Attending operational meetings and understanding the financial impact of decisions made in such meetings, adjusting budget and long-term planning. Creating financing presentations for solicitations of outside investment. Analyzing raw data and transforming it into meaningful analyses with recommendations for management. Converting tax basis accounting records to GAAP, and drafting quarterly and annual financial statements. Manage accounting and treasury for multiple compensation programs.
CAREER
Accountants and Auditors
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$73,560
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+4.3% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Accountants and Auditors Do
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Other Job Titles Accountants and Auditors May Have
Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Cost Accountant, Financial Auditor, General Accountant, Internal Auditor, Revenue Tax Specialist
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
I’m assigned specific projects and lead a team to audit those projects. I set up meetings with the companies I’m working with to understand their processes and perform tests on those processes. When I’m done testing, I’ll issue a report to the company and then discuss improvements with them. Sometimes, that means traveling to festivals and shows to make sure they’re compliant.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Accountants and Auditors
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (59%)
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Accounting and Finance
Graduate
Accounting
Certification / License
Accounting
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Business Administration and Management, General
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Adaptability is key. It's also important to be able to work with a team and take ownership of work. I also suggest taking the time to learn any technical industry knowledge for whichever industry you're working in. For example, for oil and gas, and understanding of geology and engineering is helpful, which is mostly learned on the job.
Your ability to communicate and network is key to just about every industry. If you can make real, valuable connections with people, finding a job or breaking into a new industry becomes a lot easier.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
Middle School Students
Get to know yourself well. What type of personality do you have? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you like? What kind skills do you have? Answering such questions can go a long way in helping you determine your best career.
High School Students
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
