If you have a good head for figures, attention to detail, strong communication skills, and high organizational skills, you could be suited to a career as an accountant.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all way of pursuing a career in accounting, you can become a qualified accountant by taking the seven following steps.

1. Consider the Accounting Specializations You’re Most Interested in

While you don’t have to know what accounting specialization you want to enter after you have become a qualified accountant, you should spend time looking at the different options available in the accounting industry and considering your own interests early on.

You can then better prepare yourself and know what courses of study are available for entering specific accountancy positions.

Begin by asking yourself things like:

• Which areas of accounting am I most interested in?
• Which areas of accounting am I not interested in at all?
• Would I rather work in the public or private sector?
• What qualifications do I need to pursue different areas of accounting?
• How much time am I willing to spend on my education?

2. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

For the vast majority of entry-level accounting positions, you’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

By successfully completing a bachelor’s degree in accounting or an accounting-related program, you will gain a foundational knowledge of accounting theories and principles and learn about things like accounting information systems and auditing.

Regardless of whether you want to work in the public or private sector and the precise type of accounting job you’re looking to pursue, obtaining a bachelor’s degree qualification is undoubtedly the best way to get started.

3. Complete Work Experience

During your bachelor’s degree, you could complete work experience to help you get hands-on experience working in accountancy. Many accounting firms offer intern positions, and many of those firms end up hiring their interns once they have become qualified.

So, not only do you get experience and something to add to your resume by completing work experience. You could also find yourself being offered a job after graduation.

4. Select an Accounting Specialty

During your time at college, you’ll learn more about the different types of accounting and how to pursue a career in your specialist field.

So, spend some time during your bachelor’s degree determining which accounting specialty appeals to you most. You don’t have to pick a specialty. You may prefer simply working as a standard accountant.

But if you want to pursue a meaningful and lucrative career, you’ll want to look at specific accounting positions in more detail.

You could enter specialty accounting fields like:

• Auditing.
• Tax accounting.
• Personal finance accounting.
• Forensic accounting.
• Government finance.
• Nonprofit accounting.

5. Earn a Master’s Degree

You don’t have to go on to complete a master’s degree, but if you want to work for a top firm in a lucrative role and stand out from the competition during the interview stage, it can certainly be beneficial to complete a master’s degree.

Once you know what specialty field of accounting you want to work in, you can choose the right master’s program for you.

By completing a master’s, you’ll gain a deeper knowledge of the industry and you’ll be able to increase your earning potential.

To be accepted onto a master’s degree program, you’ll need to have first successfully completed a bachelor’s degree.

6. Obtain an Additional Accounting Certification

The next step is to pursue certification in your chosen specialty. Indeed, you could earn more than one type of accounting certification.

The Certified Public Accountant certification is one qualification that many accountants choose to pursue due to the fact that the job outlook for CPA is excellent.

You can earn a lot more as a CPA compared to other accountancy specialties because employers understand the value of hiring someone with a CPA license.

But you could also consider other additional accounting certifications, such as internal auditor certification, fraud examination certification, or oil and gas accounting certification.

You could also gain qualifications to become a Certified Management Accountant, a Chartered Financial Analyst, an Alternative Investment Analyst, a Certified Financial Planner, or a Financial Risk Manager, to name just a few options.

7. How to Find an Entry-level Job

Once you have obtained the relevant certifications for your chosen specialty, you’ll have become a fully qualified accountant!

The next step is to find a job.

While you’ll need to begin by applying for entry-level positions, remember that the type of certification you have will enable you to enter different kinds of roles.

For instance, if you have passed the CPA exam and become a qualified Certified Public Accountant, you’ll be able to find entry-level positions that are much more lucrative and rewarding than entry-level positions for other types of accountants, such as tax accountants.

But regardless of your chosen accountancy field, the steps for finding a job after you’ve gained qualifications remain pretty much the same. You should:

• Scour job boards, online and offline; you should particularly search on job forum sites that are tailored to accountants.
• Utilize your network, which refers to both your online professional network and people you have met in person during your years of study, such as professors and internship managers.
• Consider part-time roles to help you get started in your chosen field.
• Approach companies that you’re interested in working for.
• Set up your own accountancy firm and hire a virtual assistant to help you with basic stuff.

Summing Up

As long as you have the right skills and attributes, with hard work and determination, you can earn the qualifications you need to pursue a career in your chosen area of accounting.

To recap, you should:

• Consider the areas of accounting you’re most interested in.
• Earn a bachelor’s degree.
• Engage in work experience.
• Select your accounting specialty.
• Earn a master’s degree.
• Obtain additional accounting certifications.

You can then find an entry-level job that suits you and begin climbing the ladder to follow a successful and lucrative career in your chosen accountancy field.

While you don’t have to go beyond obtaining a bachelor’s degree to get a good job in accounting, you’ll have many more options and the potential to earn more and work for a respectable company if you gain additional qualifications.