Tuesday, July 20, 2010

List of Accounting Careers

Every year, different colleges and universities from all over the world produce graduates with different college degrees. It only means that every year, the unemployment rate increases and very few newly-grads land a job. It is very important to choose the college degree that you’re going to take to ensure your professional career in the future.

Among the top college courses of degree is accounting. Accounting involves different tasks which include keeping track of income, assets, liabilities, and a lot more. You can learn more about these tasks if you choose an accountancy course.

In accounting, you will learn a lot of things like how businesses and companies work. Successful businessmen are accountants one way or another. You see, accounting is essential in businesses. It is a way of evaluating the business situation, whether a company is losing or earning profits.

In short, the business’ language is accounting. All business activities are quantified through accounting and this is where all business reports are derived and later on, communicated to the management level. What career opportunities can you expect if you’re a graduate of accountancy?

1. Public Practice – if you become a CPA, you can do public practice. You can give your services to clients in exchange for an affordable fee. Usually, CPAs work in partnerships and they offer their services to businesses, governments, and even to individuals. The job responsibilities of an accountant in public practice will usually include auditing, taxation, management advisory services, etc. You can gain a lot of work experience in this field.

2. Education – accountancy graduates can also teach after they get their methods of teaching. They can become a researcher, reviewer, and a professor. If you choose this profession, you can learn a lot of things. You can clear out certain accounting issues, conduct research, and then distribute the results.

3. Government service – you can look for job opportunities in the state or federal level. Government accountants are responsible for tracking costs, budgets, and analyzing the various government programs that involves huge amounts. Being a government accountant can give you the chance of improving the conditions of the poor however, due to political influence, your will experience bureaucratic impediment.

If you want to become a government accountant, you have to think twice because the public usually think differently of those in position. But it doesn’t really matter what other people think as long as you’re doing your work honestly and effectively.

4. Commerce – accounting groups are maintained by corporations, whether big or small. The groups of accountants prepare and organize all the financial statements, handle tax issues, track costs, handle international transactions, and a lot more.

After years of being a member of the accounting group, you will have your chance of becoming the department head or you can be promoted as the cost accountant, budget officer, chief accountant, or even the company auditor. The size of the corporation determines the various responsibilities of the accountant.

Now you know that by taking up a course in accounting you will be offered a myriad of opportunities in the future. You must be able to choose the right career path. Before making a decision, you have to consider the responsibilities and nature of work of a certain accounting career.

Choose the one that you like most and one that you’re passionate about.    

Forensic Accounting

Is there such a thing as a forensic accountant? Well, you might find it hard to believe but there are actually forensic accountants out there and it is a very good profession. Forensic accounting is used in areas like litigation support and investigative accounting.

Litigation support is very important and the forensic accountants play a very important role in it. But before it can provide litigation support, forensic accountants should first investigate the concerned company’s financial operations. After the investigation, the forensic accountants will prepare the necessary information that will be used for filing civil or criminal court cases.

These accountants spend most of their time in the concerned company or enterprise. There they investigate, collect, and analyze all gathered financial data. In order to be a forensic accountant, one should be well-versed with the computer. You see, the analysis of the financial data is done mainly on computers. Excellent computer skills as well as knowledge in the specific accounting software used are critical if you want to become a forensic accountant.

Collection of pieces of evidence is very important and also its documentation. Courtroom proceedings use the documented papers. Aside from that, forensic accountants also prepare the needed reports for the effective management of the concerned company or enterprise and reports for the litigation parties or agencies. In court proceedings, forensic accountants testify to provide depositions based on their findings.

Various agencies and companies hire the services of forensic accountants. Most of them are included in the agency staffs of law enforcements and criminal investigations. Criminals are prosecuted based on the money trail tracked by the accountants. CPA firms also have available forensic accountants in their staff to assist partnership and shareholder disputes, employee theft or fraud, business loss, and issues of professional negligence. Insurance companies also hire the services of forensic accountants to investigate some insurance claims.

Top accounting firms in the US have forensic accountants. In fact, if you’re looking for a high-paying career in the future, why not choose to be a forensic accountant? You see, according to statistics, forensic accounting will be included in the top twenty job markets in the years to come.

