Accounting
It’s not your father’s accounting industry anymore. Today’s CPAs aren’t
just spending their days pounding out numbers on a calculator. Sure,
number-crunching is still a big part of the job. However, there have been
big changes to this industry, between corporate scandals and the new slew
of laws that resulted. More firms are moving into the business consulting
arena, providing management consulting services and even some limited legal
services. It’s a whole new ballgame.
Once upon a time, the industry was dominated by a group of firms called the
Big Eight. Their main business focus was auditing public companies.
Relative to other industries, accounting was a nice, steady industry, with
modest but predictable profits. Accounting firms had a reputation for
humility, discretion, and high ethics.
During the early days of the tech boom in the early 1990s, though, the
major accounting firms started making enormous profits from IT consulting
work and began looking at auditing as a way to build relationships that
might lead to much more profitable consulting engagements. When they were
caught, the major accounting firms were battered by a maelstrom of bad
press that continues to this day.
Today, thanks to industry consolidation and the collapse of Arthur Andersen
due to the misdeeds of Arthur Andersen accountants working on Enron’s
books, the Big Eight has become the Big Four: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,
whose U.S. accounting arm is called Deloitte & Touche; Ernst &
Young; KPMG; and PricewaterhouseCoopers. But Andersen wasn’t the only major
firm implicated in accounting scandals of the early 2000s. Deloitte &
Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC have all faced legal heat in
recent years thanks to accounting misdeeds.
In terms of how would-be accountants are being affected by the scandals,
the accounting industry is refocusing on ethics. There is also an increased
focus on hiring accountants with real-world business experience in addition
to formal accounting education. Of course, since 2002’s Sarbanes-Oxley Act
(or “Sarbox”)—which restricted the amount of time senior accounting
executives can spend working with a single audit client, created a new
accounting industry oversight board called the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board, and introduced new regulations to which public companies
(which comprise the bulk of the audit clients at big public
accountancies)—there have been some major changes in the way that firms do
business.
A note: Big Four public accounting firms—which focus on auditing clients’
financial statements (thus verifying for investors that clients are being
forthright about their financial health) but also include non-audit lines
of business such as actuarial work (risk analysis and management), tax
consulting, human resources management, and merger and acquisition
advice—are not the only career option for accountants. Many accountants
work for mid-tier public accounting firms, such as Grant Thornton or Moss
Adams, or for smaller firms; for government entities; or for corporations’
in-house accounting or internal-audit departments. Many others go into
business for themselves.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Effect
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in response to a flood of corporate
accounting scandals. Its most famous provision requires chief executives to
sign off on their companies’ books, guaranteeing that the financial
statements released to investors are not fraudulent. But it contains a
morass of other requirements of companies—meaning a more complex and
expensive job for the public accounting firms auditing companies’ books. In
response, some smaller accounting firms have stopped auditing publicly
traded clients, citing increased costs associated with such engagements.
The Big Four, meanwhile, are licking their chops. More complexity in
corporate accounting regulations means more complex audit engagements,
after all—complete with higher fees. Indeed, according to a survey
conducted by Financial Executives International, companies needing audits
in the wake of Sarbanes-Oxley expect to pay more than a third more than
they used to for audit engagements.
Trickle Down
But Sarbox is a double-edged sword, requiring that companies use different
firms for tax and audit work. That’s creating a window of opportunity for
second-tier public accounting firms, such as Crowe Group and Grant
Thornton, which are picking off more and more Big Four clients. This is
happening in many cases because Big Four firms are ending audit
relationships with companies they consider more risky to audit. Regardless,
the second tier of accounting firms is enjoying a bigger bottom line as a
result of the significant new clients coming their way—meaning these are
becoming increasingly good places to find jobs.
Changing Skills, Changing Job Titles
Accountants are becoming more integral to their employers’ decision-making
processes than ever. Rather than being simple bean counters, keeping track
of companies’ businesses without really having an impact on the direction
of those businesses—even if they work in-house—accountants are enjoying a
greater voice in strategic business decisions. Rather than just collecting
data and presenting it to management, accountants are being called on to
analyze the numbers and the business environment and then to tell
management about how companies are truly performing, how they can be
expected to perform moving forward, and what steps management might take to
improve future performance. This new emphasis on strategic input in
accounting means that it will be more important than ever for accountants
to have a deep working knowledge of technology, leadership ability, an
understanding of the broad business environment, and the ability to
communicate with colleagues in a diversity of corporate departments and
functions.
