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What Do Accountants Do?

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Accountant At Work with a calculator

Recently we explored how to become an accountant, what jobs you can get with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and whether or not an accounting degree is really worth getting. In this article, we’ll explore what accountants actually do.

But first, it’s important to understand that not all accounting graduates become traditional “Accountants,” as accounting program alumni have access to a variety of roles such as:

  • Accountant
  • Auditor
  • Budget Analyst
  • Credit Analyst
  • Financial Examiner
  • Tax Examiner

There’s also a whole series of more advanced accounting positions that require additional licenses and certifications, but which are excellent career paths, including roles like CPA, CFA, CMA, and several others.

Accordingly, people with accounting degrees can end up being responsible for various tasks, and any given accounting alumni may be asked to handle dramatically different things.

With that said, most of the people who work in the wider field of accounting are likely to have at least some overlap in their daily duties. Some of the more common tasks that accounting professionals are asked to complete include:

  • Preparing, analyzing, and confirming the accuracy of various financial records.
  • Ensuring that taxes are paid properly and on time.
  • Organizing and maintaining financial records.
  • Identifying ways to increase value, reduce costs, and increase profits.

Here we’ll also explore how to get your foot in the door of this competitive industry, what you can do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, and how to pick the right school if you do choose to pursue a degree in the field.

Typical Accounting Roles & Responsibilities

So, if you’re interested in numbers and you’d like to help organizations understand and improve their finances, then accounting may be the perfect field for you.

Regardless of industry, accountants are trusted, valued, and crucial to virtually every organization, since their core responsibility is to understand and create a clear picture of the organization’s finances.

It’s the accountants who are solely in charge of ensuring that all key stakeholders have a perfect understanding of how well the organization is performing, which is obviously critical to driving organizational success.

What Do Accountants Actually Do?

Accountants are responsible for understanding, organizing, and reporting on an organization’s finances.

Organizational leaders and executives turn to accountants when looking for a complete understanding of how they can reduce costs and increase profits, which is just one of the many reasons that accountants are such valued members of virtually every modern organization.

To serve as an effective accountant, however, you’ll need to understand more than just modern accounting best practices, as you’ll also need advanced communications skills, a solid understanding of legal and ethical financial regulations, and experience with a series of organizational management issues, including:

  • Legal Compliance and Ethics.
  • Finance.
  • Marketing.
  • Leadership.
  • Economics.
  • Qualitative Decision Making.
  • Business Intelligence.

This knowledge will be critical to your success as a professional accountant since some of the most common accounting responsibilities include:

  • Applying accounting principles, standards, and best practices to analyze financial data.
  • Collaborating using automation, business intelligence, and data analytics to perform business functions, communicate information, and develop financial solutions.
  • Analyzing ethical and regulatory trends affecting domestic and international accounting strategies.
  • Evaluating accounting processes, systems, and financial data to identify opportunities for improving business processes and applying business intelligence.
  • Demonstrating accounting and leadership skills using automation, business intelligence, and data analytics.

As the list above clearly demonstrates, modern-day accountants are asked to take on difficult, complex, but critical tasks that drive organizational success.

Is Accounting a Good Career?

Accounting is an excellent field to study, as the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to become an accountant will prepare you to take on a whole series of different roles and responsibilities.

By studying accounting in an academic setting, you’ll find out how to evaluate business performance, collect financial data, prepare financial plans, and communicate your financial strategies to others in a clear and compelling way.

These skills won’t just help you evaluate an organization’s success, but they’ll also allow you to directly contribute to driving improvements, making you a valuable member of any modern organization.

In fact, graduating from an accredited Accounting Bachelor’s Degree program will benefit you to pursue a whole series of different career paths, including positions at public or private corporations, nonprofit organizations, and state or federal government agencies.

How Can You Get Into Accounting?

While you don’t necessarily need a degree in accounting to secure a related position, earning and holding solid academic credentials does tend to make jobs more accessible, especially if you’re looking to land a competitive role.

If your goal is to become a manager or executive and you’d like to build a lifelong career in accounting, you will almost certainly want to study accounting in an academic setting simply because it’ll help prepare you for long-term success.

If you’re interested in getting into management, then you’ll also want to consider getting that degree because it’ll virtually guarantee that you have an easier time securing a related position. In fact, if leadership is one of your core career goals, then you may even want to consider pursuing a Master’s Degree in Accounting.

Simply stated, earning your degree in the field is one of the best ways to increase the chances you’ll be able to land a good job in accounting, as the academic credentials help prove that you’re fully capable of providing value to an organization from day one.

What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?

CSU Global’s online Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting will prepare you to succeed as an accounting professional by providing you with comprehensive knowledge of organizational management issues, including:

  • Legal Compliance and Ethics.
  • Finance.
  • Marketing.
  • Leadership.
  • Economics.
  • Qualitative Decision Making.
  • Business Intelligence.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities you’ll develop by completing your B.S. in Accounting program will ensure that you’re ready to bring value to an organization from day one, increasing your marketability for open accounting positions and allowing you to pursue a wide variety of other related roles.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?

Earning your Accounting Bachelor’s Degree means you’ll be eligible to apply for a whole host of relevant positions, including roles like:

Keep in mind that this is just a shortlist of a few of the more popular roles for accounting program graduates.

Other roles commonly available to accounting program alumni include financial services careers, and alternative, non-accounting positions like:

  • Actuary.
  • Business development manager.
  • Data analyst.
  • Management consultant.
  • Mortgage adviser.
  • Procurement manager.

Because accounting programs teach such a wide range of skills and knowledge, getting your degree in the field is likely to help you qualify for a variety of other career paths.

Where Should I Go to Get My Bachelor’s in Accounting?

Notably, the CSU Global B.S. in Accounting program has earned endorsement by IMA® (Institute of  Management Accountants), one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. IMA’s Endorsement of Higher Education initiative recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, enabling students to pursue and earn the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) credential.

Additionally, you should consider studying at CSU Global because:

Finally, CSU Global offers competitive tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee to ensure your rate won’t increase as long as you remain enrolled. 

To get additional details about our fully-accredited, 100% online marketing bachelor’s program, please give us a call at 800-462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form. Ready to get started today? Apply now!