So, how can be a forensic accountant? Well, firstly you need to finish a degree in accounting and you have to pass the CPA examination. Aside from that, you should also get extra coursework in criminal justice and law enforcement. Undergoing a legal training is an additional point. You can also pursue CFE or certified fraud examiner accreditation since this is quite similar to CPA designation.

Upon entry in the field, you can receive around $30,000 or as high as $60,000. Experienced and senior forensic accountants can earn over $100,000 a year. So you see, being a forensic accountant means big money. But it entails a lot of coursework and accreditations. Still, the benefits are awesome.

You can go for a forensic accounting career if you’re interested in an interesting yet lucrative job. Upward mobility is very much possible and that means higher salary as well. This career is a great potential especially in the coming years.

While you’re still young or you’re about to pursue a college degree, why not take up accountancy? Who knows, you might become one of the best forensic accountants in the country. This is an opportunity that is difficult to turn down especially if you want to earn big money.  

Church Accounting Software

The church is a respected institution since it commands the people’s general faith. It is always given utmost respect. The secular welfare and religious functions of the church are performed through the faith of its constituents. Church activities need funding and the funds come from Christians all over the world. Are you aware that the Christian contributions can reach billions?

That’s true and with such great amount of money, the church should make use of accounting. One way to do this is through a church accounting software. The church should be accountable for their people’s money; church officials should therefore monitor where all the money came from and where it is being spent.

The church is a large institution and so are its financial transactions. In order to manage the accounts, the church will need a skilled force of financial experts. However, that would mean additional cost to the church since they have to pay for the services. It can consume so much time and money.

If the church doesn’t want to hire a skilled force of financial experts, they can simply make use of the church accounting software. Accounting experts designed the software and it can assist church officials in managing finances. The software engineers are already well-acquainted with the church’s various needs and so they can easily tailor-fit a certain church’s software according to its particular requirements.

The church accounting software is quite different from other software. Ordinary accounting software is designed to suit the needs of modern businesses. The church accounting software on the other hand focuses mainly on the necessities of the institution. The church has no ambition or any financial interest. Remember, the church is not being taxed by the government and so its expenditure and resources takes a different curve altogether. Aside from that, the church has several expenditure and income account heads.

Therefore, the church accounting software is designed to meet the various needs of the institution and it still has room for customization since the needs of the church also change as years go by.

If the church wants to handle all its financial transactions with ease, they should get a church accounting software. By doing so, they can create account statements, balance sheets, budget reports, print checks, maintain invoices, record purchases, etc with ease.

But before anything else, the church representative who will purchase the church accounting software should be knowledgeable.  He or she must look into the software’s various features and carefully examine it. That person should make sure that the software is flexible to respond to the church’s ever changing needs.

There‘s church accounting software in the market. The best place to purchase the software is online.  The internet can provide you with a lot of resources regarding church accounting software. If you don’t know much about it, you can gather information first before you even shop for the software. It really helps to know a bit of information about the software that you’re going to purchase.

If your church needs the services of accountants, why not consider purchasing a church accounting software? There is reasonably priced software out there; you simply have to shop around first. You can even take advantage of free trials to see if the software is good enough for the church’s financial activities.

Don’t wait until things get screwed up, organize all your financial transactions.   

Career Opportunities in the Accounting Field

Any type of business needs an accountant who will be responsible for keeping records and also keep track of its income and assets over a period of time. In this type of career, you will see that as an accountant, you will be able to learn a lot of valuable things that can help you advance in this field. In accounting or accountancy, it is important for you to know how businesses work in order to have a full understanding on how you can do your job well.

In fact, a lot of successful businessmen and women today were former accountants who were also working in a business that they didn’t own but decided to work their way up in the field.

The great thing about this career is that it will increase your knowledge on how businesses work. You have to consider that accounting is sort of like a continuing education. Even after you graduated from college and you are already a certified accountant, you will still need to learn about the different changes and trends in the business world in order for you to know what to do and what not to do when owning businesses.

