Accounting hasn't changed much in over 500 years. In 1494 an Italian monk named Luca Pacioli gave the world the first known accounting notions, which are still used in everyday accounting. Accounting has survived through the centuries because of its stability and consistency. For a good accounting career one needs a strong foundation in accounting principles, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to constantly upgrade his or her skills.

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	If you want to build a solid accounting career, you need a strong foundation.

A Strong Foundation in Accounting Will Lead to a Solid Accounting Career

Luca Pacioli spoke of the same accounting terms that we use today: journals, inventories, ledgers, assets, liabilities, profits and losses, expense accounts, etc. He observed that until the debits are equal to the credits, your job is incomplete.

In today’s competitive world if you want to build a solid accounting career, you need a strong foundation. This is possible only if you have a college degree, particularly a degree in accounting. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) accountants who acquire certifications or licensures, master’s degrees, or specialized expertise will have an edge in the job market.

The BLS also reports that accountants and auditors have a median annual salary of $50,770. In your accounting career you can expect faster-than-average job growth over the next few years fueled by an increasing number of businesses, changes in financial regulations, and closer scrutiny of company accounts.

Specialties to Consider for Your Accounting Career

Accounting is the practice of collecting and measuring data in order to allocate resources. People are needed to monitor, evaluate, and produce financial and resource data for accounting. There is a pool of specialties to choose from when considering where to develop accounting expertise.

Accounting can be broadly classified as either general accounting or auditing. Accounting is specific to managing a business’s finances by keeping track of payroll and company expenses. Auditing is a practice where records are reviewed and a conclusion is reached to provide a recommendation for action. An auditor reviews records managed by accountants to determine their correctness.

Accounting careers have the following specialties:

Bookkeeping

The term ''bookkeeping'' is generally used to refer to recording financial transactions. The job of a bookkeeper (also called an accounting clerk), is managing records with regard to purchases, sales, receipts, and payments.

Accounts Receivable

''Accounts receivable'' refers to billing customers using a sales ledger and creating a receivables entry, which is also reflected on the balance sheet.

Accounts Payable

Accounts payable is a form of debt that the company owes its suppliers. Accountants working in accounts payable receive bills from suppliers and create accounts payable entries.

Tax Accounting

Accountants who are experts in tax matters manage tax accounting. Their job primarily involves preparing tax returns for their company.

Cost Accounting

The job of a cost accountant is to track, record, and analyze costs. This form of accounting is used to manage company costs and improve profitability.

Payroll and Timekeeping

Payroll and timekeeping clerks keep track of workers’ time sheets and payroll. They ensure that employees are paid on time and that their paychecks are accurate.

Conclusion

No matter which field of accounting you choose, for a successful accounting career it is important to be comfortable using spreadsheets and other financial and accounting software such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel.

Bring Order and Structure to Your Accounting Job Search

In an orderly and structured fashion, we consolidate all of the accounting jobs from every accounting firm career page, company and organization career page (and every other job site we can find) so you know about all the accounting jobs and can make your important personal career decisions in an objective and rational way. We are a "good citizen" in the accounting community and have high research standards and know you too have high standards for your career. As an unbiased research company with a profound respect for concrete facts and information about job openings, we are loyal to our members and do not accept any money from advertisers for job postings. We give you the tools to follow through and pursue your career options in a stable, practical and down-to-earth manner.

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