Careers in Accounting: How to Find the Job

Graduates with accounting degrees today have a greater choice of specialties and career paths than ever before. There are many business related skills required of an accountant, which is why almost every business has at least one account on its staff. As a result, there are many diverse organizations that are looking for accounting graduates.

In spite of the wealth of different accounting job opportunities, it is always wise to consider your interests and skill level before applying. There are several career paths within the accounting profession that will take you to the pinnacle of success in the accounting field. These are proven career paths that you might want to consider.

If you excelled in public accounting in college, entry level positions such as Tax Staff, Consulting or Management Services, and Staff Auditor will match you skills and interest. In these assignments you would report to a senior that specializes in that area. After you have gained between three and six years of experience in this type of assignment, you would be able to apply for higher level positions such as Tax Senior, Senior Auditor or Consulting Senior. These positions report to a manager. Once you are in one of these positions and do well, you might go after a Partner level or Senior Partner position.

If your skills are in corporate accounting, between one and three years of experience would qualify you to become for a staff member assignment in Internal Audit, Tax Accounting, Management or Financial Accounting. After three to six years in one of these assignments, you would be eligible to apply for a Senior Level slot in Internal Audit, Tax Accounting or Management Accounting. After another six years experience in one of these positions, you might want to think about applying for a Tax Manager, Internal Audit Manager, or Financial Accounting Manager position.

Interest and experience in Financial Management, Financial Planning Staff, Cash Management or Credit Analysis are other areas of accounting where entry level assignments exist. With more experience under your belt you could apply for Treasury Operations, Credit Analysis or Senior Financial Planning positions. Beyond these positions there are higher level positions - Treasurer, Manager of Credit Analysis and Financial Planning.

These options are the traditional career paths that have worked best for graduates with accounting degrees. However, these are not the only accounting based careers in the marketplace. Successful accounting graduates expand their skills to other related disciplines to enhance their career possibilities. In addition to experience, the more you learn about other aspects of the business world, the more likely you will be to staying one step ahead of the competition in finding the job you want.