Industry: Accounting
 The accounting industry started as a highly ethical field, but after recent monetary scandals the morals have been put to question. This has lead to the growth of the forensic accounting field, in which individuals dive into the financial backgrounds of suspicious companies. The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) has created a source of checks and balances in order to insure company accountability. It is now a law that audit work and tax work must be performed by two different companies. Auditing has grown into the most important role of accountants, verifying company expenditures as legal and accounted for by the company documentation books. The accounting industry has slowly begun to rebuild credibility and return to its original high moral standards.
Accounting is an ideal job for someone looking for stability and who excels in number crunching, analyzing data, and attention to detail. The most frequent field in accounting is performing audits, but there are numerous positions available for tax consulting as well as in the growing field of forensic accounting. Accounting is a diverse field because you can work in one of the Big Four companies dealing directly with Fortune 1000 companies, you can work in small businesses offering advise and finance forecast, or even run your own independent accounting service as a tax consultant. Accounting has grown into more than just a number crunching position; businesses are looking to accountants to perform analysis of their spending, forecast future revenue, or even advise on where to cut spending.
Working for one of the top four accounting firms (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers) offers credibility to your resume and provides you with experience with Fortune 1000 companies. These companies are recognized as the most prestigious accounting firms with headquarters located in New York. Although the work may be tedious in the beginning, the experience is priceless. However, you must be able to handle the environment of a big company in which you are just one in the crowd. Working in smaller companies offers you a diverse working experience and an opportunity to move up quickly, but you will not be working with prestigious well-known clients. In general, most accounting firms have a structured path towards upward mobility in the company, which allow the employee to know exactly where they stand and what they need to do in order to move ahead. The path is clearly outlined for employee success in accounting firms.
Ideal candidates for accounting firms must have a BA or BS, and passing the CPA exam is highly recommended. Some states require field experience before taking the CPA exam, but regulations depend on your residency location. Although the structure and stability offered by accounting positions is usually seen as a benefit, if you are a creative individual looking to be innovative, you will feel held back by the rules, regulations, and processes of an accounting position. As the job description grows for accountants so does the job requirements for the accountant. More and more, the accountant is expected to have a broad sense of business knowledge, excellent communication skills, and a teamwork attitude. As accounting grows in the services it offers, the necessity for teamwork becomes crucial for the firm’s success. Accountants can be expected to enter companies with knowledge of the industry and present their information in a dignified professional manner. Accountants usually enjoy what they do, are willing to put in the extra hours during tax season, and party extravagantly with fellow employees.
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