If you are interested in an accounting career, take a strong math and business course load in high school. In particular, you must be very proficient in arithmetic and basic algebra. Familiarity with computers and their applications is equally important. Course work in English and communications will also be beneficial. Be sure to take as many business and accounting classes as possible. It never hurts to learn a foreign language, especially if you plan to work abroad.
Accountants’ duties depend on the size and nature of the company in which they are employed. The major fields of employment are public accounting, management accounting, government accounting, and internal auditing.
Public accountants work independently on a fee basis or as members of an accounting firm, and they perform a variety of tasks for businesses or individuals. These may include auditing accounts and records, preparing and certifying financial statements, conducting financial investigations and furnishing testimony in legal matters, providing assurance and consulting services, and assisting in formulating budget policies and procedures.
Management accountants, sometimes called industrial, corporate, or private accountants, identify, measure, accumulate, analyze, prepare, and communicate financial information that is then used by top executives to plot strategy and make decisions. Cost accounting is sometimes considered a sub-discipline of management accounting. Cost accountants determine unit costs of products or services by analyzing records and depreciation data. They classify and record all operating costs so that the expenditures of the business can be controlled.
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