Conclusion

For the past ten weeks or so I have been blogging on here about accounting and all the different fields and jobs you can specialize in.  From this blog I have learned a lot more about accounting then just the basics that I have learned in school so far.  I have learned about different jobs I can work in rather than just becoming a CPA.  But it is still my dream to accomplish that.  But if that dream never becomes a reality, then it's comforting to know that I other options to fall back onto.  If you have followed my blog for the full ten weeks, then congratulations! You made it! But thanks for sticking with me.  I hoped you learned more about accounting and all it has to offer.  I hope it didn't bore you to death and it was a fun, educational read.

This blogging experience has been both difficult and rewarding for me.  It has been rewarding by teaching me more about my major and my dream job.  It has been difficult because it was hard to remember to keep up with the blog at times, but I managed to make it through.  I would recommend other classes to do this project because it opens up your horizons with writing.  It is a different way of writing and it is pretty exciting to be honest.  I'd rather write a blog about something I am interested in rather than a research paper that I am assigned to write.  It's easy points too!

In the mean time, if you still would like to learn more about accounting and do your own research on it, here is a great website that you can use as a reference to look up any job in America.  It is called the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

I hope you enjoyed my blog!

Financial Analysts

Along with all of the other areas of accounting that you can choose, another interesting job that you can obtain is financial analysis.

Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They access the performance of stocks, bonds and other types of investments.  Financial analysts work an in office and help companies with any investments or investment related work.  They are also open to the public and help any individuals who needs help with investments. Financial analysts need to have a bachelor's degree of higher degrees for advanced positions.  A higher position you could work towards as an financial analyst is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA).  A CFA position requires a master's degree or higher because it is a high and honored certification.  The pay for financial analysts in 2012 was around $77,000 a year.

Here is a blog about a woman who is a consultant called The Constant Analyst.
 

Management Consulting

Managers help run the business world but how do managers fall into accounting? Well there is one job you can take up that will put you in a managerial position.  It's called management consulting. Management consulting is the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, analyze existing organizational problems and develop plans for improvement.

Management consultants mostly work for a company or organization and do the financial consulting for that company or organization all year round.  Others could work on their own and be open to the public and do it for any company or organization, but that is pretty rare.  Management consultants provide management assistance, developmental coaching skills and improve operational services for a company or organization.

Here is a blog about a management consultant in his everyday life called the Consultant Ninja.

Payroll Administrator

As we all know, Accounting has many different jobs that a person can specialize in. Another job I found and wanted to know a little bit more about is a payroll administrator.  A payroll administrator is someone who specializes in documenting and preparing biweekly payroll of all employees in a company. They also review and enforce the accuracy of time-sheets. They are responsible for the coordination efforts between payroll, human resources, budget and other departments to ensure proper flow in a company. 

In order to succeed as a payroll administrator, you need to have an Associate Degree in Business Administration/Finance or have an Accounting Degree.  Must have experience in payroll functions.  Also, you should be familiar with using Microsoft Office and internet browsers.  You should be able to handle multitasking and understanding the flow of transactions.  A Payroll Administrator's annual salary is between $24,000 and $58,000.

Here is a blog about Integrated Payroll Services. It talks about different things dealing with payroll and how to properly set up and complete payroll documents. 

Government Accountants

As we all know, accounting has many different fields that you can specialize in.  Today we are going to learn about a government accountant and what they do for a living. 

The duties of a government accountant are similar to the duties of a public accountant. The difference between the two fields is your client base. Government accountants are employed by the government and deal either with the government’s finances or with finances of organizations overseen by the government. Government accounting careers exist at all three levels of government, so you could work at the local, state, or federal level.  A government accountant is someone who maintains and examines records of government agencies, audits private businesses and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulations or taxations.  Sounds interesting, right?  You need at least a bachelor's degree to qualify for this job.  Salaries differ from job to job and how long you've been working somewhere.  In 2008 government accountants were getting paid between $32,000 and $102,000 a year.

This piece of a blog I found tells you a little bit about what a government accountant does to report a tax abatement. 

Managerial Accounting vs. Financial Accounting

Which is better?

Many people know that managerial accounting differs from financial accounting but they do not know how they differ from one another.  Managerial accounting is the process of identifying, measuring, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information for the pursuit of an organization's goals.  Financial accounting a specialized branch of accounting that keeps track of a company's financial transactions by recording, summarizing, and presenting them in a financial report or financial statement.

