Pros and Cons of Becoming an Accountant
Do you fancy stepping aboard the lucrative career train that is accounting? First, you must consider the pros and cons that make up the many carriages of both this successful and professional field. Here we will discuss the major pros and cons, so you know all you need to about a prospective career in accountancy.
We’d prefer to start on a more positive note, so here are the pros…
High Salary
A career in accountancy with the relevant qualifications, means you have the potential to be paid well. The amount you are paid will vary dependent on whether you are city based or working in a more rural area. It will also depend on the size of the company; larger, more renowned accountancy firms are likely to pay more than smaller, unfamiliar ones.
Potential for Growth
You get to choose how far you take your accountancy studies, but the higher the level, the more respectable and responsible the role is likely to be. The great thing is, even once you’ve found the right role and you’re settled, accountancy is the kind of field where there’s always room for progression. There’s always more to learn, more responsibility to take on, so there is a great potential for growth.
High Demand
As an accountant, you’ll always be in high demand. Accountants are required for every business, in every country, so basically, the world is your oyster. No matter where you want to work and which area of accounting you which to undertake, you can be safe in the knowledge that they’ll always be work available for you.
So, we’ve covered the 3 main pros of a career in accountancy, now for the cons…
Can Be Repetitive
For those that are overly creative, accounting might not be the right path for you. Accounting, as Fantastic as it might be, accountancy does have the tendency to be somewhat repetitive and monotonous. So, depending on your personality, you’ll have to consider whether you like to live by the clear-cut confines of a highly-regulated industry or not.
Work-Life Balance
Being an accountant is stressful. There’s no denying that. This is particularly so at certain points of the year, such as the end of the tax year. On the plus side, generally accounting is a 9-5 role, however during the stressful, busy periods, you will be expected to put in extra hours to ensure all work is complete by the deadline, tax season, is a prime example of this cyclical pattern within accountancy.
Getting Certified
Getting certified is certainly worth the time and money that you invest, however no-one said it was going to be easy. You will need to be dedicated, hard-working and able to deal with an adequate level of stress. Overall, you’re talking years of study if you want to gain full certification.
So, having considered the pros and cons of accountancy, is accountancy the career for you? Studying accountancy is a no-nonsense fast track career with the applicable work experience and training, and can lead to a highly paid, secure and well respected role.
