You’ve put in those years of studying and writing exams. Now the time has finally come. You are about to get your accounting designation. For many accountants in this position, you’ve spent so much time working toward getting your CA, CGA, CMA, or CPA that you haven’t really thought a lot about what comes next.
Where do you go from here? Do you want to work in public accounting? What about corporate accounting? Your next move can have a big impact on your career moving forward.
If you continue to enjoy crunching numbers and working with financial statements on a daily basis, then you should have no problem finding a suitable career path. However, there are many professionals who, upon receiving their designation, take a step back and question their next step. Many people get burned out working long hours and studying for designation exams.
We’ve put together three career paths worth considering once you’ve been designated and become a full-fledged member of the accounting profession:
Forecasting, Planning, Analysis
Working on projecting what may happen next year instead of what happened last year is a nice change for many professionals. Being able to use your expertise to create financial models, performing analysis, and creating budgets is attractive to many newly designated accounting professionals. However, the one drawback of this career is there are fewer opportunities, making these positions highly competitive.
Internal Auditing
These positions are commonly available in large corporations such as banks. This allows you to get into a big company and helps you get your bearings in the industry. These positions also provide you with the opportunity to learn the operations side of things, opening the door for a number of career paths in the future.
Financial Reporting
This is a popular career option for accountants. While the actual job may vary from company to company, you’ll spend your time performing external financial reports for stakeholders. If you like the more technical side of accounting, this is a career path worth considering.
More Information About Accounting Careers
Still not sure which accounting career path is best for you? Check out these blog posts by our finance and accounting recruiters about the pros and cons of working in public and private accounting:
Pros and Cons of Public vs. Private Accounting Jobs
Public vs. Corporate Accounting: What’s the Best Choice for You?
5 Reasons Why You Should Work in Public Accounting
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