Accounting training is becoming more and more lucrative by the day. Indeed, those with an accounting education are in high demand as business owners in all industries recognize the value of accounting training, administration and planning within their companies. Accounting education and credentials, they're discovering, can help their business manage cash flow, increase capital and grow in both the short and long term.
In fact, by 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor expects the number of accountants and auditors in the United States to grow by between 18 and 26 percent, fueled by a growth in the number of businesses in general, as well in the scrutiny of those businesses' finances. So, whether you want to be an accountant for a living, or just need basic accounting training to help you run and grow your company, accounting classes or CPA classes will take you far in the emerging economy. Offered in classrooms and online, accounting education options include:
1. CPA training for aspiring CPAs.
2. Accounting training for enrolled agents.
3. Accounting classes for staff accountants.
4. Accounting training for bookkeepers.
5. Accounting software training for business owners.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Pursue CPA training
If you want your accounting education to carry you into a full-time accounting career, you'll need to become a certified public accountant, or CPA. CPA training is hard work, as it requires an accounting degree, a two-day exam and at least 150 college credit hours. CPA classes pay off, however, as a CPA credential maximizes your career potential and tells consumers that you know how to do your job.
I recommend: Vocational schools such as the
University of Phoenix and
Regis University offer strong offline CPA training programs and online accounting education programs, while companies like
Bisk Education and
CPAexcel offer CPA classes to help you prepare for the exam. Find more
CPA exam prep firms at Business.com.
Get accounting training to be an enrolled agent
Enrolled agents or EAs are licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Like CPAs, those studying to be enrolled agents, or EAs, must receive significant accounting training, administration experience and classroom coaching. Becoming an EA requires passing a 100-question exam, but requires no other special study.
I recommend: The National Association of Tax Professionals offers
live seminars to help you study for the EA exam. Meanwhile, consult the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to learn more about EA requirements.
Consider basic or refresher accounting classes
Accounting education isn't only for CPAs and EAs. Basic accounting training can qualify you for a variety of jobs, including entry-level jobs in payroll, data entry, accounts receivable or accounts payable, as well as management-level positions, including accounting manager or even CFO. Accounting classes can also improve the skills of your current staff accountants.
I recommend: Taking a series of short online accounting education courses or live accounting training seminars can add a lot to your resume; consider offline and online accounting classes from the
National Business Institute, the
American Management Association, the
American Cash Flow Institute, the
Institute of Management Accountants and the
New York Institute of Finance.
Skip accounting training for bookkeeping training
Unless you plan to be doing serious tax and business planning for other businesses, an accounting education probably isn't necessary. If what you're after is a basic knowledge of business finances and recordkeeping, bookkeeping training will give you all you need to know, in less time and at a lower cost.
I recommend: The
American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers provides certification and bookkeeping training.
Learn the basics with accounting software training
All business owners could benefit from some very basic accounting training. That doesn't mean you need to quit your business in order to apprentice as an accountant. It does, however, mean that you ought to consider accounting software training so that you can quickly and easily get on the computer to take your company's financial pulse when necessary.
I recommend: When it comes to accounting software training, nothing is more important than learning to use
QuickBooks. Consider QuickBooks training courses from the manufacturer,
Intuit, or from endorsed third-party companies like
Real World Training.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- If you're pursuing accounting training, take advantage of the growth opportunities it will provide you; with even a little bit of online accounting education, administration staff can easily climb into higher-paying supervisory and management roles.
- Because all companies need accounting staff, those with accounting training tend to enjoy a great deal of flexibility; you can find full- or part-time work, jobs in both the public and private sector, and arrangements that will allow you to work either in an office or from your home.
- Computer skills are a must for accountants at all levels; in addition to accounting software training, make sure you are up to speed with simple programs like Microsoft Excel, as well as any consumer software you might encounter, such as TurboTax or Quicken.
- If you're pursuing a full-time career in accounting, taking CPA classes isn't enough. It's important to develop a niche, such as government accounting or tax planning, during your accounting training.
- An accounting education shouldn't stop with accounting training; fine-tune your skills by supplementing them with training in related fields, such as budget analysis and investment, in order to maximize your potential.
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