Thinking About a Career in Accounting?

At Donohoo Accounting, we feel great about the type of work we get to do on a daily basis. If you’re thinking about a career in accounting, we can confidently say from personal experience that there are a lot of really great things about this field. Since we’ve spoken to plenty of individuals who are excited by the prospect of getting into accounting but are unsure of the next steps they should take, we want to answer some of the questions that often come up:

Changing Careers to Accounting

Whether you’re in college and are thinking about changing your major to accounting or you’re already an established professional looking for a new career path, the first thing to consider is the type of accounting work you want to do. The two main options are industry or client service. With industry accounting, you will work for the accounting team of a company. For client service, you will focus on tax services or other accounting services for clients. It’s common for client services accountants to gain experience with a small to medium firm and then later go out on their own. The reason it’s important to think about the type of accounting work you want to early on is this influence many of the other decisions you need to make.

Education Requirements for Accounting

The most common path that accounting professionals take is getting an accounting or business-related degree and then taking the CPA exam. One question that often comes up with education requirements is if a master’s degree is necessary. The simple answer is no. However, given how many educational hours most states require to obtain a CPA license, plenty of professionals decide that pursuing a master’s degree makes sense for them.

 

When to Take the CPA Exam (and How to Prepare)

 

The other big element of starting a career in accounting is passing the CPA exam. The first question that tends to come up about this exam is when someone should take it. The best rule of thumb is as soon as possible, but not before you’re truly ready. The reason for that advice is this exam is harder than ever. Another question many potential accountants have about the CPA exam is how to prepare for it. There are many different books, courses and programs that provide prep for this exam. The best approach is to understand your learning style and then choose your prep options accordingly. Some people do best with the self-study route, while others need a more structured program to do well on the exam.

If you have any additional questions about starting a career in accounting, don’t hesitate to contact us.