Certified Public Accountant Career

Certified Public Accountants, or CPAs, have become an integral part of many personal and professional entities.  Some CPAs perform tax related duties, such as advising companies on the tax benefits or drawbacks of certain business transactions.  They must be knowledgeable in all aspects of tax laws and regulations, seeing as how they also handle the preparation of income tax returns.  Auditing CPAs are needed in order to protect against waste, fraud, and mismanagement in companies.  They look into companies’ financial records, information systems, and management procedures to ensure accurate reporting, as well as identify any weaknesses in accounting systems or safety controls.  These professionals may work independently, with firms, or in government agencies, but all are responsible for ensuring finances are properly reported to investors.  CPAs may opt to specialize in setting up or managing compensation and employee healthcare benefits, or consulting for personal or professional finances.  

Working conditions for CPAs differ depending on their specialty and place of employment.  While these occupations are generally not physically strenuous, they can be mentally stressful when deadlines must be met.  All professionals work out of offices either in their own home or at a firm.  Regular 40 hour weeks are most common, but self employed and tax professionals may experience increased hours during peak times.  Auditing CPAs may be expected to travel, sometimes for extended periods, in order to perform audits for distant companies.

Currently, 42 states require CPAs to attend 150 semester hours of college course work, which is currently 30 hours more than a Bachelor’s degree.  Upon completing college course work, students must pass a four part, two day exam.  Approximately one quarter of the students that take the exam are able to pass the four parts the first time they take it.  Most states require that candidates pass at least two parts of the exam and receive partial credit, but they must pass the other section(s) within a specified amount of time.  There are extra certifications available to increase candidate desirability, but they are not currently mandatory in order to practice as a CPA.  Continuing education is necessary in order to keep up with ever changing laws and to maintain certification. 

In response to the numerous accounting scandals, Federal and State government agencies have increased the amount of controls and regulations placed on businesses.  In an attempt to maintain internal control, more associations will enlist the aide of CPAs to not only check, but also update records and systems, in addition to discovering and eliminating fraudulent activities.  Business growth and replacement of retiring accounting professionals will cause CPA careers to grow faster than average through 2014.  Due to the demand of accounting positions, numerous openings are expected.  For more information on a career as a Certified Public Accountant, please visit the following sites:

• Arkansas Society of Public Accountants 
• Arizona Society of Practicing Accountants
• California Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals
• Colorado Public Accountants Society
• Hawaii Association of Public Accountants

For a list of available CPA positions as well as a database of CPA professionals, please visit iHireAccounting.