If you consider yourself exceptionally good with numbers, then you might want to look into continuing your education and learn the skills of an accountant. An accountant’s main responsibilities are to produce and maintain financial records for various types of businesses and organizations. Other job titles for such a position are Bookkeeper and Auditing Clerk. Whichever job title you’re considering, know that 12% of accounting jobs are in professional, technical, and scientific services. The second largest employer is in retail trade and the rest is in wholesale trade, healthcare, and surprisingly, finance and insurance to follow according to the US Bureau of Labor of Statistics. So you might want to prepare yourself for possibly working in the higher percentile industries. However, depending on where you earn your college education or even where you intend on living after you graduate, the job market for accountants may vary.
What’s the Difference Between an Accountant and a Clerk?
Watch this video to find out and learn more about the accounting profession as shown by CareerOneStop:
No matter where in the country you decide to pursue an accountant career, there is some basic information you’ll need to know and collect. While it’s all too common for students to dive right in to a degree program, the administrative team at Florida National University (FNU) does not recommend doing this. Far too many students have jumped into a career without doing the necessary research about the profession only to learn that they should have gone another way academically. At FNU, our faculty advisors guide and mentor our students throughout their entire college career so that students remain focused and on track toward the completion of their degree.
Here are some of the tips we encourage you to do before making a commitment towards any of our degree programs:
- Zero in on what position in the accounting field you want to pursue. Research the different types of jobs and their correlating responsibilities.
The accounting profession has several job occupations in addition to Bookkeeper and Auditing Clerk. Here are a few more job titles you might want to research and apply for with a bachelor’s degree in accounting:
- Loan Officer
- Auditor
- Budget Analyst
- Tax Collector/Agents
- Purchasing Managers/Agents
- Determine your 5 and 10-year career goals. Preparing for a CPA.
FNU offers three types of accounting degrees: two associates—one in arts, the other in science and a bachelors. If you choose to start out by enrolling in one of our associate’s degrees, you’ll be able to transfer those credits toward our Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program. Should you have aspirations to get a masters, we recommend diversifying your academic portfolio and applying for our MBA program that you can earn in one year.
This is the perfect academic track for students who are looking to take the CPA exam.
FNU also offers graduate certificates in Accounting and Finance. These certificates require only 12 credit hours of completion and can also be transferred to our MBA program. Our graduate certificate programs are the perfect alternative to enrolling in a full MBA degree program and great for working professionals who are already in the industry looking for continuing education.
- Find out what the average salary rate is for the position you’re pursuing.
When pursuing a college education, there is no guarantee that you will make a certain amount of money. However, the chances of you earning more than you would without a college education increases immensely. Employers are more likely to hire a candidate with a college education that proves that he or she has the basic training and skills required to do the job of an accountant and also navigate industry-related technological software.
- Find out what the job outlook is for an accountant.
This is important. Learn about the accountant industry to verify if this is a profession that is worth investing thousand of dollars of education into. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a projected 10% increase in jobs up until 2026 since this profession works in tandem with the healthcare industry.
More Information About Florida National University
Earning a college degree in accounting is now more attainable than ever. You don’t necessarily have to live in the South Florida area. Online courses are available to you. With FNU, you can earn your accounting degree 100% online. We are regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College so you can count on earning a quality degree with credits that are transferrable to other regionally accredited educational institutions. Contact an FNU advisor to learn about how our financial aid department might be able to assist you in applying for assistance to pay for your accounting degree.
