Accountants: What Positions Are Right For You? How Can You Tell?  

December 17, 2019

As an accountant, you may be overwhelmed at times with the many options for employment. What positions are right for you? How can you tell? If you feel lost or unsure about your professional track, consider the following positions below. These are five of the most common accounting jobs. 

Financial Analyst  

Financial analysts are essentially advisors to different firms — banks, insurance companies, and other organizations. If you are a financial analyst, you evaluate the performance of certain companies and make investment recommendations to clients. You should look into this career path if you enjoy being a consultant and seeking out the best investment opportunities for others.  

Auditor  

The primary function of this role is to assess and monitor the record-keeping of other firms’ accountants. Typically, external auditors do not work for one specific company, while internal auditors inspect the records of the firm that employs them. If you think you would feel fulfilled ensuring financial statements are accurate and ethically-reported, this may be the job for you.  

Staff Accountant 

Staff accountants have a very important role in any firm. They prepare and manage the primary financial documents of the company. Typical duties include producing income tax returns and monthly reports, as well as managing accounts payable and receivable. If you would be interested in playing a large part in managing a firm’s finances, consider becoming a staff accountant.  

Controller 

Similar to a staff accountant, a controller is responsible for generating financial statements such as income statements, budgets, and balance sheets. You may favor this position if you enjoy assessing and predicting the financial performance of a company. As this role has substantial authority over most of the organization’s accounting activities, people who aspire to be a type of financial manager may be best for this position.  

Bookkeeper 

Although this term seems old-fashioned, this role is still essential to any firm. The bulk of these employees’ duties centers on receiving and recording transactions, monitoring reports for errors, updating credits and debits, and integrating the final touches on the accounting books. If you believe you would excel being a type of financial “gatekeeper” that is responsible for a variety of transactional work, this could be the job for you.   

Conclusion 

Although these are the primary accounting careers, you are not limited to this list. Don’t be afraid to jump around and try different roles if you’re not finding a career that motivates and challenges you. When in doubt, seek out an experienced recruiter to aid the job search process.  
More questions about the right accounting job? Contact us through our website or call today at 412-343-6300.

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