The Big Four
This group used to be the Big Five, but since the demise of Andersen in the
wake of the Enron scandal, it’s been the Big Four: Deloitte Touche
Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. They are
mammoth in size, with annual revenues in the billions of dollars and tens
of thousands of employees. These are the most prestigious employers for
accounting grads. Why? Big Four clients are Fortune 1000 companies, which
means that employees are exposed to complex accounting issues. A job with a
Big Four firm is a great career move for someone entering the accounting
profession. If, instead of moving up the ladder in your Big Four firm (to
partner, preferably), you decide to work for another public accounting firm
or to take an in-house position in industry or government—or even if you
decide to hang out your own shingle—your Big Four experience will shine on
your resume.
The central focus of the Big Four firms is audit services: the verification
of the accuracy of clients’ books. This also includes non-audit lines of
business, including actuarial work (risk analysis and management), tax
consulting, human resources management, and merger and acquisition advice.
Other Public Accounting Firms
Although the Big Four get most of the publicity, there are many smaller,
less well-known national players and regional public accounting firms that
hire lots of people. Representative national firms include Grant Thornton,
McGladrey & Pullen, BDO Seidman, and Moss Adams. Within different
regions of the country, there are also strong regional players that usually
affiliate themselves with some national network of other such players.
Insiders tell us that the hours are often a little better at these smaller
firms than at the Big Four, the path to partner a little quicker, and the
work itself more varied and interesting. If you go to a Big Four firm, your
only responsibility for the first three months might be to audit the cash
account at IBM. Ugh! At a regional firm you’ll be a bigger fish in a
smaller pond, doing more substantial work.
In-House Accounting
Whether publicly traded or not, every company has internal accountants to
set budgets, manage assets, and track payroll, accounts payable and
receivable, and other financial matters. For medium and large firms, the
internal staff works closely with the public auditors at the fiscal
year-end and with senior management and IT staff year round. Controllers
and CFOs at smaller firms often enjoy even more important and influential
roles in running and developing the business. These jobs are just as
demanding as those in public accounting.
Most accountants in the private sector stay in one place, in one job,
working with the same colleagues, for extended periods. However, should you
choose to move around, accounting skills are very portable.
Internal Audit Outsourcing Some businesses prefer to
outsource their internal audit functions to a third party. For these
companies, and for auditors who want to work in this capacity, accounting
firms like Jefferson Wells are the answer.
Government
Although it’s not the biggest blip on the radar of aspiring accountants,
the government hires a lot of people with accounting skills. The biggest
federal employers are traditionally the Department of Defense, the General
Accounting Office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal
Revenue Service. In addition to monitoring individual and corporate tax
returns, government accountants at the state and federal levels formulate
and administer budgets, track costs, and analyze publicly funded programs.
Independent
As an accountant, you can always hang out your own shingle, individually or
in partnership with other accountants, especially once you have your CPA.
There is plenty of business preparing tax returns and advising small
businesses, provided you have relevant expertise, such as a thorough
knowledge of tax law. You will also need to market your services and manage
your own business—time-consuming activities that not everyone enjoys.
It’s a good time to be looking for a job in public accounting firms. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for accounting services to grow
faster than average. There are a number of reasons for this; increasingly
complex tax law and health of the business environment are just a couple of
them. And, as more entrepreneurs enter the scene, accountants practicing as
soloists or at small firms will be in high demand.
Far and away, the most positions available in public accounting are in
audit, with tax coming in second. The need for forensic
accountants—specialized accountants who focus on digging into clients’
balance sheets to look for red flags—is growing as the industry and its
clients continue to look to rebuild their reputations. Demand for in-house
corporate accounting and finance employees is expected to grow, as well.
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Big Four Jobs = Resume Gold
Let’s face it. Big Four accounting firms’ retention rates are low for a
reason: These jobs make great stepping-stones. Insiders say their exposure
to a wide range of companies and industries and the vast responsibility
given to them allows them to develop impressive skill sets, whether they
want to hang out their own accounting shingle, go into finance in industry,
or go into another profession entirely.