Accounting is basically the language of businesses.

In accounting, you will see that there will be a lot of career opportunities that you can consider.

The first is public practice. Most accountants start their career as a certified public accountant. In this career choice, you will be able to charge a fee for your services or you can also work as a staff accountant or an in-house accountant.

Basically, public accountants offer their services in partnerships. They offer their services to individuals, as well as businesses and the government. You need to remember that in order to become a public accountant, you need to be a certified public accountant in order for you to work individually or as part of an accounting firm.

Public accountants basically do jobs, such as taxation, auditing, as well as management advisory services. You should remember that this particular career is considered to be a stepping stone of most accountants. If you want to start your career as an accountant, being a public accountant is usually the first job that you have to take. Here, you will learn a lot of things about running a business and you will also increase your experience.

Another great thing about being a public accountant early on in your accounting career is that it provides a lot of great opportunities as it will give you lots of experiences, and become more in demand by companies to handle their accounts and income.

Accountants can also work as professors, or as researchers in schools or colleges. They can also become reviewers. If you have a knack for teaching, then this career path is for you. Although you won't directly get experience as an accountant, you will see that this career path in accountancy can also provide you with great opportunities.

You can also enter the government. Whether it is the local, state or federal government, you will see that they will constantly have openings for accounting jobs.

Being in the government can also produce a lot of great opportunities in your field. It will let you meet important people who can help you in advancing in your career and it will also provide you with great intensive training as an accountant.

As you can see accounting or accountancy careers can provide you with a lot of opportunities as an accountant.

Accounting Terms – Profit & Loss and Other Terms

Different fields of study make use of certain terms that are not easily understood by others. If you’re an accounting student or a professional accountant, you know the different terms used in accounting. One very popular term is profit & loss.

So, do you know what the term means? To start with, you have to determine what profit means. Profit can be referred to as net earnings or net income. Businesses can either sell services or even products. Profit will come from the sales of these services and products. If the costs of running a business are controlled, it can add up to the profits.

Profits are also called ROI or return on investment. However, this term is often limited to securities like bonds or stocks. But still, some companies use ROI to mean short or long term business outcomes. Taxable income is another term for profit.

The profit & loss of a certain company is determined by finance professionals through accounting. They can determine what created the profits as well as the losses. Accountants form some sort of business equation so justify the profits & losses of a business. By doing so, they can easily tell a company’s net worth.

It seems that by simply starting to define one accounting term, it eventually leads to defining other terms as well. Net worth is another term that is quite difficult to understand. It refers to the resulting amount after deducting the liabilities of a company from the assets. Private companies refer to net worth as owner’s equity.

Why owner’s equity? Well, after deducting all the liabilities, what’s left basically belongs to the owner. In the case of public companies, the profit of the business is returned as dividends to shareholders. As you can see, before owner or shareholders of a company can take hold of the profits, all liabilities must be deducted first.

Every business aims to get a good and positive figure because that would mean profit to them; if not, the business is at a loss. Societies and economies are built on profit. However, there are times when a certain business incurs losses. Consumer behaviors and economic trends change. Because of this fact, it is not possible to foresee the company’s future performance at all times.

How can you tell if a business is at a loss? That is understandable and even those who have no background in accounting know what it means. All liabilities will be deducted from the assets and if results to a negative amount, then the business is at a loss. The accounting staff of the company can still pursue effective measures to revive the business. If the business has efficient and effective accounting staffs, the business can improve in the near future.

It cannot be argued that an accounting staff is needed to ensure the company’s success. Without them, the success of the business is not guaranteed. So the owner of the business should choose the best accounting staff. That way, all the financial transactions and decisions are noted and studied. Only then can the company gain profits.

Profit & loss is just a simple accounting term. Aside from the term, you also learned about net earnings, net income, net worth, dividends, etc.

Accounting Principals and Tulsa

Have you ever been to the city of Tulsa? Tulsa is a city that embraces challenges and it also values collaborative solutions. The top officials of the city are trying very hard to promote public safety, green initiatives, innovative educational opportunities, and diversity. If you want to free your entrepreneurial spirit, Tulsa is the best place for you.

