Project Accountant Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Is there an accountant who is willing to let me interview them through email? hey. i'm a student doing a project which is based on the profession of accountancy. i need to conduct an interview with an accountant for my project. please leave me your email. thank you.

Answer: Don't you have a phone?

Question: What is a sample math equation that an accountant would use? For a math project, I need to do a poster on a career involving math. I chose to do it on an accountant, and one of the requirements of the project is that I need a sample math problem that is related to the job.

Answer: One of the most fundamental equations is: Assets = Liabilities + Owners equity + (Revenue - Expenses)

Question: advantage of using microsoft excel for financial manager or accountant (its my project!tnx=)?

Answer: transferablility --everyone recognizes excel ease of use--play around with it and you'll figure it out formulas--you can create formulas which save you tons of time. good luck chief

Question: Can an accountant specialize or anything to make more money? A doctor can specialize to make more money, is there any extra training or schooling that an accountant can go through to increase salary? For a school college project thanks!

Answer: There are many jobs for accountant. Here is what I know off the top of my head: Public Accounting - This is what most folks think of: you have client that pay you to do their taxes, do their books for them, fill out certain tax forms. Financial Accounting - This is what I do. I work for a company and do their books for them. Some larger companies have many accountants that take care of each aspect, from posting Accounts Receivable to balancing accounts to creating financial statements. I run a small department that does all this. Auditing - Can be done internally or by a public firm. These folks go through the company's entries and accounts to make sure everything was posted correctly. Cost Accountant - Haven't worked too much with this, but I think these folks look over inventory and purchasing. They make sure everything has the correct costs.

Question: High School Senior Project ideas relating to business, or accounting? Does anyone have any ideas for a high school senior project relating to business? I would really like to do something on business. I am also considering sending care packages to soldiers and volunteering ath the American Legion as my project, but I need to statisfy as one of the criteria how our project will involve our potential future career. I want to be an accountant. I don't know how to make a connection between them. If you could help me with that instead then, that would be much appreciated.

Answer: Why not something along the liners of 'job shadowing", or mentoring?? This might give you the experience you seek, and if you pay attention, you should be able to make a nice term paper as a result...

Question: What Subjects You Have To Do To Become An Accountant? Ok I have to do a project about What We What To Become when we grow up I choose Lawyer and Accountant and I have to find school subjects that are associated with the job.Please list all You can

Answer: lots of math! "What is this job like? Back to Top Accountants and auditors keep track of a company's money. The company's managers and people outside the company read their reports. Managers look at the accountants' reports to see how well their companies are doing. Governments use the reports to tell how much tax a company should pay. Some people read them to decide if they want to do business with the company. Others use them to decide if they want to lend money to the company or not. There are four kinds of accountants. Public accountants work for public accounting companies. They do accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting work. Some have their own businesses. They do many different kinds of accounting for people outside the company. Management accountants keep track of the money spent and made by the companies for which they work. Internal auditors make sure that a company's accounting records are right. They check the records to see that no one in the company is stealing. They also check to see that no one in the company is wasting the company's money. Government accountants and auditors make sure that government accounting records are right. They also check the records of people doing business with the government. Accountants and auditors work in offices. They generally work a standard 40-hour week, but some work 50 hours a week or more. Tax accountants often work long hours during the tax season, from January to April. Accountants working for the government and public companies travel to audit other companies or branches of their own company. How do you get ready? Back to Top Most accountants have a college degree in accounting. Public accountants have to take a special test as well, resulting in a certification. Public accountants also must have a special license from the State in which they live. Some employers want accountants who have a master's degree in business or accounting. Most employers want accountants who know quite a bit about computers. Previous experience in a summer or part-time internship is also a plus. People who want to be accountants should be good at math, and have good analytical skills. They also should be able to write well, so that they can tell others about their findings. How much does this job pay? Back to Top The middle half of all accountants earned between $39,890 and $66,900 a year in 2004. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $32,320. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $88,610 a year. Earnings of accountants depend on how long they have been working. How many jobs are there? Back to Top There were 1.2 million accountants and auditors in 2004. Most of them worked in cities, because that is where the large companies tend to be. What about the future? Back to Top Employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Accountants have good job opportunities. This is because there will be new and changing laws that will increase the need for accountants; also, there will be more private companies that will need accountants. Accountants who have a lot of special skills, such as certified public accountants (CPAs) and certified management accountants, should have the easiest time finding a job. Are there other jobs like this? Back to Top Actuaries Bookkeeping clerks Budget analysts Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners and investigators Cost estimators Financial analysts Financial managers Insurance sales agents Insurance underwriters Loan officers Personal financial advisors Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents Where can you find more information? Back to Top More BLS information about accountants and auditors can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Handbook also shows where to find out even more about this job. Last Modified Date: April 27, 2006 "

