I posted this in a forum and figured I could post it here for perpetual life. But here's a sample what to expect if you want to become an accountant or CPA.
I'm a CPA at a small 4 person public firm. The hours generally vary by firm. There are firms that work 7 day weeks and then firms that have very little overtime. Also consider that there also tons of jobs in accounting for private companies that would not require much overtime (ie: work for a municipality). For me my busy times are late February to April 15 and late August to October 15th but that is because we put most our clients on extension. During those times I work late nights (mostly between 7pm-9pm) and most Saturdays during busy time. We're all procrastinators here though and if we evened our work throughout the year we probably wouldn't need to work much overtime at all but instead we slack off during the off season with drinking in the bosses office or taking long office lunches,etc. However accounting is definitely not a 9-5 job. A client could call up anytime with a request (financial statement, tax issue, etc.) that that may need the next day that may require you to work late that day even if it is August and sunny outside, though I usually get out on time during the off season.
As far as education, I would recommend at least a Bachelor's in accounting if you are looking for a public accounting position. A masters may help you in with the big 4 accounting firms but it is really not necessary otherwise. Passing the CPA exam would be a great career boost and would advise taking if you can commit to the grueling studying.
As far as money my salary has more than tripled in the five years I've been working with an annual raise, 401k match, health, 3 weeks vacation, so no complaints here.
Edit: I just checked my time for 2008 and I worked 2340 hours in 2008 (includes paid holiday time and vacation time) which averages 45 hour/week.
If you have any specific questions you can post a comment using the form below...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tuesday July 21, 2009 @ 09:42 AM
RE: Roberta
If you don't go for a BS in accounting I would recommend obtaining at least a certificate in accounting from a university. No firm is going to consider your resume without some degree in accounting or related field unless you have related experience.
Thursday July 23, 2009 @ 02:08 AM
I am currently a 2nd year accounting student (double majoring in international studies.) Would a minor in computer science be worth my time and valuable to both myself and prospective employers in the future? Would a double minor in english and finance be better? Do any of them matter?
Thursday July 23, 2009 @ 11:05 AM
It really depends on what firms or jobs you apply to. Personally I think focusing on your accounting classes and getting a high GPA for your major would be much more beneficial than any minor. Computer science may be useful if you want to go into job dealing with accounting systems or auditing information systems but I think a MIS degree is would be better geared for that anyway. International studies may help you if your applying for a big firm or international company with international clients. I don't think english would do anything for an accounting major. I'm not really sure if finance is helpful or not or if it improves your chances at all.
Tuesday July 21, 2009 @ 03:31 AM
I have my BS in Communications but really want to be an accountant. How would you advise me to go about getting a job in the accounting field since my background is not what most accounting firms are looking for? Thank you!