Is Accounting a good career choice?

[Everytime I turn around]

Is it or is it not, I'm not looking at the short-run, but the long-run.

[ullyeus]

Is it or is it not, I'm not looking at the short-run, but the long-run.

Depends if you enjoy what you would be doing.

/end thread.

[terrybear]

It can be especialy if ya get good at it & also get your certificates. To give ya a idea ... my friend has been doing it now for almost 20 yrs non certified other then with a general accounting diploma from georgian collage & a A+ certification has done audits & other varios accounting things also with accounting firms he has worked for in lower end capasities. He gets at his current job he has been at now for the last 2 years now $20/hr ... but with the cga cert that could be $40+/hr as what he says but alot of schooling to get it (5 + yrs & ect). If ya can get hands on experience in the field it will put ya in for the jobs easier even if ya don't get cga certification ya can get in decent income.

[djphat]

my accountant friend with 25+ years of experience told me it gets annoying and boring to worry about other ppl's financial matters

depends on your personality, what you do in the field and who you work with/for. I wouldn't recommend anyone to be an accountant unless they know exactly where they want to be in next 5 to 10 years.

[nwwong]

It's a pretty good career if you get into one of those big companies. Still good if you have a CA. Be prepared to work long hours.

Unrelated, but how smart are you? If your like, the top 10% of the class, maybe go for something like medicine. At least that profession allows you to contribute to society better. But in the end, it's what you like.

[PocketRockets]

It's a pretty good career if you get into one of those big companies. Still good if you have a CA. Be prepared to work long hours.

Unrelated, but how smart are you? If your like, the top 10% of the class, maybe go for something like medicine. At least that profession allows you to contribute to society better. But in the end, it's what you like.

Accounting allows you to contribute to society. As an auditor you are responsible for providing thousands of people/shareholders with the assurance that their investments are in companies that are providing them with legit info.

[djphat]

Accounting allows you to contribute to society.In what sense? I'm not trying to disagree with you but is this a common thought of accountants?

[alysomji]

Is there any job that doesn't allow you to contribute to society in one way or another?

Is anyone else sick of every second thread in this subforum being on accounting? Are there no other feasible careers out there to discuss?

:|

[Bullseye]

It can be especialy if ya get good at it & also get your certificates. To give ya a idea ... my friend has been doing it now for almost 20 yrs non certified other then with a general accounting diploma from georgian collage & a A+ certification has done audits & other varios accounting things also with accounting firms he has worked for in lower end capasities. He gets at his current job he has been at now for the last 2 years now $20/hr ... but with the cga cert that could be $40+/hr as what he says but alot of schooling to get it (5 + yrs & ect). If ya can get hands on experience in the field it will put ya in for the jobs easier even if ya don't get cga certification ya can get in decent income.

Your friend has 20 years of accounting experience, and only makes $20/hour??? I am also a non-certified accountant, and make much more than that, with only 7 years experience. A CGA should also be able to make more than $40 an hour pretty easily, the ones I work closely with bill at $50-100/hour.

Geez, my little brother makes almost $20/hour doing landscaping! Your friend is getting screwed.

[trusoulja2g]

I voted yes. For experienced accountants, the salary is very good relative to the # of hours and the years of schooling required. Also, for ambitious people, there is the potential for huge money. For normal CAs, you can easily make $100-150K.

However, the work is certainly not for everyone. It can be boring and frustrating if you don't like the kind of work. The level of contribution to society or of fulfillment (or than monetary) is nowhere close to the level of doctors.

More importantly, for people considering a CA, the issue is the availability of training positions. The past few years, it's been relatively easy to get a 1st-year position at a firm. This may change in the next few years as there become more accounting grads and the firm's demand for staff levels off.

[alysomji]

More importantly, for people considering a CA, the issue is the availability of training positions. The past few years, it's been relatively easy to get a 1st-year position at a firm. This may change in the next few years as there become more accounting grads and the firm's demand for staff levels off.

Which is why no one starting school right now should perceive that the market for accountants will be as hot as it is right now in four years.

