Job outlook good for accountants

The need for well-educated accounting professionals will continue as long as business grows. From large to small, domestic or global, all businesses require financial guidance from professionals with accounting knowledge who can prepare, analyze and verify financial documents.

In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 22 percent increase in accounting jobs between 2008 and 2018, according to its 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook. An educational background in accounting is a valuable tool for success in these fields. Students with an accounting specialization are often better prepared for organizational roles because they have acquired a greater understanding of how accounting principles function in a competitive and complex business environment.

Because this vital role comes in many forms, some colleges and universities offer multiple paths toward a specialization in the accounting field.

Accountants have traditionally handled a wide variety of tasks depending on the needs of their employers. They carry out financial information-gathering procedures, help clients pay taxes, work in a regulatory capacity to ensure that business laws are adhered to, and even handle the monitoring and investigation of white-collar crimes. This important role perpetuates a bright future for accounting graduates interested in a variety of positions.

Last year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers¹ (NACE) annual job outlook survey found that hiring trends for 2011 graduates were most positive for students with an accounting background, followed by business, computer science and engineering, respectively.

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