There are 32 reviews of this career. |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 14, 2007 |
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I am an accountant working for the Department of Defense, a civil service career. I would recommend going to work in federal service. I would definitely do it over again. Although it has it's ups and downs, and it is not a guaranteed job as it used to be. In my 20 plus years of civil service I have prevailed through BRAC's (Base Realignment and Closures), huge downsizings and reductions in force, and A-76 (outsourcing) competitions. The plusses have been enjoyable work, a chance to serve your country (without having to enlist in the military),lots of opportunity for advancement, good pay, and great benefits. If you enjoy working with numbers, you should consider the Civil Service. |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Write an online review and share your thoughts about this career with others! |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
December 08, 2006 |
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Accounting isn't all about being good at math, like most people think. Really, a lot of it is about understanding a couple basic concepts, being good at working from an example, and knowing how to use Excel and various other pieces of accounting software.
I like my career because it has a lot of flexibility that many other jobs might not have. I can find a job anywhere in the country, big city or small. I can work in any industry that interests me. I can set up my own business if I want to.
The only thing that I don't really like is that so much time is spent sitting in a cubicle, staring at a computer. On a normal 8-hour day, I spend an average of 5 hours manipulating various spreadsheets, an hour on the phone, an hour in meetings, and an hour at lunch.
I'd definately choose this career again, but I'd be more apt to go into it open-eyed. When I first started working in accounting, my entire job was copy-paste from the specialized accounting software that the company used, into excel. It was a full year before I was able to do anything more interesting than that. Now, three years into my career, I've been promoted four times, and my job is very challenging and interesting. I learn something new just about every day. |
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Author: |
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rcarter2 (Harvey, IL) |
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Date: |
October 27, 2006 |
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Early in your career, preferably while still in college, you will want to get an idea of what kind of accounting field you wish to enter. You may already know that there are three types of businesses, and accounting fits into each one:
Sole proprietor – a single, independent CPA practitioner with several reliable clients
Partnership – start a CPA firm with other CPAs and share clients, or join a firm already established. This provides advantages such as taking time off or reducing the workload or liability.
Corporation – joining a large company with several accountants. In this case, you have little liability but also not as much control.
In addition to these, you will want to decide whether to work in a for-profit firm in private industry or a not-for-profit organization such as a city, state or federal government agency. Private industry jobs normally pay more than government jobs, but there is also less job security. While all jobs have an "office politics" element, some jobs are clearly more political than others (e.g, handgun or tobacco manufacturers, or abortion clinics). Also, be aware that government jobs' salaries are generally publicized – and that means politicized. So, if any person or position makes too much money, the civil service commission may feel pressure from politicians, public interest groups or rival government agencies to modify the pay scale to reflect the public's priorities (e.g., police or public school teachers vs. accountants).
Finally, you will want to decide what branch of accounting you prefer to specialize in. Here are some examples:
General accounting – posting journal entries, posting and monitoring accounts receivable or accounts payable, reconciliations of accounts, keeping track of amortization schedules, monitoring investment income, etc.
Financial analysis – comparing actual income and expenses to budget or prior year, and reporting on the causes of variances. This also includes balance sheet analysis, where you ensure that a balance sheet account is reported at the proper level. These include extensive primary and secondary research.
Taxation – preparing and submitting tax forms for individuals or corporations. This may also include answering clients' questions or providing information to authorized parties.
Audit – testing client transactions and accounting policies and procedures to ensure management reports fairly represent the financial condition of the business, based on some standard such as Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP). This includes internal audit (done with company employees) or external audit (done with independent CPAs).
Consulting – providing clients and business with ideas to improve their financial condition or profitability.
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Displaying reviews 21 - 32 of 32 |
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