New Opportunities
The good news about the regulatory changes that have affected accounting
firms in recent years are that they offer newer accountants a more level
playing field to gain ground on their more seasoned counterparts. Everyone
is learning on the job.
Stability
Despite the fact that Andersen fell flat on its face earlier this decade,
forcing thousands of people to scramble to find new employers, the
accounting industry remains a bastion of stability. After all, in good
times and bad, corporations and other institutions need accountants. And
the career path remains pretty set in stone. Assuming you can do the work
and do it well and are willing to put in a few extra hours when necessary,
you can fairly accurately predict where you’ll be in 5, 10, or even 15
years.
It’s the People
Many young accountants in big firms enjoy the fact that they’re surrounded
by other folks who are a lot like them: young, college-educated, and up for
going out and socializing with coworkers. One insider says, “It’s great in
the Big Four. The people are smart—they all graduated with good GPAs from
good schools—and they’re fun.”
Big = Bureaucracy
The Big Four are mammoth companies, and some insiders say that they feel
overwhelmed by their size at times. According to one, “If you’re not used
to a big corporate atmosphere, it can come as kind of a shock. You go to
office-wide meetings where you see people you’ve never seen before and will
probably never see again.” And bureaucracy is a natural offshoot of these
firms’ size and business focus. Accounting involves myriad rules,
regulations, reviews, and checklists, and some insiders say that a feeling
of administration overload creeps unnecessarily into other aspects of their
professional lives. One insider says, “I’m really busy, and it just seems
like a lot of the administration stuff isn’t really necessary.” If you
dread red tape, beware!
The Hours
Especially during tax season, accountants are notorious for working late.
There are always client demands to be met and numbers to be checked—and
double-checked. During busy season, accountants can expect to work 55-hour
weeks, and depending on the client, may be required to work 60- or 70-hour
weeks. Be prepared to do what it takes to get the work done—even if it
means sacrificing your personal life. One insider says of a particularly
grueling assignment, “I didn’t see anyone for 3 months. I became a social
loser.” For some in the industry, the travel can be a drain, too. An
insider says, “A lot of people get sick of going from client to client,
especially as they grow older.”
Not Rocket Science
Several insiders use the phrase “it’s just accounting” when describing
their line of work. While accounting does offer more flexibility and
variety than most people think, you won’t be asked to reinvent the wheel or
build a better mousetrap. A large portion of the work involves checking to
make sure that numbers conform to the Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP). If you long to create and innovate, accounting is
probably not the ideal place for you.
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|
Top Ten Major Players, by 2006 Revenue
|
|
Rank
|
Company
|
Revenue ($M)
|
1-Year Change (%)
|
Employees
|
|
1
|
PricewaterhouseCoopers
|
21,986
|
16
|
142,162
|
|
2
|
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
|
20,000
|
10
|
135,237
|
|
3
|
Ernst & Young International
|
18,400
|
9
|
114,000
|
|
4
|
KPMG International
|
16,880
|
7.6
|
113,000
|
|
5
|
BDO International
|
3,911
|
17.5
|
29,714
|
|
6
|
Grant Thornton International
|
886
|
21.7
|
4,300
|
|
7
|
BKD
|
287
|
n/a
|
1,600
|
|
8
|
PRG-Schultz International
|
266
|
–8.9
|
1,935
|
|
9
|
McGladrey & Pullen
|
186
|
n/a
|
3,041
|
|
10
|
Clifton Gunderson
|
89.2
|
n/a
|
1,460
|
|
Sources: Hoover's; WetFeet analysis.
|
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Although with few exceptions all accountants are involved with a
company's financial statements, there are several different career
tracks to consider. At public accounting firms, employees usually join
either the audit or the tax practice—movement between the two is relatively
uncommon. Auditors review the books of their clients; tax accountants
prepare the taxes. In private accounting, the lines aren't quite as
sharp. However, the larger the organization, the more you'll probably
specialize in a certain kind of task: cost accounting, tax, or government
reporting, for example.
