<p>I am a Sophomore Finance major at The College of New Jersey. I basically picked it without much knowledge or thought involved when I applied. For a long time I have been thinking about switching to Accounting, but have been apprehensive about the workload. I dont mind being at school for more than 4 years if its going to be beneficial to me in the future with my job. I really am just afraid of leaving there with a degree that will not get me very far. </p>
<p>I have been told that business degrees are pretty much just like any degree and dont do much for you in the long run, but Accounting is the only exception. I have always liked math a lot, but didnt go towards a math degree because I did not want to become a teacher and was afraid thats the only thing I could do with it so i chose finance and am now thinking that accouting is a better choice. I also wouldnt mind doing something with management, marketing, advertising, or professional selling.</p>
<p>If im switching then I have to switch within the next week and I would not really be able to switch back. I just want to have a steady job when I am older, but not be an extreme workaholic. That is the only thing holding me back from switching. Dont get me wrong I want to work hard, but I dont want to be miserable in college buried under books all the time and I do want to have a family when I am older. </p>
<p>So basically to sum it up, what are the possible career paths I should lean towards that are up and coming where I will not have a difficult time finding work or being outsourced?</p>
<p>I would highly recommend searching past posts a bit more, as there's a lot of discussion that covers accountings jobs vs. finance jobs.</p>
<p>As for what fits, you can get a great job with either a finance or accounting degree. The better jobs in both fields do require a large time commitment, though finance moreso (you can't really expect to work a 40 hour week your entire life if you're working in business and want to move up). The better jobs in accounting are a bit easier to get than in finance when you're coming right out of college. Accounting jobs also tend to be steadier than finance jobs.</p>
<p>If you think you might enjoy accounting, you're going to need to do a bit of research over the next week--if you end up working in accounting (although accounting majors do also work in finance and management), you're probably going to want to pursue your CPA. In order to sit, there are educational requirements which vary by state. I'm pretty sure that TCNJ has a program to help you fulfill the requirements. There is also more to accounting than math--if you work in public accounting, you'll find that there's more law than math involved in what you do.</p>
<p>In general, I wouldn't say that outsourcing should be a major concern. If you're looking for something steadier with less hours, I would say that accounting would be the better option. To be honest, though, if you're against the idea of studying a lot during school and working 80 hours weeks every once-in-awhile, then I'm not sure that either field is a perfect fit for you. People in accounting and finance do have families and lives outside of work, but both require a lot of effort in order to move up--your post gives the impression that's not what you're looking for.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with the above poster. You can find jobs w/ both accounting and finance degrees. Actually, you can find a degree with any undergrad business degree like, marketing, finance, and accounting.</p>
<p>I am an accounting major right now, and plan on going to graduate school after I get done with my undergrad course work to complete my MPA (Masters of Public Accountancy) so I can sit for the CPA exam. Like the above poster said, if you pursue accounting, you're probably going to want to pursue your CPA license. To do that, you need 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam...so grad school is where you'd end up at (pointless to get another 30 credits as an undergrad when you could get your masters in a year).</p>
<p>There are a lot of jobs in accounting from what I've learned here...I've learned that government accounting jobs will always be available, and if you get into grad school to pursue your MBA, MPA, or dual degree MBA/MPA at a top-tier grad school, you have a great shot at getting recruited by one of the big 4 accounting firms.
I know the grad school I plan on applying to (MPA program) has all big 4 accounting firms recruiting there.</p>
<p>"To do that, you need 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam...so grad school is where you'd end up at (pointless to get another 30 credits as an undergrad when you could get your masters in a year)."</p>
<p>I have to disagree on this point. While I don't think it's worthwhile to do a five year bachelor's in lieu of getting a bachelor's and a master's in five years, if you have the option of getting your 150 in four years as an undergrad, I would definitely take it. That is the route I went (was in a dual bachelor's degree program and graduated in four years). Whether you have a master's in accounting or not makes absolutely no difference in terms of recruiting or career progress as long as you have your 150. You normally get paid the same whether or not you have a MAcc (or, if you do get more, it's nowhere near enough to cover the cost of the additional degree). </p>
<p>I would weigh your options carefully based upon your own situation. A MAcc may or may not be meritted. I think that taking a few extra classes during your four years in undergrad and then getting an MBA several years later from a good school is a great way to go. An MBA has a lot more value than a MAcc/MTax and your chances of getting into a good business school right out of undergrad are slim.</p>
<p>As a student currently taking the upper division accounting coursework, I feel I may have some light to shed on this matter. If you want to do accounting, be prepared to work really hard in school, and what I mean by really hard is constant, consistent digging into the subject matter and figuring out what's going on. Accounting, I have learned, is an evolving subject... meaning it will change as often as your dirty undies. The key components you will learn is how to process the information and gain a foundation of how it works. You will not, however, grasp the entire subject or know exactly how to do all of it while you are in school--to actually work in accounting you will have to learn specifics about an industry or become a tax expert. The only thing you will gain from school is a foundation to build upon. A foundation of knowing where to gather the pertinent information to solve problems relating to taxes, auditing, regulations (which constantly change), and business in general. Nevertheless, to do well in school with accounting, you have to attempt the problems and consistently "dig in". In other words, accounting is not a spectator sport.</p>
<p>I have friends who have double majored/are double majoring in accounting and finance, and all of them (that is to say 100%) say that accounting is much more difficult and "nagging" than finance--which mostly focuses on one aspect of accounting (a big aspect no less, but only one), which is CASH.</p>