Management accountants analyze a company's financial data so that it can be used to make strategic decisions mainly focusing on business planning and budgeting responsibilities for the client.  To become a Management accountant you need to at least have a bachelor’s degree in managerial accounting or be a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).  Management accountants must be logical and detail-oriented with good math skills and be an expert in current accounting principles.  They make an average salary of about $63,000 annually.

A financial accountant is responsible for providing financial advice and support to clients and colleagues to enable them to make sound business decisions. Financial accountants may work extensively with technology to compute, maintain and classify financial records.  They need a bachelor's degree in accounting for entry-level employment or a master's degree may be preferred by some employers.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accountants and auditors are predicted to see a 13% job growth from 2012-2022.  They make an average salary of about $50,000 annually. 

Here is a blog called Martin's Accounting Blog. It's about a man named Martin who writes things about management and financial accounting.  But it isn't as boring as it sounds, so give it a try!

So it’s up to you - which is better, Managerial or Financial? 

Auditing - How Does It Work?

It can be very easy to get your financial statements out of line and all mixed around. But luckily there is someone you can hire to check over all of your financial records and get them straight for you.  It is called auditing. Auditing is an important part of financial records.  It is also something that an accountant or CPA can specialize in. 

When you are an auditor, you perform an official examination and verification of accounts and records in finance.  When auditing, an auditor examines data, statements, records, operations and performances of a business to create an audit report.  An audit report tests to see if a business' financial statements meet the terms of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Audit reports consist of the responsibilities of the auditor and directors, state that the GAAP was used, and then the auditors opinion to the business or individual. Many businesses and individuals hire auditors to make sure that they are in check with all of their financial statements and records.  

Here is an interesting blog I found about an auditor.  It's called Life of an Auditor. The author tells us about their life as an auditor working for one of the Big 4.  The author also answers questions he or she receives in the comments.

Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes

Well as we all know, tax season is here.  It's time for everyone to start filing their taxes and waiting for that nice, tax check in the mail.  Time is slowly creeping by, but before you know it, it'll be April 15th! 

Speaking of taxes, CPA's do a lot with taxes if they specialize in that field. When working in the field of taxes, many start out as a tax accountant and then become a Certified Public Accountant that specializes in tax services. Firms usually will hire accountants, but some are self-employed and find their own clients. Tax accountants specialize in assisting customers with the filing of their local, federal and state taxes.  The customer base can be both individuals and businesses. A tax accountant must meet with a client to determine their needs. Some customers may just want a tax related question answered and others may want their taxes done for them.

In order for a tax accountant to file taxes for a client, they must request all their necessary information, including financial documents and pay stubs. Once all that information is collected, the tax accountant analyzes them, looks for any deductions and determines the amount of taxes owed. After this is completed, a tax accountant does a final verification before providing the documents to the client who may submit them or have them submitted by the accountant.

If you are in need of getting your taxes done, but you do not want to pay someone to do it, here is a blog that could help you file your taxes. It has lots of helpful information about tax related things.

Are Many Options, Too Many Options?

When it comes to picking a career path, there are too many to choose from it seems like.  But once you finally make that life changing decision, even MORE options seem to open up in that career field.  It can be overwhelming at times, but researching all the options never hurts.

Which path do I take?

Since I made the decision to study Accounting and become a Certified Public Accountant, I have many options to choose from when it comes to which area I want to specialize in.  I can choose from specializing in tax, audit, management consulting, financial analysis, management accounting, and many more.  Along with choosing an area to specialize in, you also have to choose where you want to work.  You can work for any sized firm.  It can be large, like an international firm, or it can be a small one.  You can even start your own firm and make it whatever size you want it to be.  But I am still on my journey to becoming a CPA, so I still have awhile to decide what area I want to specialize in and where I want to work.

I have been seeking lots of information about CPA's lately and I found a blog called The CPA Desk. This blog helped me understand some things about what CPA's do and how they help others.

My time to choose my specific career path in Accounting will come soon enough.  Hopefully I do enough research about all the topics involved with being a CPA and choose the right one for me!

Introduction

Hi everyone!

I’m Mallory, I’m 18 years old and I am a student at Ivy Tech Community College working on my Associates in Business Administration.  Later on I hope to get my Bachelors in Accounting and take the CPA certification exam.

I’ll be blogging on here for the next ten weeks about my journey of becoming a CPA.  I’ll tell you all about my dreams and expectations I have for myself as well as a little background on being a CPA.  I chose to blog about this topic because this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.  I’m great with numbers and this seemed like the perfect career for me. 

Here is another interesting blog about a CPA in her everyday life of accounting. 

I hope you enjoy my blog and I can't wait to share my journey with you all!