available to accountants who work for the federal/local
government and government agent. They are not practising as private consultant, instead they are
civil servants, they keep a close eye on law changes related to tax, fines, federal annual budgets
and local government budgetary protocol (Bls.gov, 2015).

Speciality functionsAccounting:

1. Auditing,
2. Bookkeeping, recording of government accounts.
3. Tax and other revenue and expenditure budgeting.
4. Central bank regulations and proposal integration with the budgets.
5. Agency functions subject to the rule of law and government of the day.
6. Accountant position
 7. PositionCost Accountant

Required mandatory skills:

Analytical skills: equips the accountant with ability to draw very logical, precise, relevant,
concrete, reliable deductions from a set of accounting data. Methodical skills are necessary, it
provides a platform and interface to breakdown cost accounting data to a format that a general
manager needs and understands.

Organisational Skills: cost accountant is a relevant position in accounting function as well as in

management. The position requires continuous interaction with operations staff as well as senior
manager. This necessities organisational skills to the position of a cost accountant.

Computing Skills: technology applicability is old news to accounting. Finance and accounts
department are the most automated organisational functions. Basically, it obvious that a cost
accountant should have profound computing skills for example; competence in R programing and
MS excel.

Communication and presentation skills:Cost accountant works closely with operations,

audit and management executive. Ability to conduct and maintain an absolute clear
communication culture is mandatory requirement. Management needs the cost accountant to pitch
recommendation ideas, which would be well knit together, if a good communication series are
sustained with operations, audit and executives (Bls.gov, 2015).

Why you chose to study accounting

1. Vast employment opportunities

In Indonesia, an accounting graduate is much sought after and needed because any kind of
business or company needs an accountant to record and manage the company's finances.
2. Job prospects were promising
There are many kinds of professions to take. Even graduate students can benefit from a
junior to a senior career. Especially if you graduate.
3. Supporting business management
If at some time you build a business and already have an accounting science, then you can
manage your own bookkeeping and drafting business statements so as to know your profit
or loss and appropriately allocate budgeting.
4. Sharpening logic
Logical ability is particularly refined because accounting learning requires systematic and
logical thought through dealing with various kinds of transactions.
Job prospects for accounting graduates

Here are some job opportunities that could be selected for the continuation of your career,
which is:
1) Public accountant
The CPA is an accounting professional who gets permission from the finance minister to
open up a CPA service, which is explained in the 2011 statute number 5 on public
accountant.Public accountants provide accounting services to individuals or companies
that conduct accounting reports analysis, assist in taxation, audit financial reports, or
management consultation. To be a public accountant is required to have certification of
the profession, public accountant, for example, demographic public opinion.
2) Internal accountant
Another name for the internal accountant is the private accountant. Internal accountants
are accountants who work inside a company or an organization. The accountant is also
referred to as the management accountant. It comprises or regulates accounting
requirements for a particular company.
3) Internal auditors
Internal auditors are charged with auditing or internal examination of certain companies
and giving advice or input to management. The auditor was also responsible for ensuring
the financial statements of an enterprise were consistent with the original and that the
company did not deviate internally.
4) Tax consultan
A tax consultant is a profession that provides consultation services to both individual and
physical taxpayers. To get a tax consultant practice permit, one of his requirements is to
pass the tax certificate exam.
5) Financial
Financial analysts, or financial analysts, are a profession that provides the basis for
analysis of a company's financial information to serve as a consideration for certain
business decisions.
6) Educators accountant
Educators are accountants that provide accounting education, such as a teacher or a
teacher
7) Government accountant
The government accountant is an accountant who works in government agencies like the
finance examiner's agency. It was to check and monitor the financial reports of certain
government units.
That's some of the professions you can choose for the rest of your career. It should be noted,
however, that the increased scope of the profession for auto-accounting graduates resulted in
increased competition and competition. Hence, we must continue to enhance skill and knowledge,
such as the ability to operate word, number, or picture processing programs. Moreover, there are
accounting software, such as mind on your own business, accounting, zahir accounting, and so on.

Skill that an accountant must have:

1. Analysis
Accounting experts must have analysis skills. Quoting The Balance Careers, this skill is
important for reading, comparing, and summarizing the data.Remember, accounting
practice work is closely related to money. With these skills, their daily tasks are certainly
easier to accomplish.
2. Communication
Actually, everybody needs this one skill. When working, all professions have to write an
email, or explain a concept to others.Well, accountants are one of them, too. They need to
be able to explain financial concepts or phenomena clearly.
3. Precision
How many financial statements does the accountant have to write? Moreover, what
information does it contain?The answer, of course, is a lot. That's why accounting experts
must be thorough and detailed. That way, financial data can be well recorded.
4. Technology
One of the main duties of the accountant is financial reporting. Well, to facilitate this task,
companies usually use data processing applications, such as:
-Microsoft Excel
- Google Spreadsheet
So, the accounting expert must master the software. Learn about the various popular Excel
and Spreadsheet formulas that can help financial reporting.
5. Business
Remember the public accountant profession? One of the services they offer is
consultation.In order for the advice process to be smooth, accountants must understand the
intricacies of the business.
6. Creativity
Many consider accounting practices not to require creativity. In fact, according to the
Black Line, this is not the case.Every financial problem certainly has a different solution.
Well, for that solution to be effective and efficient, you have to be creative in looking for
it.
 7. Critical thinking
The accountant must be skeptical of his own analysis. Not only does it look at the whole
problem, it looks at every single detail in it.In order to present analysis and offer the best
solution, accountants must have critical thinking skills.
8. Organization
Why should an accountant have an organizational skill? Because they have to be trusted
by clients.To gain trust, you must be able to cooperate with others, or work on your own
neatly and efficiently.
9. Time management
Sometimes, accountants have more than one client in the same time period.This is the
moment that requires you to have good time management skills, so that all tasks can be
done well.
10. Active learning
According to Ottawa University, the field of the accounting profession is a profession that
always faces change. Both tax, software, and other technical changes in policy

Accountant Certification

In addition to the above skills, accountants can also develop careers through certification. Quoting
the Indonesian Accountants Association, the certificates that accountants can choose are:

1. Chartered Accountant (CA)

2. Certified Government Accounting Associate (CGAA)
3. Certified Government Accounting Expert (CGAE)
4. Syariah Accounting Certification

Accountant Knowledge Skills

As someone in charge of managing finances, there are several skills an accountant should
have, including:

1. Data analysis. In the finance function, accountants provide financial statements to the
board of directors with historical data that can be used to make business-related decisions.
2. Have a business understanding. Contributing to business requires more than just an
understanding of the numbers. Accountants also need to understand the business related
to their work thoroughly.
 3. Ability to provide input and advice to directors who need a broad and comprehensive
picture of how each functional area works in the best way in order to obtain the best
results.
4. Have the ability to operate accounting software, at least Ms. Excel.
5. Ability to think logically, managerial ability, ability to do analysis, ability to interpret
numbers. Not forgetting the mastery of English and thorough and detailed orientation.
6. Able to face targets and work under pressure and have good accuracy and calculation
skills.
7. Have Brevet A & B certification, have high loyalty to work and be able to work as a team
or individually.
8. Have the ability to make L/R reports (profit and loss), journals, balance sheets, and others.

Entry requirements

For one to become an audit accountant, he or she should have at least a bachelor’s degree
in accounting or finance. In addition, the candidate should have a certification in accounting, such
as CPA, CA, CIA, CGAP, or any other acceptable certification.

The certification differs depending on the country, but most of these are accepted
worldwide. Unlike the other accounting career paths, an auditor should have some training on
auditing and should have a license to conduct audits. Therefore, one has to pass exams offered by
the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA).

The institution offers a designation known as the Chartered Internal Auditor (CIA). This is
a certification that has worldwide recognition; therefore, one can work in any country in the world.
Once the candidate has acquired the Audit Certificate, they are now ready to do auditing in any
organization. It is important to note that one has to be a qualified accountant before acquiring the
audit certificate (Alba, Manisha and Matthew 74).

Work conditions

Employed auditors operate from offices. However, an auditor may be self-employed. In

such cases, the auditor may work at home. There are auditors who are usually employed by
accounting firms. Such auditors have to travel frequently to various clients or business
organizations where they are required to offer their services.

The working hours for auditors are normally 40 hours per week. It is, however, possible to find
auditors who work for longer hours. Just like taxation, auditing accountants are usually very busy
during the final months of the year when most organizations are preparing their annual financial
statements.

Job satisfaction

Auditing offers the accountants with a high level of job satisfaction. The job is well paid
and the working conditions are good, thereby increasing the level of satisfaction. For auditors to
be able to perform their duties properly, they need to be offered conditions that will increase their
satisfaction. The job is highly competitive and, therefore, organizations try to retain their auditors
by offering them good terms and conditions that increase their satisfaction.

Conclusion

The accounting profession is one of the most common and widely pursued professions by
many college and university students. Accounting is known to offer many employment
opportunities to people mainly due to the fact that organizations are ever increasing. Each
organization, whether profit or non- profit making, needs an accountant, thereby raising the
number of opportunities in accounting. The jobs are well paying, but they are demanding in terms
of scope.

WorksCited

Alba, Jason, Manisha Bathija, and Matthew Thornton. Vault Career Guide to Accounting.
New York, NY: Vault Inc, 2005.

Lewis, Eve. Investing in Your Future. New York, NY: Thomson Texere, 2005.

WetFeetFirm. Careers in Accounting. San Francisco, CA: WetFeet, 2008.