Question: Can an accountant please answer these queston for me? I have a class project to where I am suppose to ask an accountant a few questions, problem is, I dont know one. Can you please help? What prompted you to become an accountant? Are you happy with your decision? What certification and/or degrees do you have that you found useful to enhance your career? What are some of the daily demands the field presents? What are the skills and personality traits that needed most in the field? What are some daily challenges that the field presents? Other challenges? What are some current opportunities that you see in the field? What are some of the future growth opportunities of this environment? Since the Enron scandal, in your opinion, what are some positive and negative things that have come out of this event? What is the current compensation for a recent graduate entering the field? What are the basic as well as complex licensing requirements in this field? Additional comments are welcome!

Answer: Hi - I've been an Accountant for 7 1/2 years, but only recently became a CPA. I'll try to help out... What prompted you to become an accountant? Are you happy with your decision? I was always very good with numbers. My major of business marketing required an introductory Accounting course. I fell in love with it and changed my major! I am very happy with my decision. I feel as if I get paid to put puzzles together all day :) What certification and/or degrees do you have that you found useful to enhance your career? My Bachelors degree was in Finance. But Florida State requires their Finance majors to take so many Accounting courses, that I was easily able to get a job as a staff accountant upon graduation. After a few years on the job, I went back for a Masters degree in Accounting (MAcc). After receiving MAcc, I sat for & passed CPA exam on first try (very rare). The extra classes required for MAcc degree helped me pass CPA exam on first try. I received an immediate $3,000 raise upon passing exam. Being a licensed CPA makes a huge difference in the possibilities - career wise - b/c once you have the license, more folks have faith that you know what you are doing. What are some of the daily demands the field presents? Im not working at a CPA firm, but I can tell you that Accountants at CPA firms work about 50 hours a week in the slow season, and up to 70 during tax season (Jan - April). In general, Accountants need to be able to analyze figures and make good decisions on a daily basis. If licensed, we are also required to take about 40 hours of continuing education classes each year. These classes are important as business environments are continuously changing, and we must be able to keep up with and figure out to clearly report new business transactions. Financial reporting is how information is relayed to investors of companies. Accountants prepare (& audit) financial reports to ensure investors are getting accurate information. What are the skills and personality traits that needed most in the field? Excellent analytical skills are definitly a strong suit! Communication skills are also important (but aren't they important in any job?) ;) What are some daily challenges that the field presents? Other challenges? See above about continuously changing business environments. Also - credibility. The public must be able to trust that auditors are doing their job right and making sure a company's financial reports are representing the true position of the company. Auditor independence (in fact AND appearance) is key here. If an auditor doesn't appear to be independant from a company he/she is auditing, how can the public trust them? What are some current opportunities that you see in the field? There are two sure things in life - death & taxes. Folks will always need tax accountants!! & with the passage of Sarbanes Oxley (SOX), there is an increased demand for auditors. As a result of SOX, auditing fees for companies have doubled over the past several years! What are some of the future growth opportunities of this environment? Auditing, due to SOX Accountants in the IT environment Since the Enron scandal, in your opinion, what are some positive and negative things that have come out of this event? positive - auditor independence is more clearly pronounced. Key to the profession b/c if folks don't trust the auditors, what's the point in having them around. also, job growth. Demand for Accountants increased dramatically after SOX passed. also - stiffer penalties for those who break the rules. NEGATIVE - SOX was overkill - like dropping a nuke on an ant mound. The profession was self regulated before and did a good job of it. One bad apple (Arthur Anderson) ruined it for the rest of us. Now there are increased reporting requirements that have doubled the auditing fees for publicly traded companies. What is the current compensation for a recent graduate entering the field? In my area (Florida), about $45,000 for a graduate who is eligible to sit for teh CPA exam. What are the basic as well as complex licensing requirements in this field? The licensing requirements vary by state. But generally a bachelors degree with a concentration in Accounting. Many states, like Florida, require a 5th year of Accounting classes. Some states, like Georgia have a work requirement (GA's is two years). There are four sections of the CPA exam. One must pass all 4 sections to obtain CPA license. Passing score is 75. The pass rate is generally around 70%. The CPA exam is the biggest hurdle to the proffession. Additional comments are welcome! There are fields of Accounting. Jobs will often vary depending on what field an accountant has choosen to work in. I have choosen Financial Reporting. Other fields are Auditing, Tax, IT, & Fraud Detection (this one's a new field now being offered in schools thanks t SOX).

