A quick look at the classifieds in a financial magazine or in a job search online will give you a sampling of the wide variety of jobs that exist in the accounting industry. When you are considering a career in accounting, you should research each job to din the type of training it requires and the types of duties the job entails. This will give you the information you need to make the decision as to whether this type of job would be right for you. Even when you do achieve the qualifications, there are many opportunities for advancement and specialization within this field.
You may want to work at account payable jobs that exist in the accounting industry. In this position, you would deal with the transactions of the company arising from the purchases the company makes. Your job would be to ensure that these goods or services have been received and then you either approve the payment or actually write the check yourself to pay for the services. This would be an entry –level position with the company, the same as that of a bookkeeper or a person working in accounts receivable. In accounts receivable, you would send out bills to the customers and record the payments when they arrive. The main duties involve keeping accurate records of the monetary practices of the company.
In higher-level jobs in the accounting industry, you would deal with the financial records handled by those in the entry-level positions. As an auditor, for example, you would scrutinize all transactions to make sure they are legitimate or to ensure that all accounts are up to date. All government agencies and businesses have auditors that monitor the transactions to detect and prevent any illegal dealings. Within the field of auditor, there are many different types of jobs that exist, such as Staff Internal Auditor, Senior Internal Auditor, Risk Assessment Auditor and others. To obtain this type of job, you would not only need to have an undergraduate degree, but you also need to be certified as an auditor.
The position of cost accountant is another of the jobs that exist in the accounting industry. In this position, you would deal with a specific job or project, not the cost accounting of the company or department as a whole. Each project that a company works on needs to have a project accounting statement to determine profit and loss. This type of job is called a project cost accountant position. Within the job of Cost Accountant, there are other specialties, such as supervisor, division manager and cost accountant manager.
Tax accounting and the position of public accounting are also jobs that exist in the accounting industry. In public accounting you can work with a firm of accountants dealing with all kinds of tasks or you can work on your own as an independent accountant. Tax accountants make sure all the transactions meet the state and federal laws concerning taxes. In this position, you must be very knowledgeable about those laws and keep current on any changes that occur.
