Accounting

“To record, verify, report, plan, and analyze transactions are the jobs of an everyday accountant” (Samuel 7-11). An accountant is a person that works in an office or business setting and handles numbers to keep track of an individuals’ financial stability. There are many causes and effects of students choosing to be an accountant as a career.

The causes are choosing accounting as a college major and being good with numbers. The effects are salaries and requirements in the field. To begin, accounting can be an intended major. In an article written by Wilson, accounting is described as, “A field that embodies a set of concepts and techniques that are used to measure and report financial information about a particular economic entity” (Wilson 127-134). This demonstrates the whole concept behind accounting.

It also mentions the business perspective behind accounting, such as an entity of a corporate business. The article gives another reason for choosing accounting as a major stating, “Accounting information is useful not only to owners of entities or their creditors, but also to business planners and forecasters, government administrators, financial analyst, and individual companies” (Wilson 127-134). This statement illustrates a brief job description and explains who possible clients may be. When the profit of a company such as AT is researched, accountants are the people responsible for reporting the company’s profit margins. Learning about the job and clientele basis, sparked my interest in the business field.

Next, accountants are good with numbers and possess an understanding of theoretical concepts. In Wilson’s article, the mathematical side of accounting is described as, “Product costing and pricing, budgeting, or diversifying investments” (Wilson 127-134). This quote reveals the amount of mathematical knowledge required to be an accountant. Accountants need to be good with numbers in order to determine the price they should charge to cover their costs. In an article written by Samuel, the concepts behind accounting are portrayed as, “The technique of double entry bookkeeping involves recording every transaction twice, once each as a debit and a credit in distinct accounts” (Samuel 7-11). At first glance this may seem like a mouthful, but understanding concepts and taking the right mathematical steps can lead to a path of success.

This statement deals with transactions that involve prepaid items, credit cards, or payrolls. Being number and concept friendly enabled me to choose accounting as my major. Also, the salary of an accountant may lead one decide to major in accounting. A chart from career explorer declared, “The salary range for accounting and finance begins around $36,780 and usually tops out around $102,380” (“Accounting and Finance Careers/ Career Explorer”). This fact reveals how well accountants are paid. Making a six figure salary would allow to live comfortably.

The same chart also said, “The growth outlook for accounting and finance careers are estimated at about twenty-two percent while the estimated growth for all career fields is about ten percent” (“Accounting and Finance Careers/ Career Explorer”). This means that more and more accountants are needed every day and finding a job in this career field would be easier. As long as there is money, an accountant will be needed. These statistics show the satisfying benefits of choosing to major in accounting. Lastly, the prerequisites of an accountant show the level of prestige that an accounting degree offers.

The article written by Wilson also stated, “Most colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in accounting, which is almost a universally minimum requirement for employment in the field” (Wilson 127-134). This means that accountants are intelligent because they have to complete at least four years of schooling. This also means that earning the degree in this field is easy to come by because most colleges offer an accounting program. The article by Wilson also included, “All states now require a minimum of 150-hour education requirement” (Wilson 127-134). This means that accountants will be well educated and knowledgeable. This requirement also meets the requirements to be eligible to take the Certified Public Accountant Exam.

Accounting allows people to gain knowledge and ensures that people have the confidence to use it, which led me to choose accounting as my major. In conclusion, there are many causes and effects to choosing a career path in accounting. The causes are choosing accounting as my major and being intelligent with numbers. The effects of majoring in accounting are the salaries and the knowledge gained with the requirements. Accounting deals with numbers and complex concepts, but it comes along with great benefits.

When people are asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” they have no idea. I know exactly how I would answer that question, an accountant.