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Computerized Accounting is an essential aspect of any company. But, what does the future look like for incoming students entering into business careers?

Some companies are even replacing their accounting department staff with employees with automation software. This guide will show you the pros and cons of seeking an accounting certificate or business degree.

Computerized Accounting

Several departments make up the accounting industry. For example, you may have someone who is a bookkeeper or human resources specialist.  This person will have duties that may include payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. In addition, this person may be responsible for monitoring employee files, recruitment of new employees, orientation, and monitoring the employees’ performance and review files. 

Sometimes employees will work in client-based environments. This can be set up throughout the year.

Pros of the Industry

It is a stable industry, and it is growing at a steady pace. But, by stable and growing, it means that no matter what happens, businesses will need accounting staff.

The economy could be in turmoil, but all businesses will still seek bookkeepers and accountants. The financial crash of 2008 put a lot of pressure on finance employees, and most people lost their jobs. However, there is flexibility to bookkeeping and accounting jobs in that they can often rebound from these crashes.

Flexibility is also another pro to utilizing a certificate in computerized accounting or a degree in business.  These programs can produce several types of job opportunities. This can include accounting assistants, junior accountants, bookkeepers, human resources, and other entry-level positions in the business.

Entry-Level Positions

You will be in an entry-level position when you first graduate and leave school. This is a lower spot on the hierarchy. So, the pay at first may be lower than you expect. But, if you stick to it, the salary will usually increase as your responsibilities increase. After obtaining a certificate, additional duties and responsibilities may be available with advanced training and education if you enter the field. You will likely need a bachelor’s degree to work in higher-responsible positions.

The accounting field can also be fascinating for those who enjoy working with numbers and balancing accounts. Despite the occasional repetition, there are some exciting things to note.

Though you may deal with this repetition, employees will learn new skills each day in the accounting field. This accounting information will also be apt to things you can apply later on.

The Office Experience

One final benefit to working in the accounting department in a business is essential to note. It teaches you a lot about the back-office operations of a company.

Accounting functions are central to business. Every business you encounter works with an accountant or bookkeeper, from the little bakery to the major corporation.

Working in an accounting department will often allow you to understand various aspects of these businesses. For example, they may allow you to work with cash flows and financial reporting.

You get a lot of back-office operations knowledge. This back-office knowledge will present you with many inner workings of a business. This can be interesting, especially if you want to run your own business someday.

Cons of Working Accounting

If you plan on going into accounting or business, you may want to keep some of these cons in mind. But, of course, every business and industry has its stressors and cons.

One con to working in an accounting department includes overtime during tax season or audit time if these are your primary duties. In addition, the busy season can provide a heavy travel workload, and this can be difficult for families.

Repetition

Another con is the repetitive nature of the work. Specific tasks will be tedious to complete each day. Regardless, each company needs individuals to work in the accounting department to fulfill its tasks.

An important period of time to note is the busy season. A bookkeeper or accountant will understand the impact of seasonal traffic.

The seasons of January through April are known as high-impact seasons. This is because these seasons have the highest volume of work to date, especially if your position requires extensive work in tax support or audit support.

Certain people will find this workload extremely stressful, especially since it can follow through the weekend. So, four months out of the year will be part of a busy time for those working in a typical accounting department.

Is Computerized Accounting Right for Me?

This high-volume work can vary depending on the field of accounting or bookkeeping work and the duties assigned to the person in the department. Some people find this work stressful if there isn’t a proper workflow. However, client-centric environments have hard deadlines, and numbers must balance.  

Even if a client needs delivery of an overwhelming group of information, deadlines will be met. Unfortunately, certain people in the department may need to work overtime hours to complete the project. This can add to the multi-layer stress in the field, including a demanding schedule. The good news is that busy periods will often allow time to pass at a quicker pace.

Steep Learning Curve

Unlike many jobs, accounting and bookkeeping jobs require a steep learning curve. Of course, no matter what position you seek, there will be a learning curve. But, the learning curve is a particularly steep one.

Each day can grant new pathways to building experience. But, there can always be moments of difficulty each day. For example, major stressors are dealing with financial information from major clients.

Veteran workers in this field will understand the inexperience. They know that this is a natural experience. But, incoming employees need to understand that there is an uphill curve when starting.

Computerized Accounting and Business

When dealing with the world of computerized accounting, you’ll need training that complements the rest of the operation. The main objective is to achieve efficiencies and ensure compliance.

The world of business can provide many benefits for upcoming students. Follow our educational database for more information on our business associate’s degree and entering this career.