| We have witnessed, in the recent past, a huge | | | | definitely appreciate the peace of mind that a |
| rise in the number of people who are opting to | | | | competent accountant stands to enjoy, through |
| study accounting at university. This is interesting, | | | | the straightforward 9 to 5 routine, bereft of |
| because not so long ago, accounting tended to be | | | | drama episodes. Many people are also coming to |
| one of the courses that would attract relatively | | | | realize that accountants are in fact the |
| modest numbers of students, as people avoided | | | | behind-the-scenes characters who run the world. |
| being termed as 'bean counters.' Accounting was, | | | | They are the 'illuminati' everyone keeps on looking |
| as it still is, a career that lacks glamour, a career | | | | for. You don't see them, but you see and feel the |
| that mostly involves spending all the time in the | | | | effects of the various decisions they make on |
| office. | | | | behalf of their organizations. |
| The chances of your ever becoming famous as | | | | Accounting also happens to be one of the study |
| an accountant seems very slim indeed, so that | | | | areas that have benefitted from the rising cost of |
| the glamour-oriented student, accounting would | | | | education. As education becomes more and more |
| seem like a relatively poor choice of a study area. | | | | expensive, people find themselves increasingly |
| This wouldn't have been a particularly big problem, | | | | being forced to go into areas that give them |
| were it not for the fact that a majority of | | | | employable skills; rather than going into areas |
| student, at the points in life when people make | | | | 'where their hearts are drawn.' And when one |
| these types of choices, would indeed be rather | | | | starts to think in terms of employable skills, |
| 'glamour-oriented.' | | | | accounting is one of the areas that rank high. |
| So, what changed, between then and now, so | | | | After all, not every organization will need a |
| that we end up with people struggling to get | | | | teacher (only schools do), and not every |
| places in university accounting courses, rather | | | | organization will need a doctor (only hospitals do) - |
| than having people shunning the courses as was | | | | but virtually every organization needs an |
| previously the case? | | | | accountant. The end result is a situation where |
| Well, one factor behind the growing attractiveness | | | | the demand for accountants keeps on growing |
| of accounting courses is the realization that | | | | every passing day, with the birth of every new |
| accountancy, its relatively lack of glamour | | | | organization, and with the expansion of every |
| notwithstanding, can turn out to be a rather | | | | existing organization. So for the person who |
| interesting field of work. People are also coming to | | | | wants a degree that will almost definitely give |
| realize that some of the jobs that look glamorous | | | | them a job, and a degree with which there will be |
| aren't that exciting to the people who do them, | | | | almost limitless opportunities as one advances in |
| and that some of the can be too stressful to be | | | | skills and experience, accounting turns out to be |
| enjoyable. | | | | the thing to study. |
| Under the latter scheme of thinking, one will | | | | |