One of my family’s favorite pastimes is playing the board game Monopoly. Each summer at the beach we all gather round a huge table and devote an afternoon to real estate and competition. I try to get Boardwalk but almost always end up bankrupt. Having an accountant on staff during our games would prevent that. An accountant would better help me assess and handle my financial situation, whether I’m playing Monopoly or running a big business.
Photo Credit: Flickr user image_of_money
Accountants are responsible for preparing and communicating financial information accurately for their clients or company. Sometimes they share the information within a business, and other times with other companies, government agencies, or individuals. Their primary duty is to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities.
There are a couple different types of accountants:
A CPA is licensed by the state of their residence to provide auditing services to the public, although most CPA firms also offer accounting, tax, litigation support, and other financial advisory services.
A CIA mostly provides their services directly to their employer rather than the public.
A CMA mostly provides their services directly to their employers rather than the public.
An ABA specializes in the needs of small-to-mid-size businesses and in financial services to individuals and families.
The typical day for an accountant is pretty long. Most offices require 50+ hour weeks year round and even longer days during busy seasons. Many accounting majors go into public accounting, specifically doing either audits or taxes. An auditor’s day generally starts early at the client’s office. Overall you’ll spend a lot of your time interacting with the client: asking for the papers you need, details and clarification on certain items. The rest of your time will be spent going through their accounting records, confirming balances and filling your audit papers.
On average a new accountant makes between $29,000-$62,000 per year. From there you can go on to become a Senior Accountant ($42,000-$76,000), a Staff Accountant ($31,000-$56,000) or an Accounting Manager ($36,000-$92,000).
Here are some hot spots for accountants:
A bachelor’s degree is generally required for accounting positions. Further education may be needed depending on the specific accounting job description. You’ll also need to have strong math skills and the ability to be personable with clients.
To become a Certified Public Accountant, accountants must obtain a CPA certification.
A CIA will receive a certificate from the Institute of Internal Auditor, after passing a 4 part exam.
A CMA is granted a certificate from the Institute of Management Accountants, after a 2 part exam, and meeting the practical experience requirement.
An ABA receives accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation, once they have passed the 8 hour Comprehensive Examination for Accreditation.
If accounting still sounds like your cup of tea, here are a few things you should do to get started.
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| New Mexico Outreach Representative | Washington, DC |
| Development Coordinator | Washington, DC |
| Marketing and Online Communications Coordinator | Washington, DC |
| Director, Rocky Mountains and Plains Program-Denver Metro Area | Washington, DC |
| Database Administration Coordinator-Headquarters, Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Travel Assistant | New Orleans, LA |
| Private Client Services Intern | Chalfont, PA |
| Marketing Intern | New York, NY |
| SUMMER TOURING ASSISTANT (Seasonal) | New York, NY |
| GROUP TRAVEL ASSISTANT | Houston, TX |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| SEO Assistant | Redwood City, CA |
| Intern - Collegiate Social Media Coordinator | Redwood City, CA |
| Design Intern for Fall 2013 | Campbell, CA |
| Design Lead | Campbell, CA |
| Marketing Intern for Fall 2013 | Campbell, CA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Server | Boston, MA |
| Special Events Coordinator | South Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Physician Urgent Care | Iowa |
| Event Coordinator | Washington, DC |
| Special Events Coordinator | South Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Friendly and outgoing associates | Houston, TX |
| Executive Assistant | Chicago, IL |
| Restaurant Management Interviews | Reston, VA |
| Neighborhood Marketing Manager | Bethesda, MD |
| Assistant Manager | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | Seattle, WA |
| Senior Creative Designer | Seattle, WA |
| Accounting Assistant | Seattle, WA |
| Customer Success Representative (North America & Amsterdam) | Seattle, WA |
| Market Development Representative (North America & Amsterdam) | Seattle, WA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Online Marketing Manager | Washington, DC |
