Accountant Megathread - At Least We're Not Actuaries

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Accountant Megathread - At Least We're Not Actuaries

Umbriago: Aug 27, 2004

What kind of work can accountants move into, or are you pretty much obliged to be an accountant for life?

# ¿ Nov 21, 2010 21:04

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 00:54

Umbriago: Aug 27, 2004

gmilo posted:

I would consider accounting to open up a very large set of doors as far as what you can do. Just in my very limited experience I've gone from doing basic bookkeeping stuff like paying bills for businesses, to performing compliance testing in a large corporation, to performing forensic (fraud) investigations, performing financial statement audits, auditing 401k/benefit plans, and doing performance/compliance audits for various clients for various reasons.

Not all accountants sit at the same desk everyday and perform the same job.

Having the background can also help you get into management type positions, since you will typically have a good basis of knowledge for budgets and the like.

There's also enforcement type positions like the IRS, FBI, DEA, etc

Basically it doesn't ever hurt to have an accounting background. I'll never forget walking around at a job fair for school trying to find a specific firm I wanted to speak to. I was flagged down repeatedly by people when they saw I was an accounting major from my name tag while just about every other major was given the cold shoulder (except engineering, which I would consider the only other major I wish I could have done for the potential it gives)

That sounds good, thanks for your answer. I've never considered a career in accountancy before -- I'm a history and politics graduate and I always presumed that I would go into academia, but chances of a job in that field are about 800-1 right now and only getting worse. So I really need to give some thought as to what else I could do. Fortunately in the UK you don't necessarily need to take an accountancy degree to go into accounting, or a law degree to go into law, etc. -- firms will hire you as a trainee and have you take your professional qualifications as you go along. A plus for me is that I'm temping in a university business department at the moment, and I'm on very good terms with the accountancy staff, so I can hopefully get some good tips and perhaps even line up some work experience to help me consider whether it would be a good career for me. My main concern is that the hours working for the Big 4 would kill me over time, but if I knew I could move out into another field after a while then it would be a lot easier to cope.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2010 10:43

Umbriago: Aug 27, 2004

Do accountants deal with corporate bankruptcies, insolvencies, liquidations and businesses being put into administration or receivership? Trying to turn around failing companies and keep them afloat seems like it would be really interesting.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2010 10:59

Umbriago: Aug 27, 2004

gmilo posted:

Yes, however events like those are usually incredibly complicated so you'll have a slew of both lawyers and accountants working on things like that (or people with both backgrounds)

I think it sounds way more interesting than it actually is honestly. That all sounds like a cover your rear end type of nightmare.

I've just seen this kind of work listed in the KPMG graduate recruitment book in the 'advisory' section, so it confirms it as business that accountants work on. What makes you think it would be about rear end covering? The accountants and lawyers get the blame if a company in administration fails?

# ¿ Nov 24, 2010 10:33

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