Careers in the accounting industry

 What is accounting?

Accounting involves measuring and providing financial information, so that companies, governments, individuals and other entities can make decisions. The people who do accounting are called accountants. In Canada, three recognized accounting bodies certify accountants -- the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA), the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA), and the Society of Management Accountants of Canada. Sometimes, people who are not certified as professional accountants do bookkeeping, payroll work, invoicing or billing, or work with financial information and financial statements. However, they are not allowed to do public accounting or to carry out audits.

What kinds of positions are available in the accounting industry?

Accountants work in public accounting companies, government, insurance companies, corporations and self employment. They usually specialize in a particular area of accounting, such as audit, budget analysis, management accounting, financial accounting or tax.

• Chief Financial Officer
• Controller
• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• Certified General Accountant (CGA)
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
• Budget analyst
• Staff accountant
• Cost accountant
• Consultant
• Treasury analyst
• Financial analyst
• Business analyst
• Forensic accountant
• Auditor
• Government relations specialist
• Info and control systems specialist
• Internal auditor
• Tax accountant
• Tax analyst
• Billing coordinator
• Bookkeeper
• Financial assistant
• Accounting assistant
• And many more

What skills do I need to begin an accounting career?

Most of the skills required for success in an accounting career are the same as those required in any industry. But, generally speaking, you may want to focus on the following qualities:

• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Explaining complex information
• Writing
• Speaking
• Using computers
• Presenting
• Critical Thinking
• Organizing
• Managing
• Analyzing problems
• Judging
• Interpreting data
• Negotiating
• Acting professionally and ethically