Your Future Career in Accounting

Whether your dream is to work in business, the nonprofit sector, or even government, an associate degree in Accounting will do much more than help you to qualify for an entry level position. It will give you the skills to adapt quickly to any professional environment — and then grow as new career opportunities present themselves. Here are just a few of the exciting possibilities available to graduates with an associate degree in Accounting:

• Bookkeeper

  Bookkeepers keep detailed records of an organization’s accounts. They keep track of a business’s every transaction, and use that data to prepare financial statements for managers and executives. Depending on the organization they work for, bookkeepers may also handle payroll, prepare invoices, and follow up on overdue accounts.

• Auditing Clerk
  
  No matter how large or small an organization, mistakes happen. And auditing clerks are there to fix them. Auditing clerks double check financial documents for mathematical accuracy. Some errors they can easily resolve on their own. But when there’s a major discrepancy, auditing clerks are a business’s first line of defense, sounding the alarm for senior staff to investigate any wrongdoing within the company. 
• Accounting Assistant 
  
  An accounting assistant’s duties may vary from organization to organization, but they are always essential. As an accounting assistant, you’ll monitor budgets, maintain financial records, prepare balance sheets, and more. You’ll continue to build your skill set as you work, further paving the way for a career with incredible growth opportunities. 
• Payroll Clerk
  
  When you do a job, you like getting paid on time. So does everyone else in an organization; and that’s where payroll clerks come in. As a payroll clerk, you’ll collect, organize, and double-check time sheets from employees; and make sure everyone gets paid at the end of each pay period. You’ll process direct deposits for employees who choose to use them. And with in-depth knowledge of tax codes, you’ll make sure that the appropriate tax is withheld from each paycheck — so no one gets any unpleasant surprises at tax time.
• Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable Administrator
  
  Every organization has vendors: other organizations or businesses from whom they purchase goods and services. Accounts payable administrators make sure those vendors get paid accurately and on time, and in compliance with government requirements. 
  
  
  
  And then there are times when the organization you work for is the vendor to someone else. It’s the accounts receivable administrator’s job to make sure that their organization receives the compensation they’re due. As an accounts receivable administrator, you’ll draft invoices and bill clients for products and services rendered. You’ll also follow up on late payments, and make sure there are no account discrepancies. 
  
  
  
  Both accounts payable and accounts receivable administrators will keep meticulous records of all appropriate transactions on behalf of their organization, and provide documentation for managers, accountants, and government auditors. 
• Tax Preparer
  
  There’s never a shortage of people who need help filing their taxes. And not everyone needs a CPA. That’s when they turn to a registered, professional tax preparer. As a tax preparer, you’ll calculate, file, and sign income tax returns for both individuals and businesses, providing everyone involved with peace of mind.

A bachelor’s degree in Accounting will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. Maybe you’re looking to streamline an organization’s finances; maybe you dream of something more client-facing. Whatever your dreams, with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, you’ll be one step closer to reaching them. Potential careers in accounting include the following:

• Staff Accountant
  
  Staff accountants work in corporate settings, maintaining budgets, ledgers, and other financial documents. In addition to performing the many duties of a bookkeeper, staff accountants will often specialize in fields like taxation and auditing to provide their organization with a more focused area of expertise. Armed with a detailed knowledge of a company’s finances, staff accountants will also suggest improvements as to how an organization can reduce costs and improve efficiency.

• Internal Auditor
  
  Large organizations have a lot of moving parts, and different departments may not always see their place in the grand scheme of things. It’s up to an internal auditor to look at the bigger picture. Internal auditors review all of an organization’s business procedures, while making sure all departments are acting in compliance with the appropriate laws and statutes. After examining financial data within an organization, an internal auditor will make recommendations to improve risk management procedures, internal controls, and governance processes. 

• Management Accountant
  
  After analyzing multiple data sources from an organization’s many departments, management accountants make recommendations to improve the organization's overall financial strength. They may also coordinate with performance managers to implement those improvements, while making sure they comply with all relevant laws and regulations. Management accountants will do more than simply find ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency; they may also identify new opportunities for investment.

• Budget Analyst
  
  Successful organizations can’t just play things by ear. They have to plan their finances carefully; and to do that, they need sharp-eyed budget analysts. As budget analyst, you’ll work with program and project managers to help develop an organization’s long-range budget. You’ll take various departmental budgets and make sure they all work together as a cohesive whole. And you’ll make sure those departments keep their spending within the scope of that budget. 

• Loan Officer
  
  Loan officers will examine the finances of both individuals and businesses to determine whether a loan application is fit for approval. While they’ll look at things like income levels, balance sheets, and credit ratings to make their decision (a process called underwriting), they’ll also meet with applicants to help guide them through the loan process. And once a loan is approved and authorized, a loan officer will review the loan agreement to make sure it complies with all federal and state requirements. 

• Financial Analyst
  
  Both businesses and individuals are always looking to improve their financial prospects through smart investing. To do that, they look to analysts to guide their financial planning decisions. A good financial analyst will review and recommend both portfolios and individual investments. But before they do that, they’ll study economic trends to make informed decisions. They’ll also look into a company’s finances to determine whether that company is a sound investment — at times even meeting with that company’s officials to gain insight into that company’s long-term prospects.