You can also find Accounting Principals in the city of Tulsa. The company is considered a leader in terms of offering the best workforce solutions specifically in the financial and accounting services industries.

How can Accounting Principals do this? Well, the company makes use of a blend of temp-to-hire, temporary staffing, payroll services, contract services, direct placement, and a lot more. Accounting Principals can provide their clients with an accounting professional or even a team of CPAs when needed. The company is made up of nationwide representatives who have experienced accounting in the real world, and not just by the books.

With only one call, clients can talk with MBAs or CPAs. You see, Accounting Principals is not just a recruiter or a human resource professional, they’re more than that. Their representatives have more or less 5 years experience in recruitment and in the fields of finance and accounting.

The company covers the following job opportunities: accounting, administrative, bank operations, business operation manager, CFO, collector, controller, management consulting, merger/acquisitions, and mortgage banking.

The company offers 100% guaranteed career services because of their wide experience in accounting and finance. In a way, the company is exclusively qualified to understand what the clients want in their career. Their representatives can help clients in meeting their goals through personal interviews. They will also evaluate their clients’ unique skills and at the same time, offer them with matching opportunities from leading companies.

The clients can expect the representatives of Accounting Principals to listen to them and respect their needs. Representatives treat clients equally and honestly. They also maintain absolute confidentiality and keep their clients’ best interests.

Client services offered by Accounting Principals include a variety of workforce solutions in finance and accounting through the company’s branch network nationwide. Accounting Principals started out just like other companies so they know what these companies are going through. At present, Accounting Principals have a great number of client-companies all over the world.

The location of Accounting Principals is just perfect since Tulsa is city where the entrepreneurial spirit is nurtured. It’s no wonder that the company is enjoying success. Through hard work and dedicated representatives (CPAs and MBAs), Accounting Principals still has a long way to go. The company can expect better years to come.

Contact the company now. You can easily check out their online website. There you can find all the information you may need. The website is user-friendly and so you can easily maneuver in and out of the site. You can get all the important information like telephone numbers, email address, and a lot more. If you live in Tulsa, you can always visit the company’s office. It has branches all over the nation but if you can’t find one locally, you can just call them.

Don’t worry because your call will be confidential and the company will not just give out your information to others. Accounting Principals is a reputable name that you can trust. The company already have a lot of clients and so you can also trust them.

Accounting Careers: Promising Opportunities and Tips

Accounting or accountancy is one of the most promising types of profession today. It is always in demand and the career opportunities here are huge. If you are considering a profession as an accountant, then you will definitely see that this will change your professional life.

First of all, you have to know how you can start in the accounting field. Here are some tips that will be able to point you the right way to success.

The first thing that you have to do is decide on the field of accounting that you are interested in. There are basically lots of different fields in the accounting career and you will surely find the right one.

It is also a good idea to research about information related to accounting or accountancy, such as the college or university you are going to take the course in. You have to consider that companies are quite picky when it comes to the college or university that accountants graduated in. Also, by doing this, you will be able to know which college or university offers quality education particularly on accountancy.

Try consulting accounting professionals and teachers who are knowledgeable about the subject. They will be able to give you a lot of information coming from their experience.

If you plan on pursuing a career in accounting, then you have to enroll in a bachelor's degree in accounting. Even if you are good in accounting, you can never have a good job if you don't have at least a bachelor's degree.

After graduating, don't set your ambitions too high. Always remember that everyone starts small and work their way up to their goals. Start off as a junior accountant or as a trainee. This will not only give you a chance in the accounting career, but it will also provide you with valuable experience as well as knowledge about accounting.

Always remember that accountancy is a continuing education. As much as possible, you have to update your knowledge about accounting in order to keep up with the standards of the industry.

As mentioned before, there are lots of career opportunities in accounting. There are many fields of accounting and it is up to you to choose which one you want to take on as a career.

After college, you will be able to qualify for a certified public accountant or as registered public accountant license. Even though you can still get a job as an accountant even if you don’t have any license, you have to remember that more opportunities will open up if you have one.

