At first glance, it may seem that an accounting career is a boring career path to take. When I picture an accountant, I picture a socially inept individual huddled in the middle of a desk covered in paperwork. It doesn’t seem like an exciting career at all, and even if you earn a lot of money at it, when would you have the time to spend it? Accountants work extremely long hours.
However, there are some plus sides to the accounting world that are important to consider when you are choosing what you want to do with the rest of your life.
One of the neatest things about being an accountant, especially an entry level one, is the fact that you get to see the inside workings of a lot of different businesses. You can think of it as on the job training without having to be responsible for all aspects of a job. You learn what mistakes good and bad a company has made financially, which can be a stepping stone for success in other aspects of your life. Ever thought of starting your own business? Being an accountant is a great way to start because you will learn so much about the ins and outs that you would not normally consider.
Most entry level accounts start out by working in an accounting firm, and this can be a great place to shadow the “head cheese” and really get your foot in the door. This is a great thing about careers in accounting; you have the chance to be studious and really learn and grow, as opposed to a more specialized field that expects you to be a pro at everything immediately, with little room for advancement.
Accounting is such a broad field that you can try different sorts of genres as you advance in your career and eventually find your niche. This is why you don’t have to be a certain personality type in order for accounting to work for you. You can work for a firm, you can do people’s taxes, you can consult for a small business; the possibilities are endless.
Are you not sure if you are ready to commit to being an accountant? There are smaller steps that you can take to see if it is something that catches your interest. Take a community college class and learn QuickBooks, Peachtree, and other computer programs that accountants often use. Do you pick them up quickly? Is it something that you can picture yourself using full time?
Begin to network with other accountants. Consider doing an unpaid internship (of course, if you can get paid, great!), or joining an online forum of people in the accounting field. Accounting is a field that really helps people to succeed in business as well as life. When the economy drops, accountants help it come back up. They are the instated emergency system for some. Not many people consider accountants to be unsung heroes, but in a lot of ways, that is exactly what they are.
Accountants come from all walks of life and there is a niche in the field for most people. Be motivated enough to check it out.