Accounting job applicants need academic credentials and experience. Some gain experience through internships or working as junior assistants, clerks, or bookkeepers. Many gain professional experience before taking licensing exams by working entry-level jobs. Internships are competitive, but some gain experience by working as treasurers for student organizations or volunteering for charities. Community colleges offer training programs with on-the-job training and potential for permanent jobs.
Companies that hire accountants often require job applicants to have academic credentials and previous accounting experience, and many people gain experience while working as junior accounting assistants. Some gain accounting experience while participating in university internships offered by financial firms. Other people work as clerks or bookkeepers on a voluntary basis for non-profit groups or charitable organizations.
Laws in many areas require accountants to be licensed or certified, but before taking the accounting exams, many gain some professional experience by taking entry-level jobs with financial firms. People employed in these jobs are responsible for processing payments, issuing invoices and producing expense reports. Typically, people doing these jobs do not need to be licensed, and many people become familiar with the accounting field by taking on these jobs before attending college or studying for the licensing exam.
Financial companies often invite undergraduate students to participate in internship programs that usually take place during semester breaks. In most cases, interns are individuals enrolled in degree programs in finance, accounting or mathematics. These individuals are able to work alongside licensed accountants, and in some cases, interns are allowed to perform basic administrative tasks. People working as interns are able to find out about the accounting procedures used at a specific company, as well as the general accounting techniques used by individuals working for many different employers. Some companies prefer to offer permanent accounting jobs to graduates who have gained some accounting experience while attending internship programs.
Competition for internships is often fierce. In this case, some students gain accounting experience by working as treasurers for student organizations. These individuals manage bank accounts, pay invoices, and help prepare budgets for sports teams, college newspapers, and student groups. In addition to college-based work experience opportunities, many graduate students gain accounting experience while working as unpaid volunteers for charitable groups. While these organizations often employ licensed accountants to handle complex accounts and tax matters, many charities rely on volunteers to maintain accounting records and basic day-to-day bookkeeping tasks.
Some community colleges partner with local government agencies to offer training programs for high school graduates and unemployed professionals. In some cases, people involved in these programs receive classroom instruction and have the opportunity to work temporarily for local employers. These companies, which may include accounting or bookkeeping firms, provide program participants with on-the-job training, and individuals who perform well during training are sometimes given permanent jobs.
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