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“New industries, new technologies, and new rules for the economy add up to new opportunities for CPAs”-AICPA
As you start a new semester, you are getting another step closer to an important time in your college career: the declaration of a major. There are many factors to consider when choosing a curriculum that is intended to ultimately steer you towards your career path. It is crucial for you to keep yourself informed of opportunities that exist in any field you are considering pursing.
While you are exploring the multitude of options that are available to you, we wish to provide you with some current information on the accounting field. Once thought of as a narrowly defined profession, the current market for individuals with an accounting degree, or concentration, is extremely diverse. Even traditional positions such as CPAs and internal auditors, have been expanded into many new and exciting specialties.
Many of these changes have evolved from increased use of technology in the business environment and the new regulation initiated with the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Regardless of its cause, there has never been a more opportune time to be an accounting professional. According to data provided by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting job growth in accounting upwards of 20% over the next four years. This will be good news for graduates with an accounting degree in the years to come.
Some particular fields growing in today’s environment include forensic accounting, information systems assurance services, and specialty services in international and merger and acquisition accounting. Positions of these types allow individuals to combine their technical accounting background with other skills such as computer science, criminology, negotiation, and research. The combination of these skills within a position provides for both a challenging, yet exciting work environment.
There are many resources available to aid you in your decision-making process. The AICPA has developed a website entitled www.startheregoplaces.com which provides descriptive narrative information on many accounting careers. They also have a personality test which will align your personality characteristics with specific accounting disciplines. Other organizations provide valuable sources of information on their websites for students considering their career options. Some sites to reference include: www.cfenet.com, The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, www.isaca.org, The Information Systems Audit and Control Association, and www.imanet.org, The Institute of Management Accountants.
Please remember the faculty on campus is also available to assist you. If you are considering a career in accounting, an accounting faculty or your faculty advisor can meet with you to discuss your specific situation. The choice of a degree program is one which should involve serious consideration. We hope we have given you some valuable tools to assist you in the process.
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