Job prospects

[account]

What are the job prospects for this field and how important are contacts in the industry? I am thinking about going back to school part time to major in accounting, I did minor in business my first time around so I already have a few classes out of the way and it shouldn't take me more than 2 or 3 years to finish a major. I did well in the classes I did take and I think I can finish the courses with a GPA of 3.5 or above, the school I would go to is Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS which is AACSB accredited.

The most important thing however is job prospects, I have already spent several thousand on a major that admittedly I was not great at and ended up with a job that does not provide pecuniary satisfaction and I want to know how job prospects are nationwide as well as within a few hundred mile radius of the college area.

 

[The Finance Writer]

The accounting industry press indicates that employment demand is high for CPAs. I work in the tax industry but maintain some familiarity with the auditing field. The Big 4 are the largest employers of CPAs and CPA candidates. They are also well known for burnout before you reach the manager level. A plus for young accountants is that large regional accounting firms are becoming stiff competitors that desire top talent.

Much of the tax field remains segmented, with many local firms headed by CPAs. They are expanding staff by hiring both CPA candidates and trainees with sufficient tax knowledge from passing the Enrolled Agent exam. In addition to strong job prospects, you can venture into establishing your own tax practice by possessing either a CPA license or EA certification.

If you want to focus on job demand in the tax area, follow up an accounting degree by studying for the EA exam. With a little more education and passing a different exam, you can become a CPA. Courses and details about both exams are available at Enrolled Agent, RTRP and CPA Exam Review and CPE - Fast Forward Academy.

 

[Tripthelightfantastic]

Accounting job being outsourced

If you are young, go with a cpa firm. They generally are up and out and then you have to either make partner, open your own business or go into industry. But once you become experienced and go into industry, the jobs will be scarce. There is a big swing to outsource all accounting to India/China/Malaysia for low wages. Therefore, the only choice is to make partner or open your own business. The problem with that is all the unemployed accountants are trying to open their own business. The field is over saturated with CPAs in the USA while India/China are stealing our jobs.