How to Understand the Job of an Accountant

All accountants work with the “language of business,” based on the same set of accounting concepts, principles, standards and practices. And while there are certainly common aspects among all accountants' jobs, their different fields of specialization can result in different roles and responsibilities and different work environments. Understanding an accountant's job involves differentiating between public and private accounting, management accounting, internal and external auditing and other certification services and tax work.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

General Reference Material

1. Read “Introduction to Accounting” on the Tutor2U Web site.

2. Use the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" on the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site, to learn about the “Nature of the Work” for Accountants and Auditors.

3. Look up "Accountant" under Job Profiles in the Career Advice section of the Monster Web site.

4. Visit the WetFeet Web site, and select "Accounting" under Career Profiles. See articles on Career Overview, Accounting Industry Profile, and Real People Profiles–Accounting.

5. Go to the Web site of the Employment Development Department of the State of California (see Resources below) to the California Occupational Guides, and read “What Do Accountants and Auditors Do?”

6. Browse some of the articles posted on "The CPA Journal," published online by the New York State Society of CPAs, to get a feel for the different issues that professional accountants deal with.

Different Accounting Fields

7. Review “The CPA Profession: Create Your Own Success Story,” along with the “Snapshots of Success” on the Web site of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounting.

8. Read the article “What Does an Auditor Do?” posted in the Career Center of the University of California Berkeley Web site.

9. Browse the information on Accounting Careers on the Vault Web site, such as the article “Why Accounting?”

10. Review and compare insights from the articles “A Day in the Life” under Accounting Careers on the Vault Web site.

11. Go to the Smart Pros Web site (see Resources below). Under the Career Center tab, select "Professional Designations" to see descriptions of the various certifications accountants can receive, including Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and others.

Different Accounting Jobs

12. Read the descriptions for accounting jobs posted on Web sites such as Career Builder and Monster to get a general idea of the duties and responsibilities involved in different types of accounting positions.

13. Browse the job opportunities posted on the Web site Jobs In The Money.

14. Look up descriptions of accounting jobs on the Accounting.com Web site.

15. Go to job fairs and ask about accounting job openings and the duties and responsibilities involved.

16. Talk to co-workers, family, friends and acquaintances who work in accounting and ask them about what they do in their jobs.

Serving the Public Interest

17. Read the article “Principles of Professional Conduct: Article II–The Public Interest” and “In the Public Interest–not far enough?” posted on the New York State Society of CPAs Web site.

18. Learn about ethics standards for accountants in the “International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants” on the Web site of the International Federation of Accountants.

19. Review the article “In the Public Interest” from the Journal of Accountancy, posted on the AICPA Web site to read excerpts from “A conversation with the Chief Accountant of the SEC” on Sarbanes-Oxley and other issues facing the accounting profession.

20. Read the guiding principles described in “The Center of Professional Integrity & Accountability” in the School of Business Administration section of the Portland State University Web site.

Tips & Warnings

• Find general information on the job of an accountant, and then branch out into the different career paths and fields of specialization.
• Learn about the accountant's duties and responsibilities with the employer, as well as the professional responsibility an accountant has in protecting the public interest.

[50states]

on 11/7/2009 A lot of good information. I will try these websites.