Thinking of becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)? Those with careers in finance enjoy a much faster route to the top, with 52% of FTSE 100 CEOs having a background in finance and 27% of them holding ACA Chartered Accountancy qualifications.. Thinking of an Accounting Career? Depending on your interests, you may find accounting to be an attractive profession. To become a chartered accountant you need to pass certain professional exams and have an agreed amount of professional experience. It’s a rewarding one, too: there’s a wide scope for advancement, abundant travel opportunities, and you’ll never be short of work – if money is changing hands, then there needs to be someone qualified to calculate the bottom line, after all. However, accounting programs include more specialized courses in different areas of accounting, such as cost accounting, financial accounting and reporting, and tax accounting. Sometimes, financial considerations or other issues make it … Any experience you have with finance or accounting based software, examples of bookkeeping or detail-oriented work, and so on can be valuable when applying to accountant positions. Becoming an accountant requires advanced education, formal certification and a firm commitment to learning the trade. There are paths you can take to become an accountant without earning a college degree. Become a CPA Become a CPA. Accountants plan and provide accounting systems and services relating to taxation and the financial dealings of organisations and individuals, and advise on associated record-keeping and compliance requirements. Your first stop on the journey to become an accountant will be to decide which role you’d like to end up in long-term. With several routes to entry, multiple specialist areas and several professional bodies offering chartered status through advanced accounting qualifications, it can be a confusing process. How to become a chartered accountant. These degrees give you the basic knowledge to understand the role of accounting and how to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. There are many reasons why accounting makes a great career, and why learning how to be an accountant is a popular choice for students. One of the main reasons many people choose to become an accountant is because of the demand for them. On top of earning credentials like the CMA, you will want to highlight any related skills. Accountants are highly trained financial professionals who prepare and examine financial records. Along the way, prospective accountants need to answer a number of questions: Do I possess the qualities needed to become an accountant or CPA? If you’re interested in how businesses work and you have an aptitude for numbers, then becoming an accountant could be a wise career move. Chartered certified accountants refer to chartered accountants who have gained qualifications and membership of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Why Choose Accounting as a Career? Accountancy is a strong career choice for anyone with a head for figures. Accountants are always in demand, command high salaries, and are able to find jobs in any industry – after all, every business needs a finance function. COVID-19 updates for the CPA certification program. With over £17bn spent on accounting services by UK businesses in 2016 (), becoming a self-employed accountant is a fairly low-risk and low-cost business venture, whilst also offering excellent earning potential and job satisfaction. How to become an accountant (9 minutes to read) Home; How to become an accountant; If you have a head for numbers, becoming an accountant is an excellent career choice. Find everything you need to know on the benefits of becoming a CPA and the many paths you can take. Most aspiring accountants find themselves debating between becoming a public accountant or a private accountant. Read this guide for how you can achieve your ambitions as an accountant. By tracking all of a company’s financial transactions, any irregularities or risks can be reported, and the business can plan better moving forward. How else to become an accountant without an accounting degree? You will, however, need some post-secondary education to get an entry level job as a bookkeeper, accounting clerk or auditing clerk. Unlike many other professions, however, how to be an accountant and, more specifically, how to become a chartered accountant, is not clear cut. An Accountant’s main role is to prepare a business’ accounts, which can then be used to give an overview of their financial status. There are pros and cons to both, but it really comes down to your personal preferences and career goals.