About Accountants and Auditors
Accountants, Auditors and Certified Public Accounts (CPA’s) help ensure that firms operate efficiently. They also ensure that companies’ public records are kept accurately and taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants and Auditors perform these functions by offering a wide range of business and accounting services to their clients, like public accounts, management accountants and internal auditing.
Further than the fundamental tasks of the accounting occupation preparing, analyzing, and verifying financial documents, many accountants now are required to have a wide range of knowledge and skills. Specific job duties for accountants vary widely among the few major fields of accounting.
Management Accountants, also called industrial accountants, corporate accountants, or private accountants record and analyze the financial information of the companies. Their responsibilities include budgeting, cost management and asset management. Typically, management accountants are part of executive teams and take part in strategic planning or new-product development. They analyze the financial information and statements that corporate executives need to make their business decisions. They prepare financial reports for non-management groups, including stockholders, regulatory agencies, creditors, and tax authorities. Management Accountants may work in various areas including financial analysis, planning and budgeting, and cost accounting.
Public Accountants perform a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting activities for their clients. For example, some public accountants are consultants who offer advice in areas such as the design of accounting and data-processing systems, and the selection of controls to safeguard assets. The other concentrates on tax matters and preparing individual income tax returns. Some accountants specialize in forensic accounting, investigating and interpreting bankruptcies. Public Accountants, many of whom are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), generally have their own businesses or work for public accounting firms. Many persons with an accounting background work in the public sector. Government accountants and auditors maintain and examine the records of government agencies and audit private businesses and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulations or taxation.
Internal Auditing is a very important area of accounting and auditing. Particularly, they examine and evaluate their firms’ financial and information systems, internal controls and management procedures to ensure that records are correct and controls are adequate to protect against fraud and waste. They also review company operations evaluating their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with corporate policies, laws, and government regulations. Internal Auditors help managers to base their decisions on actual data, rather than personal observation. They also may suggest controls for their organization’s computer system to ensure the reliability of the system and the integrity of the data.
Personal and laptop computers let accountants and auditors to be more mobile and to use their client’s computer systems to extract information from large mainframe computers. And now a growing number of accountants and auditors have wide computer skills and specialize in correcting problems with software or in developing software to meet management requirements and analytical needs. Accountants now become personal financial advisors. They not only provide clients with accounting and tax help, but also help them develop a personal budget, manage assets and investments, plan for retirement, and recognize and reduce exposure to risks.
Main job requirements for Accounting and Auditors
- Most accounting jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field.
- Job seekers who obtain professional accounting recognition through certification or licensure, a master’s degree, proficiency in accounting and auditing computer software, or specialized expertise will have an advantage in the job market.
- Competition for accounts will remain keen for the most prestigious jobs at major accounting and business firms.
Here you can find information about accounting degree online:
http://www.directoryofschools.com/Accounting-Degree-Online.htm
You can choose an Accounting degree of:
Bachelor of Science in Business/Accounting - the accounting major promotes identification with and orientation to the accounting profession and is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to a successful accounting career. Main competencies in technology, critical thinking, and communication are emphasized throughout the curriculum. Students also have broad exposure to varied business disciplines including management, organizational behavior, economics, statistics and finance, and learn how the general manager integrates these disciplines to meet the strategic goals of the organization. The BSB/ACC coupled with the MBA/ACC is designed to meet the education eligibility requirements for all states and jurisdictions.
Bachelor of Science in Business and Finance - The Bachelor of Science in Business/Finance (BSB/F) program is planned to prepare graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively apply financial concepts and tools in various organizational scenarios from a generalist perspective. Technology, ethics, e-business, critical thinking, problem solving, research methods, and statistical analysis are emphasized throughout the curriculum.
MBA/Accounting - The Master of Business Administration/Accounting program is designed to enhance the management skills students need to function successfully within an accounting organization. Students will create and defend their solutions to problems of crisis management, profitable growth opportunities, and change leadership. Throughout the program, students gain experience in distilling a situation into a well-defined problem; applying tools and concepts to analyze a variety of alternative solutions.
More resources for learning accounting online:
http://www.uopxonline.com/InfoPages/online-accounting-degree.asp
http://www.collegeanduniversity.net/colleges-programs-states/Online-Accounting-Schools.htm
http://www.post.edu/online/accounting.shtml
http://www.directdegree.com/scripts/index.php
In this category:
To whom it may concern:
I am interested in getting my accounting degree. I have been working in the accounting/bookkeeping field for over 25 years with very good accounting knowledge and skills.
I started the RIA (Registered Industrial Accountant)course about 25 years ago but did not complete it.(I know this course does not exist anymore and is known as the CMA). How can I go about completing my accounting degree to go on to become a chartered accountant in Ontario Canada. I would prefer to do the course online if possible due to the fact that I have to work fultime.
Please respond to this request as I am ready to pursue my career.
Thanks for your input.
Andrea Chin