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Accounting tends to get a bad rap. Accountants are most often portrayed in popular culture as being humorless and devoid of personality. In real life, though, few accountants actually embody these negative stereotypes. Most do not live in their parents’ basements, are capable of having conversations about non-nerdy subjects and some even occasionally wear non-neutral colors to work. All kidding aside, accounting is a steady profession that allows young professionals to obtain a solid career foundation and either continue on in the profession or develop the requisite skills to move into a related industry such as banking or management consulting. It is certainly not for everyone, though, and you should not pursue an accounting degree simply because you feel as though you have to. Here are a few indicators that an accounting degree might be right for you:
You Like to Work with Numbers
Although you will not be required to do vector calculus or linear algebra as an accountant, you will have to work with numbers. Lots of them. In fact, you will encounter an almost endless stream of them. You will have to learn to like—or at least be able to tolerate—working with and manipulating large quantities of numbers day in and day out. If this sounds like something you would enjoy, being an accountant is something you should seriously consider.
You Pay Great Attention to Detail
There is no margin for error in any small portion of an audit, a tax plan, an opinion letter, a consulting plan or any other piece of work an accountant does. You must be an extremely detail-oriented person to be successful as an accounting student or an accounting professional. If you are prone to making silly or lazy mistakes, you must shed this tendency as soon as possible. It will save you many headaches in your coursework and your career, and will almost certainly open doors to jobs for which you would not otherwise be considered.
Career Options Matter to You
Versatility is one of the many advantages an accounting degree offers over other undergraduate or graduate degrees. The accounting industry is expected to experience sustained growth over the next five to seven years An accounting degree is a great way to enter the business world, and it makes you an attractive candidate for positions in non-accounting industries such as management consulting. Having such a versatile degree will also make it easier to move to a different geographical area and find a job. If you are the itinerant type, it would serve you well to major in accounting.
You Want a Degree That Will Actually Make Your Personal Life Easier
Accounting is the language of business, and every household should be treated like a small, self-managed business. Keeping your personal finances in order is essential regardless of your profession, so it only makes sense to be able to apply what you learn in school and your professional life to your personal life.