[krash322]

It just seems to be a misconception about what accountants can do. You can do accounting, auditing, taxes, finance, etc. You can work in a public firm or in industry. You can be a controller, tax manager, CFO, senior financial anaylst. You are just not restricted to doing people's taxes all of your career. There are a lot of opportunities that you can parlay your accounting designation with.

So yes I think this is a good career to have. It pays well enough to have a comfortable life. But you have to enjoy thinking with your brain.

[nwwong]

Accounting allows you to contribute to society. As an auditor you are responsible for providing thousands of people/shareholders with the assurance that their investments are in companies that are providing them with legit info.

Yes I agree. Accountants are important.

But I believe science/engineering and medicine is what a society REALLY needs to survive and prosper. A world without accountants would be chaotic yes, but without doctors or scientists/engineers, we'd be back in the stone ages.

[djphat]

But I believe science/engineering and medicine is what a society REALLY needs to survive and prosper. A world without accountants would be chaotic yes, but without doctors or scientists/engineers, we'd be back in the stone ages.No.

[rey1867]

No.

you cant argue his point

doctor saves lives

science people invent stuff

business people just manage it

[djphat]

you cant argue his point

doctor saves lives

science people invent stuff

business people just manage itThanks for expanding my point.

Unnecessary/greedy (debatable) advancements in science and technology does harm to our environment, our ability to forsee and to deal with its consequences.

I'd much rather live in a top of a mountain, build my own house out of lumber, etc etc with my loved ones.... It would be good to have electricity but I could live without computer or television. I see so many sad people in Toronto that work for money, to pay off the bills, and live a selfless life. And I think about what/how our society/media influences us and how we influence ourselves and people around us. It's almost sickening

[Everytime I turn around]

I should've been more speicific...I really wasn't looking at emotional satisfaction and things of that nature, but more towards the future (ie will/is there/be saturation, things like that). BTW, I'm not in for they money... :o Just don't want to waste 4 years of my life (assuming I'm moving on) and a fair bit of money on something that has little or no value.

[djphat]

OH! In that case:

http://jobfutures.ca/pls/jf-ea/dpt.page_one

[trusoulja2g]

I should've been more speicific...I really wasn't looking at emotional satisfaction and things of that nature, but more towards the future (ie will/is there/be saturation, things like that). BTW, I'm not in for they money... :o Just don't want to waste 4 years of my life (assuming I'm moving on) and a fair bit of money on something that has little or no value.

If you're doing it as part of a first bachelor's degree, it's not a big commitment. Just go to a decent business/commerce program...and it'll just be a few extra courses on top of the degree requirements.

For someone who's graduated and is considering going back for school for 2-4 years...it's difficult.

[Sylvestre]

any job you enjoy doing is a good career, and you'll be successful.
any jo you don't enjoy (or go for the money), you'll likely fail or only be mediocre at.

your choice.


(oh yeah, ERTW) :lol:

[rey1867]

are you dissing business / business people??

the world revolves around money.

hospitals need money to pay doctors, nurses and buy equipment.

scientists and engineers need money to conduct their research.

you can deny or downplay money / business

but you can't do much without money

you need money to build the hospital and to buy materials / equipment for science and engineering

:arrow:

im just stating a point and we are not talking about money here

im talking about non material wealth here

doctors are respected way more than accountants because they save lives

now the basic question is :

what is more important ??

saving lives or completing spreadsheets ;)

[nwwong]

Unnecessary/greedy (debatable) advancements in science and technology does harm to our environment, our ability to forsee and to deal with its consequences.


I wouldn't necessarily call them unnecessary or greedy. I'd say more like not knowing what the consequences of something hurts our environment more, or misuse of the technology. Technological advancement itself is a great thing.

[Fantastical]

I already have a full time job, but i was surfing on craighlist today.

I was looking at craiglist for some contract job and someone is looking for CA for $25/hr, lol, i asked for $30, they said they can't afford it.

[iamfat]

how many lives do you think Enron ruined? Accountants save the day!!

[gfunk333]

how many lives do you think Enron ruined? Accountants save the day!!

lol...... look what happened to Anderson