Associate or Staff Accountant
This entry-level job at public accounting firms goes by various names
depending on the firm. Associates sometimes go into the audit pool, a large
group of accountants who get picked out from time to time to work on audits
under the supervision of a more senior accountant. Typically the newer
faces get the easier audit assignments—cash accounts, for instance—leaving
the Swiss bank accounts and money-laundering operations to older hands.
Increasingly, however, even associates are beginning to specialize in
particular industry audits such as banking, entertainment, or health care.
In private accounting, the staff accountant may have responsibility for
managing particular accounts, such as accounts receivable or accounts
payable. Salary range: $32,000 to $48,000.
Internal Auditor
In this typical first position for an industry accountant, you'll
basically do for a company what a public accountant does for the public
record: Make sure that the value is where it should be. It used to be a
position where you'd cut your teeth before moving on; now accountants
are staying at this level longer. Salary range: $39,000 to $48,000; toward
the higher end if you have expertise in a particular field.
Budget and Credit Analysts
The budget side plans and manages corporate finances over a 12-month period
or longer. They present findings and recommendations either themselves or
through a controller. The government also employs thousands of budget
analysts to do the same type of work for public programs and expenditures.
Credit specialists focus on whether or not customers or institutional
clients can repay a loan or credit line. Banks are the biggest employers
for these analysts. Salary range: $36,000 to $57,000.
Senior Accountant
This is the second level in the public accounting hierarchy. After a year
or two at a public accounting firm, your paycheck improves and you might
get sent out alone to run an audit. Depending on your firm, you might begin
supervising teams of other accounts, so now is the time to take your CPA.
In the states that have such prerequisites, you'll have logged enough
hours by this point. This is also when a lot of accountants—as many as
eight out of ten—leave their firms for some form of private corporate
accounting. Salary range: $48,000 to $72,000.
Manager
This is a watershed position at a public accounting firm. If you get to
this point, the firm thinks you're partner material, and you're
probably giving the idea serious thought. You don't do as much hands-on
auditing anymore, although managers often handle sensitive issues such as
an important client's creative bookkeeping. Mainly, you plan and
assemble audit teams and allocate their time at various jobs. At the end of
an audit, you report back to a partner, who signs off on your work. This is
a 5- to 7-year test with significant competition from your peers who are
also on the partner track. Salary range: $62,000 to $115,000.
Controller
A catchall title for a key financial officer at a corporate firm. The
responsibilities and pay will vary considerably depending upon the size of
the firm. Controllers generally leave most of the actual number juggling to
junior accountants and take a more strategic role in the support side of
the business, planning the allocation of various funds throughout the
company. Salary range: $110,000 to $237,000.
Partner
You made it! It took you probably 10 or more years to work your way
through. Now you sign off on audits, work on client development (that is,
bringing in the business), and train younger accountants. Oh, and you also
collect a salary well into the six-figure range.
You can apply for accounting jobs with a BA or BS and build a highly
successful career with nothing more. Nevertheless, the more accounting
courses you take in school, the more employable you will be. If you pass
the CPA right out of college, you're that much further out in front.
Many states now require several months’ worth of public accounting
experience before allowing accountants to take the exam, but most firms are
well aware of this and will allocate time for you to prepare. And though
certification seems to be more in demand now than before, most places
don't insist on it until you reach the level of manager. You can also
get an MA in accounting, but our insiders agree your time would be better
spent on information management and technology courses. Consider these
things as you look for a job in accounting:
-
Accounting is a profession that demands precision. Many insiders say that
this is actually much more important than math skills. In looking for a
position, pay attention to detail—in your dress and speech.
-
You'll also need a certain amount of charisma. Accounting is
increasingly a team sport, and as specialization proliferates, you become
more like a business consultant—someone who works exceptionally well with
clients and peers.
-
Show that you understand the business world. You’ll be increasingly
expected to put the numbers into bigger-picture perspectives. Having a
level of business acumen will make you a more attractive candidate.
-
Would-be accountants should display skills and attributes including
analytical ability, leadership (if you advance in the Big Four,
eventually you’re going to be supervising teams of accountants), written
and oral communication skills (since you’re going to be communicating
regularly with colleagues and clients), an eye for detail (accounting is
all about getting the details right), ability to work independently, team
skills (since in most positions you’ll be working with a team from your
firm), the ability to work long and hard when necessary (read: tax
season), and high ethical standards.