In this profession, you can become an auditor, a management consultant, a financial officer, an analyst, and even as a tax accountant.

Being independent or being a freelancer in this field can also be a promising career. However, you do need a good network of contacts in order for you to earn more money and get more experience.

You can also try other specializations in accounting, such as forensic auditing where you will be responsible for investigating crimes related to company's finances as well as tax fraud.

Another great career choice for accountants is by simply becoming a teacher of accounting. This is a very rewarding career choice.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of career opportunities for accounting or accountancy. All you need to do is follow the mentioned tips and you can be sure that you will be well on your way in to becoming a successful accountant in the field you choose.

Accounting Auditing Careers

Within the accountancy field, there are several career choices and that includes accounting auditing career. Auditors play a very important role especially in the business industry. They perform various tasks that are considered essential to the financial matters of any business.

A present, there is a great demand for company auditors and according to the labor bureau, the demand will still increase in the coming years. There are more employment opportunities in the accounting and if you still haven’t decided which career path to take, the accounting auditor career is an excellent choice.

Before, accountants and auditors are usually seen wearing coats and ties but due to the changes of today’s modern times, the persona of these professions have changed considerably. The auditing field alone is already on the brink of unbelievable growth. If you really like crunching numbers and you have a logical mind, auditing may be your thing.

Auditors are no longer considered as geeks or human calculators. Accountancy is an evolving profession and it’s no wonder why a lot of auditors nowadays are statistically savvy and are very sharp when it comes to business matters. Organizations and businesses are in great need of sharp and professional auditors to track their expenses and remain federally compliant. Being an auditor means that you’re a person of big responsibility.

Qualified auditors and accountants can take advantage of the many job opportunities in the market today. Government regulations and business processes are getting more and more complex these days; because of this fact, auditors are badly needed. How can you become an auditor?

Well, you need to finish a degree in accountancy and you also have to pass the CPA exams. Since auditing is a specialized profession, there are still other accreditations that you have to comply with. You can either study locally or you can also try online colleges. Just make sure the online college is accredited before you enroll.

Aside from online colleges, you can also get the necessary accreditations and certificates online. Entry level and master’s level certificates are now available online; advanced degrees are also available. You simply have to surf the internet to discover some of the opportunities that await you in order to become a competent auditor someday.

Again, it was mentioned earlier that you need to pass certain examinations like the CPA. How is that possible? Well, you simply have to prepare yourself. It’s just like taking your final exams in college. You should prepare your textbook materials, conduct group studies, and even online class session.

You can even secure samples of test questions that can be given during the exams. By doing so, you can easily pinpoint the specific areas that you’re still not good at; you have to study those weak areas so that when the day of the exam arrives, you will be prepared.

Accounting auditing careers are very popular these days. So what are you waiting for? If you think you posses the necessary qualifications and skills in order to become a competent and responsible auditor, why don’t you take up an accounting course in college?

This is great news for incoming college students and for those who want to shift careers. It’s really up to you. You have to be determined so that one day you can become a well-known auditor and many business and companies will be after your services. 

Accounting

Are you very much interested in accounting? Well, if you are, you should take up accounting education. By doing so, you will gain systematic knowledge about the different practices and skills involved in accountancy and business.

What is the meaning of accounting? It is defined as the art of systematic recording and analyzing of financial business transactions. The history of acounting dates back many years ago. Accounting is already an essential part of modern education. Every nation needs accounting because it is the key to economic development.

If you want to pursue an accounting course, you should first choose a university or college. There are local universities and colleges that you can enroll in for an accounting course. If you prefer attending college abroad, you may do so. But make sure that you choose the university or college wisely. You also have to determine where you will stay when you’re already there; you can either stay at the dormitory or you can rent an apartment. Expenses are a great consideration as well.

Accounting has four general areas, namely – public, government, internal auditing, and management accounting. If you choose an accounting course, you will learn how to prepare and organize financial reports that include collation or calculation of a range of figures, analyses, tax, and even projections.

