The first thing you need is to have the proper education. You will need to have basic accounting training and certification. This can be gotten from a number of accredited schools. You need a reputable school to study with so as to earn your accounting degree. Several universities and reputable business schools offer accounting courses that can help you earn a first degree. To be better competitive in the industry would require getting more than just a first degree in accounting. There are a lot of accounting jobs for professional accountants. To qualify for these audit and accountant jobs you would need to earn professional certification such as CMA, CPI and CIA.
After getting the right education and certification you need to decide who to work for or the type of accounting jobs to do. Accountants have an advantage; they are required in almost all types of organizations. Accountants can choose to work in public, corporate, governmental or even non-profit organizations. Each type of sector requires some basic accounting skills as well as some specialized accounting tasks. Deciding on the type of accounting job or area of the industry you want to work in is the first step in starting your career.
Armed with the proper certification and knowledge on the type of accountant job you want, you can now begin to look for work to acquire practical experience. You can check local newspapers, use a head hunter or use the internet to try to find available accounting and audit jobs. There are many websites on the internet that can help you search for job listings in your area or desired location. As a new graduate you would need to secure entry-level job.
Classified ads usually display available jobs listings and are a good source to search for accounting jobs. You may need to check regularly and then follow up on job postings to try to secure an opening. Headhunters can also help you with leads but they will charge you a fee. You need to be sure to only engage reputable headhunters that will really provide you with quality job hunting service. Out of the three options, the internet is still the easiest and faster means to locate and apply for job listings. With the right website you can locate listings in minutes and apply by sending your resume.
Your value as an accountant is measured by your acquired experience. You aim should be to secure a job as possible and start to build experience. It helps to stick to a sphere of accounting so as to specialize and concentrate your experience on a particular niche or area. Kick starting your accounting career may not be to easy but it is worth all the effort, because soon you may be receiving relatively large salaries as continue to gain experience.
