Careers in Accounting: Facts and Trends

As industry experts research the changing tides of financial jobs for 2015, they are noticing certain trends. The average accountant is no longer taking the traditional route into an accounting career. More and more, accountants are learning how to diversify their roles to have more impact on all aspects of business. Pridestaff Financial has the trends you need to know about.

Women in demand!
Not only are women breaking the glass ceiling in all aspects of business careers, but they are ever in demand for accounting and finance professions. The AICPA, a leader in accounting, has been conducting studies into the retention of women in accounting professions since 1993. Their recent survey identifies more businesses developing initiatives and committees to compile benchmarking data on increased roles of women in accounting professions, and to help retain women in accounting careers across all business spectrums. With a willingness to adapt to more flexible work schedules, increase roles of women on boards and committees and raise the number of women in high-level management positions, businesses have reduced their turnover rate of women in accounting professions. The Harvard Business Review has identified that more women will graduate with a degree in accounting or finance in 2015 than in previous years. This trend is an indication of the importance of women in financial business roles and will continue on an upward slope.

Specialty Fields:
If you haven’t noticed, niche areas of accounting have taken hold in a big way. Gone are the days of traditional accounting CPA jobs. New areas of study at universities across America include extensive class work in Forensic Accounting, Cost Segregation, Healthcare Consulting, Assurance Services and Real Estate. Forensic accountants analyze historical financial data to help businesses track white-collar crimes. Due to the manic onslaught of social media, Bitcoin, Cloud services and so on, white-collar criminals are finding more avenues to move money or steal it than ever before. With new legislation from the federal government and changes in IRS regulations, forensic accountants are being hired in multiple business settings. Some businesses are going as far as setting up forensic accounting hotlines. Forensic accountants are in high demand and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Also, with the new healthcare reform and the tailoring of healthcare from quantity to quality, more institutions are looking for consultants with accounting backgrounds to help them revamp their accounting departments. This push has exploded in 2014 and the AICPA anticipates more growth in 2015.

Accountants are needed to help businesses plan for the future:
Management accounting is fast becoming the norm. This type of accountant is typically hired for the sole purpose of analyzing, researching and recording a company’s financial data. Asset and cost management are extremely important to businesses these days as they compete for longevity. This trend of management accounting careers is vital to businesses that rely on the evaluation of past and current data trends to help them prepare for the future.

PrideStaff Financial considers it vital for you to be in the know about your accounting and finance career! Contact us today to learn how we can help you prepare for your future.