| CPA, certified public accountant, CPA's are a vital | | | | institutions are falling over each other in the |
| part of any strong business or organization. In all | | | | struggle to locate and hang on to the most |
| three major areas of the accounting industry | | | | talented individuals. Universities and colleges will |
| (Public, Private and Governmental) the CPA skill | | | | soon be offering compelling incentives to lure |
| set is valued and respected as the pinnacle of | | | | CPA's into a teaching career. In a time when our |
| professional achievement, and can equate to job | | | | financial institutions are claiming bankruptcy ; CPA's |
| promotions, travel opportunities, and personal | | | | tomorrow could be the day you write your own |
| growth. | | | | ticket to financial security. |
| 1. Prestige, Respect and Reputation | | | | 5. Personal Growth |
| They are well respected and greatly admired by | | | | The skills you acquire in your training to become a |
| their peers, clients, and social circles. Through their | | | | CPA will give you confidence in yourself and your |
| experience and knowledge, their virtues, ethics, | | | | newfound abilities. The money and prestige you |
| character, technical and academic proficiency are | | | | gain will allow you to have the finer things in life. |
| tested. You could say that CPA stands for | | | | Although math skills are important for anyone to |
| "Commitment, Professionalism, Achievement" just | | | | have, you only need average level math |
| as much as it stands for Certified Public | | | | knowledge to excel as a CPA. |
| Accountant. | | | | The CPA earns his/her stripes by enduring a |
| In today's professional world, these 3 qualities are | | | | rigorous course of study and training, capped off |
| valued assets in any business. CPA is a highly | | | | with one of the most notoriously difficult |
| sought after professions in this society today. | | | | professional exams in the world: The Uniform |
| 2. Money and financial satisfaction | | | | Certified Public Accountants Examination. Once a |
| Let's face it: We all work to make money and | | | | candidate passes the exam, it's time to get |
| earn benefits. If financial success is part of your | | | | licensed, which requires jumping through some |
| motivation to become a CPA, you can breathe | | | | more hoops. Even better, once you've attained |
| easily. For experienced CPAs. Salaries between | | | | licensure, you've earned the privilege of working |
| $80K - $110K are common in public accounting, | | | | long hours doing tough, complicated, and |
| and these figures are likely to increase yearly, | | | | sometimes tedious work. |
| according to recent surveys. | | | | 6. Abundant job opportunities |
| 3. Job Satisfaction and variety of work | | | | There are abundant job opportunities once you |
| As financial reporting becomes increasingly | | | | become a CPA. One does not need to be worried |
| complex and increased in its importance, there is | | | | on being retrenched or have your salary cut as |
| greater opportunity for criminal activity and | | | | this is not something which will happen to a CPA, |
| negligence. Tighter regulations passed by the | | | | which current demand for this profession. The |
| Securities Exchange Commission need to be | | | | CPA profession is thriving |
| complimented by CPA's high level of honesty and | | | | 7. The Go places campaign |
| integrity in order to put a stop to white collar | | | | Some level of credit for this improvement goes |
| crime and financial misstatements. They are | | | | to the AICPA', Go Places campaign, which for the |
| frequently called upon to testify during criminal | | | | past five years has offered high school and |
| trials as expert witnesses. | | | | college students good reasons to consider a |
| As a whole, CPA's are multifaceted professionals | | | | career as a CPA. More than one million students |
| capable of performing multiple highly specialized | | | | have logged on to the campaign's Web site, o use |
| job functions, some examples as below, but not | | | | interactive resources that bring to life the |
| limited to:o Tax advisory serviceso Business | | | | excitement of being a member of our profession. |
| consultationo Auditingo International Financial | | | | Each underscores CPAs' important public-interest |
| Reportingo Information Technologyo Management | | | | role as providers of guidance to clients, businesses |
| consultation | | | | and consumers. They also represent opportunities. |
| 4. Career Security | | | | Whether through educating students about the |
| There is a shortage of experienced accounting | | | | benefits of being a CPA, reaching out to |
| professionals, which puts those with their CPA | | | | legislators, volunteering to improve Americans' |
| designation even more in demand. What's more, | | | | financial understanding or enhancing skills to better |
| this trend shows no signs of slowing down. | | | | serve clients and employers, CPAs can take part |
| Students and young professionals that earn their | | | | in shaping a vibrant future for the profession so |
| CPA can almost guaranteed to find and secure a | | | | that America continues to rely on CPAs for |
| lucrative position of their choice. Firms and | | | | better control of white collar crime. |