Question: Average cost for an accountant and what to look for? Business is growing quite well and it's time to hire an accountant. What are some of the pointers (what to look for)? Also, what is the expected cost for an accountant or is there some sort of industry standard to match fees to? ie: I know web designers who would charge $3000 for the same project another would do just as well for $300 and an industry average would be about $500 ... so when it comes to accounting, I'd like to ensure that we don't end up with the "$3000 accountant" so to speak. At the same time, this isn't an area we want to be necessarily cutting costs... but knowing an industry average gives us a better ability to make the right selection.

Answer: Hello, Given your example of a web designer I'll assume that what you are looking for is a year end accountant to prepare financial statements and income tax returns (corporate I assume), assist with additional government reporting requirements and any special projects that you as the owner may need help with. The first thing to look for is a designation. If the person is not a CGA or CA (and to a lessor extent a CMA) then you have no way of knowing their professional qualifications. They could have taken a 1 year course and now call themselves an accountant. Also, CGAs and CAs in practice are required to carry professional liability insurance which protects the client as well as take substantial levels of professional development each year to keep our skills up to date. As for rates, that's a little trickier without knowing where you are. Rates vary from area to area. In the city I live in the average rate for a designated accountant is $125 - $150 an hour, with the upper end going as high as $250. In Toronto though the average is closer to $175. As a general benchmark, regardless of location, anything in the $150 per hour range is fair. Work is almost always billed based on billable hours. If you can give me the city you live in I can try to find the average CGA in practice bill rate for that area for you. Cheers!

Question: If a person has a pending felony and that person has not been to court. Can this stop fair employment? I have just been offered a position at a very large corporation as a Project Accountant. I have a pending charge on my record for computer theft. This charge will be taken off my record once i go to court, but I just don't know when that will be. Do you think the other company will still offer me the position when they see my record?

Answer: i have a feeling that they will not hire you, but please keep your hopes up. be sure to tell the hiring company about it- list it if asked on your application - DO NOT LIE ABOUT IT!! some companies do offer felons (or pending felons) a second chance. good luck!!

Question: I need to interview someone who is an accountant for school!!? I am a senior in high school and my english teacher is requiring us to research a career I have chosen accountant. One of the requirements for this project is that we have to interview someone who is in that profession. I have already asked this question once but the people who replied I was not able to get into contact with them through email. So if there is anyone willing to let me interview them just email me and I'll email the questions to you!!!!!!!

Answer: I have an accounting degree and my own bookkeeping & tax preparation business. However, I am not a CPA yet. I've also worked as an auditor for one of the national firms. You can email me the questions if you'd like and I'll answer them for you as long as they do not take more than 15 minutes. :) it's vanja83@yahoo.com Thanks!

Question: I am a Chartered Accountant want to Persue my career with SAP? I have 2 years experiance in an MNC on SAP at end user level. Now i am in US for a project . will be here for 40 more days... Can i find a job relating to SAP in US or UK ?

Answer: I think you could find a consulting job with an SAP implementation team starting as a business analyst. These outfits compete for contracts to install SAP at big companies. They pull together a big team of technicians, analysts, and managers, and send them to the corporate work site for multi-month engagements. Pay is good, but lifestyle is quite demanding. You might live in a hotel 4-5 days per week, and fly back home on weekends. Check out the big players first: SAP, IBM, Deloitte, Accenture, Cap Gemini.