| Retail Sales - Pawnbroker | Greenville, SC |
| Assistant Manager Retail | Spartanburg, SC |
| Area Supervisor - Retail | Louisville, KY |
| Retail Store Manager - Pawnbroker | Columbia, SC |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Stylist | Palo Alto, CA |
| Austin Tennis Jobs | Austin, TX |
| Java Technical Lead | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Sr. Business Analyst | Montvale, NJ |
| Sr IT Project Manager APP 9604 | Detroit, MI |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Sr. Director, Consumer Mtkg | New York, NY |
| Creative Director | New York, NY |
| Sr Manager HR & Corporate Systems | New York, NY |
| Director, Account Management & Strategy | New York, NY |
| Sr. Director, Data Management, Integration & Intelligence | New York, NY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| 2013.054.M Postdoctoral Fellow | Albuquerque, NM |
| Clinical Director | Many, LA |
| Fall 2013 Legal Internship-ACLUF Racial Justice Program, NY | New York, NY |
| Fall 2013 Legal Internship | United States |
| Medical Officer (General Practitioner) | Many, LA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Senior Case Manager/Social Worker | Miami, FL |
| Chief Advancement Officer | San Diego, CA |
| Deputy Director Leadership Gifts | New York, NY |
| Case Manager (351) | San Jose, CA |
| Financial Navigator | Farmington Hills, MI |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Campus Safety Officer, Part-time | Cheyenne, WY |
| Mental Health Professional (LPC, LMFT, LCSW) | Cerbat, AZ |
| Environmental, Process, and Project Engineer | Verona, MO |
| Overnight Residence Counselor | Oneonta, NY |
| Outpatient Psychotherapist | Superior, MT |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Data Scientist | Boston, MA |
| Java Back-End Engineer | New York, NY |
| Solutions Engineer | New York, NY |
| Account Manager - VideoHub | New York, NY |
| Director, Account Management | New York, NY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Recruiter | Chicago, IL |
| Email Marketing Analyst | Chicago, IL |
| Vendor Relationship Manager | Chicago, IL |
| SEO Director | Chicago, IL |
| Fraud Analyst | Chicago, IL |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Sales and Marketing Analyst | Austin, TX |
| Director, Digital Marketing Strategy | Rockville, MD |
| Marketing Automation Manager (06-13-099) | Louisville, CO |
| Marketing Intern | New York, NY |
| Senior Marketing Manager | Redwood City, CA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| UI Designer | Boulder, CO |
| Sports Academy - Vice President, Digital Sales | New York, NY |
| Director/Manager, Product Management – Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Boulder, CO |
| Vice President, Digital Sales | New York, NY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Sales & Account Management Intern | New York, NY |
| Buyer Relations Specialist | New York, NY |
| Buyer Relations Representative | New York, NY |
| Product Manager/Interaction Designer | New York, NY |
| Product Manager/Interaction Designer | New York, NY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Copywriter | Pawtucket, RI |
| Copywriter | Pawtucket, RI |
| Tour Management Intern- (July-October) | Pawtucket, RI |
| Vice President of Marketing | Pawtucket, RI |
| Sales Representative | Nashua, NH |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Executive Director - Family Equality Council | Washington, DC |
| Medical Assistant (MA) | Boston, MA |
| Greenhouse Assistant | Waltham, MA |
| Senior Sales Manager (Conference Centers) - Southbridge, MA | Southbridge, MA |
| Next Gen Jammer I&ES Aerodynamic Design | Lynn, MA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Warehouse Order Picker | Manhattan, KS |
| Benefits Specialist | Manhattan, KS |
| Merchandising Artist | Manhattan, KS |
| Embellishment and Product Technical Applications Artist | Manhattan, KS |
| Graphic Artist | Manhattan, KS |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Series Editor - SF Bay Area | Berkeley, CA |
| zulily Customer Care Agents | Post Falls, ID |
| Photographer | Columbus, OH |
| Copywriter | Seattle, WA |
| Marketing Manager | Seattle, WA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Facilities Assistant | Goleta, CA |
| Executive Assistant | Las Vegas, NV |
| Administrative Assistant - CONFIDENTIAL | Seattle, WA |
| Administrative Assistant (Virtual Home Office) | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| Administrative Assistant | Nashville, TN |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Restaurant Manager | Washington, DC |
| Account Executive | Salem, OR |
| Territorial Underwriter | Northbrook, IL |
| Principal Sales Representative | San Francisco, CA |