Traditionally, the study of accounting focused mainly in the technical skills. The traditional methods in the study of accounting include teaching the basic principles and concepts of accounting. The present accounting practices haven’t adapted yet to the various changes in business, regulatory environment, and economics. There are now modern methodologies used in accounting education. These methodologies are based mainly on accounting communication, decision-making, ethics, analytical skills, and the internal auditing principles.

Educational programs in accounting have the same objectives and one is to teach the students about the various accounting principles. Aside from that, the students will also learn to develop their skills through various accounting practices. Professional accountants today have greatly benefited from modern accounting education. Accounting education also functions as an effective management tool for business executives.

The educational components of an accounting education are specialized accounting, general accounting, and professional accounting. These days, accounting students can also take advantage of doctoral programs and other continuing educational programs.

Is accounting education right for you? Before you finally enroll in an accounting course, you have to be very sure that you like business matters. You see, accounting is more on business matters and mathematical computations. It also involves a lot of analyzing tasks.

Once you’ve decided that an accounting course if the best for you, find a university or college now; you can either go to college abroad or you can attend school locally. Every step involves making decisions. So make sure that you make the best decisions because your future lies with it.

Once you start your accounting classes, you have to study all your lessons and know them by heart. This is the only way to become a successful professional someday. And of course, you need to pass all your exams so that you will soon hold your diploma.

There are many career opportunities for accounting graduates. Again, if you think that an accounting course is the best for you, enroll now. Study hard and master the principles and concepts of accounting. Only by then can you say that you’re an effective and efficient accountant.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Accountancy Auditing Careers

Within the field of accounting, there are a lot of career choices and accountancy auditing careers is just one. Auditing is very important and it is considered as an integral part of business finances. Auditors are greatly needed to examine, analyze, and verify the business finances.

The Bureau of Labor claims that accountancy auditors are in-demand at present and in the years to come. Employment of auditors is expected to increase eventually. If you’re still looking for an accountancy career, you might want to consider working as a company auditor.

What is an auditor? Auditors are also accountants. However, they primarily deal with examining and corroborating financial statements. The various statements are examined closely and the auditors make sure that everything will ‘add up’. Sometimes, inaccuracies and errors occur. The task of the auditor is to determine where these inaccuracies or errors exist. Aside from that, auditors develop certain courses of action to avoid future errors.

If you think that the task of the auditor is simply scrutinizing financial statements, you’re quite wrong. Auditors examine the various company bills and they ensure debit and credit accuracy. Errors are immediately corrected to avoid financial problems.

Government auditors are different from non-government auditors. You see, they are the ones who examine from different perspective – the tax perspective. Some filed tax returns are suspicious and so the task of the government auditors is to conduct an audit on the individual or business entity and check if it’s accurate. A very good example is a business who filed a tax return, claiming that they incurred many expenses.

IRS auditors will then check the said expenses to ensure that it meets the tax code criteria. If it does not meet the criteria, the company can be given penalties. Most tax auditors have bad reputations but they deserve more than that. You see, being a government auditor is among the top accountancy careers because they make sure that the people are honest enough to file their tax returns and that the government will not be cheated.

An accountancy career is technology driven. Many years ago, auditors work manually but nowadays, it’s a lot different. Present-day auditors should know how to work with computers and complicated accounting software or programs. This is the only way to keep up with technology and to stay competitive in the market.

If you want to become a company auditor someday, you have to graduate with a bachelor’s accounting degree. Certifications are oftentimes needed although some states don’t require it. More job opportunities are open to those who earned a Master’s degree as well as some certification.

Salary is a very important consideration when choosing a career. Auditors are earning a yearly salary of about $54,000. Senior auditors receive higher salaries which can reach as high as $80,000 per year. However, if you’re a new auditor, you can earn about $35,000 per year. You see, accountancy careers let you earn big money.

Starting salaries are reasonable and don’t you worry because after a several years, your salary will definitely increase. If accounting is your passion, choose an accountancy auditing career. Despite the bad reputations of auditors, you should still believe in yourself and that you’re going to have a decent job that let’s you earn reasonable salary.

Who cares what other people say; the important thing is that you’re doing an excellent job.