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Be
A CPA
Become a CPA and you’ll go places. Where, you ask?
From international companies to rural small businesses,
from running your own one-person shop to managing
an entire firm, it’s entirely up to you.
CPAs are prominent business decision makers in a
wide range of industries, including sports and entertainment,
manufacturing, service, and non-profit organizations.
CPAs also hold leadership positions in education,
government, law enforcement, and public accounting.
If you want a successful career that’ll take you
places, check out these CPA opportunities.
Fasten Your Seat Belts!
Are you ready for the ride of your life? This guided tour gives the step by step low down on how to reach your goal of becoming a CPA.
Take A Spin! |
Public Practice
You can work for yourself, for a large multinational
firm or for some size business in between. As a
public practitioner, you advise individual and business
clients as an objective outsider.
Not a Typical Desk Job
CPAs in public practice are out and about meeting
with clients on-site and marketing their firm’s
services. Take a look at some of the specialty areas
for CPAs in public practice:
- Audit – CPAs examine
clients’ financial statements, provide advice
on internal control systems and assist with reports
for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
and other regulatory agencies.
- Tax – CPAs help their
clients comply with tax laws, provide consultation
for tax planning and represent their clients before
the Internal Revenue Service.
- Management – CPAs
provide advice on information technology services,
production and marketing techniques and improving
overall operating procedures.
Industry
Restaurant chains. Sports teams. Banks. Non-profits.
If a company makes money and spends money, it’s likely
there’s a CPA on board. CPAs employed in industry
are responsible for developing, producing and analyzing
data useful for making business decisions and for
reporting to internal and external interested parties.
Industry CPAs report on past operations, interpret
results for management and forecast future financial
results and capital requirements. If you’re a CPA
in industry, you may bear the title of controller
or chief financial officer.
Education
Educators are needed to pass knowledge on to future
generations, accounting educators included. CPAs hold
faculty positions in the academic world, working for
community colleges and four-year universities.
Government
CPAs work for government agencies at the local, state
and national level. Governmental organizations must
have accurate data in meaningful form to evaluate
the financial results of their activities and plan
for the future.
Passionate about recycling? Consider a CPA career
in the Environmental Protection Agency. Love to read?
How about being a CPA for the Library of Congress?
There are lots of government agencies like the U.S.
Navy, the FBI and NASA with CPAs on staff. The Department
of the Treasury and the Department of Defense employ
the most accountants.
Specialty
Areas
Consulting Services – CPAs give objective
advice and assistance to individuals, businesses,
financial institutions, non-profit organizations,
and government agencies.
Information Technology (IT) Services – If
you’re good with computers and enjoy the latest electronic
gizmos, think about becoming a CPA who implements
advanced systems to fit an organization’s needs.
Forensic Accounting – Is sleuthing
your strong suit? If so, you can be a CPA who searches
for evidence of criminal misconduct. Also known as
investigative accounting or fraud auditing.
Environmental Accounting – CPAs conduct
compliance audits and design preventive systems to
ensure compliance.
International
Accounting – If you’re a jetsetter, pack
your bags. CPAs with an understanding and mastery
of international trade laws and regulations are in
great demand in today’s global economy.
Tax and Financial Planning – CPAs
help clients save for goals like retirement and their
children’s college educations, as well as tax planning
and mergers and acquisitions. |