| Operational Excellence Consultant - Public Sector | Southfield, MI |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| OUT-BOUND Call Appointment Setter With Seniors | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Senior Accountant | New York, NY |
| Pediatrician - (Pediatrics - Peds - Pedi) Locum Tenens | Stone Mountain, GA |
| Senior Associate, BC (Sr. Business Analyst) | Los Angeles, CA |
| Sports Media Network - Multimedia Editor International Production | Bristol, CT |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Retail Merchandiser | Towson, MD |
| Stockroom Associate | Seattle, WA |
| Associate Online Marketing Manager (Aomm613-999) | Northbrook, IL |
| Senior User Interface Software Engineer ASP.net C# | San Francisco, CA |
| Senior Software Engineer - Java, eCommerce | Chicago, IL |
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|---|---|
| New York Gastroenterology | New York |
| New York Advanced Endoscopy | New York |
| Live near Buffalo and Toronto - New York Multispecialty Group | Jamestown, NY |
| Pennsylvania Urology 500 bed regional system $500K base salary | Altoona, PA |
| Pennsylvania Otolaryngology ENT 500 bed regional hospital $580K | Altoona, PA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Project Manager | Cleveland, OH |
| Agency Intern | Hayward, CA |
| Lease Purchase Truck Driver | Kenner, LA |
| Enterprise Software Sales Executive | Atlanta, GA |
| Corporate Services Financial Consultant | Torrance, CA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| 2013 Summer Internship Program | Miami, FL |
| Director of Commercial-Global Markets | Miami, FL |
| Director of Celebrity Vacation Expedition | Miami, FL |
| 2013 Summer Internship Program | Miami, FL |
| Assistant Maitre’D | United States |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Embedded Software Engineer | Troy, MI |
| Numerics and Compiler Developer | Framingham, MA |
| Senior Technical Consultant | Natick, MA |
| Modeling and Simulation Technical Consultant | Los Angeles, CA |
| Senior Application Engineer - MATLAB Production Server | Natick, MA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Project Manager | Los Angeles, CA |
| Fashion Content Writer | Los Angeles, CA |
| Marketing Copywriter | Los Angeles, CA |
| Acquisition Marketing Specialist | Los Angeles, CA |
| Nasty Gal / Preferred Staffing | Louisville, KY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Community HealthCorps/AmeriCorps Position | Fort Lupton, CO |
| Pediatrician | Derby, NY |
| Certified Medical Assistant Full Time | Miramar, FL |
| Certified Medical Assistant | Hollywood, FL |
| Americorps: Prescription Assistance Coordinator | Toppenish, WA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Floor Trader | Chicago, IL |
| Electronic Trading Platform Salesperson | Chicago, IL |
| Trading Operations Engineer | Chicago, IL |
| Recruiting Coordinator | Chicago, IL |
| Software Engineer - Liquidity Desk | Chicago, IL |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| General Forecaster | La Grande, OR |
| Social Media Intern | State College, PA |
| Executive Assistant to the President | State College, PA |
| User Experience Designer | State College, PA |
| News Writer | State College, PA |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Warehouse Management Systems - Intern | Omaha, NE |
| Call Center Administrative Assistant | Omaha, NE |
| Product Sourcing Assistant | Ralston, NE |
| Inventory Demand Planner | Ralston, NE |
| Associate Brand Merchant | Ralston, NE |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Web Content Copywriter | Northbrook, IL |
| eBay / Amazon Marketplace Specialist | Northbrook, IL |
| Marketing Promotions Copy Specialist (Internet / E-Commerce) | Northbrook, IL |
| Email Marketing Manager | Northbrook, IL |
| Call Center Manager | Buffalo Grove, IL |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Grants Administrator | New York, NY |
| Senior Software Engineer / Technologist / Hacker | New York, NY |
| Computer (Software and/or Electrical) Engineering Intern | New York, NY |
| Director, generationOn Schools | New York, NY |
| Director of Institutional Philanthropy | New York, NY |
| Job Title | Location |
|---|---|
| Business Valuation Analyst | San Francisco, CA |
| Copywriter | Cambridge, MA |
| Human Resources Assistant | Boulder, CO |
| Online Marketing Manager | Anaheim, CA |
| New Business Development Manager | Denver, CO |
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|---|---|
| Commercial Underwriter III, Taxi Medallion Finance Job | Melville, NY |
| Compliance Analyst (copy 2) | Southfield, MI |
| Office Asssistant (Temporary) | Dearborn, MI |
| Assistant Branch Manager | Moab, UT |
| Commercial Underwriter III, Taxi Medallion Finance Melville/NYC Job | Melville, NY |
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