Is Accounting a good major?

<p>I'm thinking about doing accounting or science, but I'm having trouble to see if accounting is right for me. A LOT of people say it's boring and they say people who like numbers do well here? What the hell does it mean to be good with numbers and how do you know if it's a good major for you? I'm planning on taking an accounting class so don't bother telling me to try it out. Any other answers?</p>

<p>Being good with numbers simply means that you can perform basic arithmetic without error. It's a good major for you if you like the subject matter.</p>

<p>Guessing here, but I would think that a good quality for an accountant is to be detail-oriented. For instance, somebody who balances their checkbook and finds it okay to be only $43.97 off (or never has the patience to balance it at all) would not make a good accountant. Some people like details and order, whereas some just can't tolerate having to maintain that degree of scrutiny.</p>

<p>Personally accounting bores me. I'd rather be a rich ceo who just signs things into action, or a guy who negotiates contracts. Then you can deal with lots of people.</p>

<p>Ah, I wanted to major in accounting but my dad says they don't make a lot of money :( it's the same salary as teachers apparently, unless you are certified. It is a stable job though.</p>

<p>lol @ your dad's ignorance</p>

<p>^^^excuse me, moss</p>

<p>I believe you meant to say "roflmao"</p>

<p>Trust me: accountant make a lot more money than teachers. They also have the potential to become partners and own there own firms,which can make them among the highest paid professions around.</p>

<p>Even government accountant after 6 years or so can make $75,000-$100,000</p>

<p>taxguy,</p>

<p>How do firms look at accounting certificates, the ones that get you eligible to sit for CPA and are taken by people who already have bachelor degrees? I am an engineer and I can't wait to get out of it (pending Green Card approval). </p>

<p>I am also kinda thinking of becoming an actuary; while it fits my interest a bit more, the 10 rigorous exams pose a huge challenge (will be taking the first one in Feb). Accounting seems to be a much safer path and it looks to me demand is much greater than supply. CPA seems to be a lot easier to manage than 10 actuarial exams. I took an intro to accounting at UCLA and it's not bad; I think I had the second highest total score in the class of 60 people or so. </p>

<p>My good friend and my cousin are accountants for a small production house and a small advertising agency. The kind of tasks they do don't appeal all that much to me though. What are other things people fresh out of schools can do with an accounting certificate and CPA passed (if I pursue the certificate, I will try to take it right after finishing the certificate) beside working for small firms-- cutting checks, making entries, and doing bank reconciliation..? Or if those tasks are inevitable for entry-level jobs, how long does it take to move beyond them if one passes the CPA?</p>

<p>Sam, first, I don't know which profession would be better for you: accounting or actuarial. I would pick the one that you like the most. This should involve some in-depth research and NOT depending on what is said here.</p>

<p>As for jobs, it depends on the firms. Large firms don't generally do the things that you are suggesting. However, they can pidgeon hole you into other types of t hings at first.</p>

<p>Accounting can be rewarding or boring depending on your perspective. It does,however, open up doors to many opportunities even outside of accounting. I, for example, lecture and write books. Accountants can make good financial analysts.</p>

<p>taxguy, i'm not getting any younger and it'll be hard with a baby on the way, i'm thinking of getting an accounting certificate from a JC College, would that be enough or i would need Bachelor degree or experience to find decent job? </p>

<p>also the college is offering distance learner, would it be a good idea to take my first intro to accounting from home or should i go to class? thanks in advance.</p>

<p>Well, the federal government is hiring accountants. They want a minimum of 24 credits in accounting. Most firms want at least a BBA or Masters in accounting if you want to work for an accounting firm.</p>

<p>spire, many states now require that you have to have a bachelor's degree to sit for the CPA exam. to be certified, however, you would also need two years of work experience in a public accounting firm or five years from other sectors. on top of passing the exam and getting the experience, you would still need 150 semester hours of college course with which 30 are accounting related.</p>

<p>so to sum up, it's a lot to take. but, you can still find a job in smaller firms doing entry level stuff. you will probably make anywhere from 50k to 65k depending on your experience.</p>

<p>Sam, just because you have passed the CPA exam does not mean you become a CPA automatically. There are other requirements as well. Please read my previous post addressed to spire for details.</p>

<p>thanks for the response guys. ok, these are the class i need to take. once i completed those classes, what kind entry level act will i be doing?<br>
intro to act
financial act
managerial act
computer act
federal and state income tax1
legal environment ob business
2 electives</p>

<p>and chester, 50-65K starting with experience and lastly would you recommend taking those class online?</p>

<p>let's see, from the names of the courses you've listed, it seems that intro to acct and managerial acct would be considered as the basic courses. so they don't really get counted in that 30 accounting hours requirement for certification or the 20 hour requirement for sitting for the exam.</p>

<p>So, you would have 18 accounting hours, assuming each of them worth 3 hours a piece. that's 2 hours short for sitting for the exam. you can probably get an internship in an accounting firm for the spring since they need a lot of people during that season, but not a full time job. they would expect you to at least get 20 hours done so you can sit for the exam when they hire you for full time. And generally, they also expect you to get that additional 10 and get yourself certified, but i've seen plenty of people not doing that. Hence, I think you would probably want to take another acct course and talk to potential employers in your area to see what are their minimum requirements. Because what works for me down here in Georgia may not apply to where you live. Each firm has its own standards depending on size, operation, and location/state it is in. </p>

<p>If you do get a job and have no experience, expect something around 50K from a local firm and something around 55k from a big 4. They won't give you a 65k deal at first. That requires couple years of experiences working with one firm. And, if you decide to work for the big 4, expect that you will never set foot in your house again. you'll be living all over the country once you start working. I have a friend who got hired to work at Atlanta, but he's pretty much permanently stuck in D.C. He only spends Christmas in Atl. So, that's a big thing about Big 4s: you travel a lot!</p>

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So, that's a big thing about Big 4s: you travel a lot!

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<p>That is probably generally true, but not necessarily true. I have a friend who works for KPMG, and all of his projects are in the Dallas area (where he lives)</p>

<p>I worked at Deloitte Touche in their tax department. I rarely, if ever, did any traveling.</p>

<p>I hated the 2 accounting courses I had to take to satisfy req's...Go Finance! :) lol.</p>

<p>Well, I guess I always have the mindset of an auditor whenever I talk about the Big 4. Yeah, with tax there is less traveling when compared with audit or consulting.</p>