How to Become an Accountant

• Public Accountants: Public accountants perform a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting activities for their clients, who may be corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, or individuals.
   
• Consultants: Consultants offer advice in areas such as compensation or employee health care benefits; the design of accounting and data processing systems; and the selection of controls to safeguard assets.
   
• Forensic Accountants: Forensic accountants investigate and interpret bankruptcies and other complex financial transactions.
   
• Management Accountants: Management accountants record and analyze a corporation's financial information in addition to budgeting, performance evaluation, cost management, and asset management.
   
• Public Sector Accountants: Government accountants and auditors maintain and examine the records of government agencies and audit private businesses and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulations or taxation.

While both an MBA with a focus on accounting and a Master of Accounting (MAcc) degree will provide you with enough accountant training to assume managerial positions within the field of accounting, the MBA degree will provide you with more general skills that are transferable to other areas. The MAcc will provide you with greater accounting expertise and will prepare candidates for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, but fewer transferable skills.

Successful accountants and auditors are generally detail-oriented, highly motivated researchers, and knowledgeable about U.S. and international tax laws, economics and money markets.

In addition, they'll have the following skills and traits:

• Self-confidence, maturity, and the ability to work independently
• Excellent mathematical and computer skills
• Excellent analytic and problem solving skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills

• Many graduates enter into the profession as financial analysts or internal auditors in such areas as financial planning, resource allocation and management information systems. Beginning public accountants usually start by assisting with work for several clients.
   
• Management accountants often start as cost accountants, junior internal auditors or as trainees for other accounting positions. As they rise through the organization, they may advance to accounting manager, chief cost accountant, budget director or manager of internal auditing. Some become controllers, treasurers, financial vice presidents, chief financial officers or corporation presidents.

In general, there is a large degree of mobility among public accountants, management accountants and internal auditors. Practitioners often shift into management accounting or internal auditing from public accounting, or between internal auditing and management accounting.

Professional recognition through certification or licensure provides a distinct advantage in the job market. All CPAs must have a certificate and the partners in their firm must have licenses issued by a state Board of Accountancy. The vast majority of states require CPA candidates to be college graduates, but a few states substitute a number of years of public accounting experience for the college degree. Nearly all states require CPAs and other public accountants to complete a certain number of hours of continuing professional education before their licenses can be renewed.

Voluntary certification can attest to professional competence in a specialized field of accounting and auditing. Graduates from accredited colleges and universities who have worked for two years as internal auditors and have passed a four-part examination may earn the designation Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) from the Institute of Internal Auditors.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012-13 Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow about 16 percent through the year 2020, or about as fast as average. As the economy grows, more accountants and auditors will be needed to set up books, prepare taxes, and provide management advice. In response to market demand, these accounting professionals will offer more management and consulting services as they take on a greater advisory role and develop more sophisticated and flexible accounting systems.