Question: What is the education and job trainning needed for a accountant/auditor? i REALLY need to know. it is for a project and it also defines my FUTURE. PLEASE ANSER COMPLEATLY!!!!! *<:)

Answer: Auditing is just a component of accounting. If you have an accounting degree, you can become an auditor. However, note that not all accounting firms require accounting degrees as a condition of employment. When I was originally hired by one of the Big 4 accounting firms years and years ago (I work for another Big 4 now), my degree was in engineering (yeah, big career change) and there were a number of people in my start group that did not have accounting degrees. Some were finance majors, economics majors, general business majors, and we even had one fine arts major and one English major. What I've found is that the larger accounting firms is a bit more flexible as to hiring non-accountants for accounting positions.

Question: Are there questions that we must ask at the inception of any project, for example Collins project ? Like who is in charge of what? When will this be implemented? What will be the compensation or salary for each function etc...? Is the project under contract? Is it signed by all parties? Who is the lawyer of the legal firm in charge of the signatures? What is the budget? Who is the treasurer? Where will the money be kept? The accountability: who is the accountant? Who is in charge of the staff and staff records? etc... And it is a MUST that everything be dealt with before starting the work. Any work. (insight by marysylvie)

Answer: Yes, it should be written in the project book.

Question: One of the head accountants in my department keeps messing a project of mine up? And she keeps "fixing" it so i can re-do it, yet it's completely wrong again. It means that everytime it's corrected and I do it again, every head in my company gets the incorrect info. So her mess ups are making me look bad. Can i kill her???

Answer: If you kill her who will mess up your stuff for you to fix so you can look like a hero???? lol no don't kill her but next time this project comes around make sure to add a blank page on top of the file with the complete correct procedure for billing. put a smilly face at the bottom and write: "Just thought this time we could make it right from the get go" good luck. PS: if you are confident enough make sure to show this to your superior before you pass it along.

Question: I am working on an economics project and need all the help I can get...teachers and accountants please help..? I have to have a family scenario. I myself want to be a teacher when I grow up. So what is an average salary for a high school teacher(preferably in Texas) for a 5A school district. AND..I need the same for an accountant.

Answer: Teacher: Entry $39,460 Median $45,940 Experienced $52,660 High school teachers are usually employed by public school boards or by private schools. Most public school teachers belong to unions, which bargain on their behalf over wages, hours, and conditions of employment. Entry-level teachers typically earn $30,000 to $45,000 a year, depending on location, seniority, level of education, and whether or not they are unionized. For example, in some states, a newly licensed teacher with a master’s degree can earn over $50,000 a year. The national median salary for high school teachers is about $48,000 a year. Most earn between $30,000 and $75,000 a year. Those in senior administrative positions, like principal or assistant principal, can make more. High school teachers tend to make slightly more than elementary school teachers. Those who work in private schools typically earn less than public school teachers. Depending on the state and school board, teachers may or may not receive extra money for extracurricular activities like coaching a team. Accountant: Entry $41,910 Median $55,150 Experienced $73,220 Earnings for certified public accountants depend on experience, education, employer, and geographic location. CPAs with a master’s degree generally earn more than those with only a bachelor’s degree. In addition, CPAs at large firms typically earn more than those employed by small firms. Entry-level accountants who haven’t yet earned their CPA designation usually start off at around $30,000 to $45,000 a year. Those with a CPA designation and a few years of experience can make between $40,000 and $60,000 a year. Senior CPAs can earn as much as $80,000 a year. Managers usually earn between $70,000 and $120,000 a year. Senior executives and owners or partners of accounting firms can earn well over $150,000 a year. CPAs typically receive benefits, such as health plans and sick days. Some CPAs also earn performance bonuses.

Question: duties of accountant? Accountant duties in project and interview question

Answer: Accountants and auditors help to ensure that the Nation’s firms are run efficiently, its public records kept accurately, and its taxes paid properly and on time. They perform these vital functions by offering an increasingly wide array of business and accounting services, including public, management, and government accounting, as well as internal auditing, to their clients. Beyond carrying out the fundamental tasks of the occupation—preparing, analyzing, and verifying financial documents in order to provide information to clients—many accountants now are required to possess a wide range of knowledge and skills. Accountants and auditors are broadening the services they offer to include budget analysis, financial and investment planning, information technology consulting, and limited legal services.