With a master’s degree in Accounting, you’ll be ready to take your career to the next level. You’ll have what it takes to be a leader in the field. No matter where you work, you’ll be qualified to make decisions that will set a course for an organization — and determine its future. Below are some of the careers that await you when you earn your master’s

• CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
  
  There are accountants, and then there are CPAs. In addition to fulfilling essential educational requirements, a certified public accountant has to pass a demanding exam, as well as take an oath that they will adhere to a strict code of ethics. The reward for that work? The ability to perform two important tasks: 
  
  Prepare financial reports to submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). All companies must do this, and they need CPAs to do it for them. 
  
  
  
  Represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  
  
  
  A lot of a CFO’s duties overlap with those of a controller, but there are some important distinctions. CFOs will often take more of an active hand in developing fundraising and finance strategies for an organization. Just like a controller, a CFO must run a tight ship, keeping a business’s financial workings in perfect order — then take it one step further, by analyzing all that data to determine a course of action for the future. As part of the C-level executive team, a CFO participates in business strategy sessions that will lay the foundations for a company’s long-term growth.
  
  
  
  Like many other accountants, CPAs will perform a wide range of auditing and consulting duties. But in their ability to deal with the SEC and IRS, CPAs stand apart from other accountants. And that ability is always in high demand.

• Forensic Accountant
  
  When a business suspects there may be suspicious financial activity happening within its ranks, they employ forensic accounting to get to the bottom of it. Forensic accountants examine data to investigate to determine where missing money has gone — and how to recover it. Once they’ve used their skills to root out any wrongdoing, they may present their findings as expert witnesses during legal proceedings

• Information Technology Accountant
  
  Even the best-trained accountant is only human. In order to keep track of an organization’s many financial activities, technology has become more essential than ever — and It takes a highly specialized accounting professional to make it all run smoothly. IT accountants help develop and manage software systems that centralize, organize, and protect financial data across an organization’s many departments. They’ll then be able to use those systems to correct human error and increase efficiency.

• Corporate Controller
  
  Corporate controllers manage the entirety of a company’s accounting functions. In short, when it comes to anything involving an organization’s cash flow, the buck stops with them. Controllers produce financial reporting; maintain accounting records; devise controls to mitigate financial risk; ensure compliance with accounting principles and regulations; and coordinate the efforts of accountants in specialized functions. Controllers will also assist outside CPA firms to prepare year-end tax reporting.

• CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
  
  A lot of a CFO’s duties overlap with those of a controller, but there are some important distinctions. CFOs will often take more of an active hand in developing fundraising and finance strategies for an organization. Just like a controller, a CFO must run a tight ship, keeping a business’s financial workings in perfect order — then take it one step further, by analyzing all that data to determine a course of action for the future. As part of the C-level executive team, a CFO participates in business strategy sessions that will lay the foundations for a company’s long-term growth.

What can you do with an Accounting Degree?

Tech, manufacturing, fashion, entertainment — no matter what the field, and no matter how big (or small) the company, all businesses have one thing in common. They all need accounting pros. Whether you’re bookkeeping for a small business, working for a large accounting firm, or developing a financial strategy for a major corporation, accounting programs can open the door to a huge variety of exciting career paths. 

As an accounting major, you’ll learn about more than tax codes. You’ll learn critical thinking skills to help determine the long-term goals of a business (and develop plans to achieve them). And you’ll learn how to communicate those plans clearly and effectively. 

Read on to discover what you’ll be able do with an accounting degree. With so many career options to choose from, you might be surprised. 

What will I learn with a degree in accounting? 

You’ll grow to understand every angle of a business as an accounting major. You’ll learn about compliance with state, local, and federal financial regulations; generating, maintaining, and analyzing financial records; risk management; and much more. At Monroe’s School of Business and Accounting, you can earn your associate, bachelor’s, and even your master’s degree in accounting. Whatever your career goals may be, you’ll develop the skills you need to achieve them.

When you pursue an associate degree in Accounting, you won’t just gain a solid foundation in economics and business. You’ll also learn about analytical thinking, writing, and research, as well as professional presentation. You’ll be able to communicate your ideas persuasively and with maximum impact, no matter what career path you choose.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a firm command of:

• Financial accounting
• Managerial accounting
• Business and tax law
• Macroeconomics
• Marketing

With an associate degree in Accounting, you’ll have the skills you need to hit the ground running as you start your accounting career.

Much like the associate degree, a bachelor’s degree in Accounting will give you the same grounding in math, economics, and business. You’ll also build on your soft skill set, with liberal arts courses that will prepare you for any and every professional setting. You’ll learn how to present your ideas clearly and forcefully, no matter where you work. 

With a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, you’ll go a step further with courses in:

• Advanced business and tax law
• Management science
• Accounting software solutions and integrated business applications for businesses both large and small

With the skills you learn, you’ll open yourself up to a whole new world of careers in accounting and finance.

Maybe you already have a fair amount of work experience under your belt — and you’ve discovered new directions that you want your career to take. It might be time to take your education one step further, with a  master’s degree in Accounting.

While pursuing your master’s, you’ll explore new frontiers in accounting; you’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of the ethics and leadership principles that are expected of a CPA.  And you’ll be well-prepared to take the rigorous, four-part CPA exam, which will open the door to new — and fast-growing — careers in accounting.