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Profiles of Accounting Majors
Most accountants I have met through the recruiting process were very outgoing and fun loving people. As it turns out, the only real math in accounting is the basic (add, subtract, multiply, divide) stuff learned in grade school. As for diversity, an accountant can do such things as tax consulting, work as a controller or Chief Financial Officer, start an individual business, or take many other paths involving business operations that I never could have imagined when I was considering a career choice. Indeed, I had many career options before ultimately choosing to work with the Big Four accounting firm of Ernst & Young. I originally came to The College of Business because I was interested in owning my own business. I decided to become an accounting major because I wanted a challenging and well-compensated career in business. An accounting degree makes you very marketable in the business world, and starting salaries are higher than they are in many other majors. I am interested in audit because it gives an opportunity to look at the details of many different companies, giving a unique insight into understanding corporate business. I will soon have the opportunity to work in the Ernst & Young office in Atlanta, Georgia, auditing the financial statements of Fortune 500 companies, after graduation. My advice to students about how to choose a major is of course to choose something you like, but also try to choose a major that will open the most doors for you down the road. For students who are just starting in accounting, my advice is to keep your grades up. If your GPA is high, you will have your pick of job opportunities. Also, join professional clubs and fraternities. Beta Alpha Psi (professional accounting fraternity) is a great way to meet new friends and network with recruiters. One of my favorite sayings is, "Complacency Kills," which basically means don't stop trying just because you're doing well, or you'll likely sabotage your own success. I decided to study at FSU for a few reasons. First, it is close to home (Fort Walton Beach, Florida). More importantly, FSU is a very well known and respected school. I knew that I would have many job opportunities with Florida State University on my resume. Furthermore, the professors are top of the line, and very personable. I had a professor for a tax class, for example, who always told funny stories and had a quote of the day for each new class. This made the class fun to attend, given what some might have otherwise considered dry subject matter. To prospective students or parents, I would say in addition that FSU is just the right size school. It is big enough to be respectable on a resume, but still small enough to get some personalized instruction when you need it. On another note, one of the best things about studying at FSU is, of course, the football games. The city of Tallahassee basically shuts down for home games and everyone, from small children to grandparents, comes out to support the Seminoles. The city of Tallahassee itself is also very nice. There are lots of parks and recreation areas all over town. The friends I have made at the College of Business are great and because they are all such smart people, and I look forward to having many valuable contacts within the business world in the future, because these fellow students will become my professional colleagues during our entire accounting career.
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In high school, I probably would have had a good laugh at the thought of becoming an accountant. I had no idea that an accounting career could be so diverse. One misconception about accountants is that they are boring people who get excited by math. I have discovered that while this may be true for actuaries, it is far from true for accountants.