You and the World of Accounting

1
You and the World of Accounting

• Exploring Careers

2
Choosing a Career

• Not many of us know what we want to do with the
  rest of our lives, especially when were still in
  high school.
• Ill just take some liberal arts courses
• Something will come up
• Talk to people who really LOVE what they do and
  odds are they took some time to figure themselves
  out!

3
Assess Your Career Vision

• Before choosing your career, youll want to do
  some soul-searching.
• The more you know about yourself, the easier it
  will be to make career choices.
• What are your personal interests and skills?
• What are your values, and how will they affect
  your career?
• What lifestyle interests you?
• How will your personality affect your career
  choice?

4
Your Interests, Skills, and Traits

• Youre more likely to enjoy a career that uses
  your individual interests, skills and traits.
  Skills are activities that you do well.
• Are you good at math? Do you write well? Are you
  creative? Do you like to meet lots of new people?
  Do you like to build things?
• Know your set of skills and abilities ... Its
  what makes you unique!
• Here are some skills that employers have
  identified as being valuable

5
Values

• Values principles you live by and the beliefs
  that are important to you. Values are about
  actions not words!
• Examples of things people value responsibility,
  achievement, relationships, compassion, courage,
  recognition.
• What are some careers that might benefit from
  each of these? For example Responsibility ... A
  surgeon OR courage ... A firefighter. Can you
  think of some?

6
Lifestyle Goals

• Your lifestyle is the way you use your time,
  energy, and resources.
• For example Many people devote themselves to
  work, earn lots of money, and put off the
  benefits of free time until theyre older.
• Others accept smaller paychecks and work fewer
  hours in order to spend more time with their
  family and friends now.
• Whats really important to you?
• Do you want to go for the big bucks?
• Do you want to live in a big city with endless
  activities or small town where everybody knows
  your name?
• Do you want to collaborate with groups of people,
  or do you prefer working solo?
• Try to focus on careers that match your goals!

7
Personality Traits

• What if all your friends had the exact same
  personality? If they were all shy? Or all
  serious? Life would be pretty predictable!
• Its a good thing we all have our own personality
  a set of unique qualities that makes us
  different from other people.
• What is your personality? Are you confident?
  Dependable? Funny? Friendly? Sympathetic? BE
  HONEST. Do you like being with people or would
  you rather spend time reading a book or on your
  computer?
• Your personality affects your preferences for
  working with people, data or things!

8
Research the Possibilities

• Once you have a clear view of yourself and how
  you want to live your life, the next step is to
  start researching careers to find the one thats
  right for you.
• Personal interest tests helps you identify
  preferences.
• Networking a way to find out about particular
  careers by asking people to share information and
  advice.
• You can use the library or the internet to help
  you research potential careers.

9
Set Career Goals

• Once you have a clear vision of your interests
  and youve found a few potential careers ... Its
  time to put a plan into action.
• Map out a plan ... Make a list of careers and
  compare them.
• Education ... How much do you need? How will you
  pay for it?
• On-the-Job Training ... Go to school and to work!
  Get paid to see if you like it or not!
• Internships ... Work as an intern. Many companies
  offer summer internships to students. Some offer
  modest pay. Oftentimes internships can turn into
  real job offers.

10
Chapter One Notes OrganizerExploring Careers

• Not many of us know what we want to do with the
  rest of our lives, especially when were still in
  high school.
• Talk to people who really LOVE what they do and
  odds are they took some time to figure themselves
  out!
• Before choosing your career, youll want to do
  some soul-searching.
• The more you know about yourself, the easier it
  will be to make career choices.
• __________________________________________________
  ____
• __________________________________________________
  ____
• __________________________________________________
  ____
• __________________________________________________
  ____
• Youre more likely to enjoy a career that uses
  your individual interests, skills and traits.
  _____________ are activities that you do well.
• Are you good at math? Do you write well? Are you
  creative? Do you like to meet lots of new people?
  Do you like to build things?
• Know your set of skills and abilities ... Its
  what makes you unique!
• Here are some skills that employers have
  identified as being valuable
• ___________________ principles you live by and
  the beliefs that are important to you. Values are
  about actions not words!
• Examples of things people value
  __________________________________________________
  ___
• _________________________________________________
  _______________________________.
• What are some careers that might benefit from
  each of these? For example Responsibility ... A
  surgeon OR courage ... A firefighter. Can you
  think of some?
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________
• __________________________________________________
  ________________________
• Your ____________________ is the way you use
  your time, energy, and resources.

11
FINDING A CAREER

• Finding a job that you LOVE that will support the
  lifestyle you want to live is a challenge!
• You will be SOOO much happier if you can find a
  career that matches your skills, values, and
  personality traits!
• Today, we are going to spend some time looking at
  potential careers. This is just the beginning of
  a process for you please take advantage of the
  opportunity!
• Go to the Career Key website and take the quiz
  http//www.careerkey.org/english/index.html
• Find the information I requested and type it up
  into the PowerPoint Slideshow that I provide!
• Good luck!

12
Accounting Careers

• The Possibilities
• are Endless!

13
The Changing Horizon

• Some people believe accounting is boring
• Accounting can be a lot of things you would never
  have expected!
• Accountant handles a broad range of
  responsibilities, makes business decisions, and
  prepares and interprets financial reports.

14
Dynamic and Exciting Jobs are out there!

• Think of any business Nike, Detroit Pistons,
  Hard Rock Café, Bad Boys Records they ALL look
  to accountants to help run their businesses!
• Think of any celebrity Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts,
  Eminem, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez they all have
  financial advisors.

15
Accounting Professions

• For-profit business operate to earn money for
  their owners. Example Detroit Pistons, Wal-Mart,
  Nike, entertainers like Alicia Keys.
• Today computers handle much of the basic
  accounting work, freeing accountants up to do
  more planning and advising.
• Therefore, accountants dont need to be chained
  to a desk. If you worked for Alicia Keys, you
  would probably spend some of your time traveling.
• Laptops and cell phones keep you connected.

16
Accounting Professions

• Not-for-profit organizations, also known as
  non-profit organizations work for a cause. Goal
  is to balance their income with expenses rather
  than earning a profit for owners or investors
• Examples are the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity,
  Salvation Army, and the World Wildlife Fund,
  United Way, and the Sierra Club

17
In the Know

• Shelly Hale .. Loves her job. In high school, she
  had a keen fashion sense and loved math and
  logic.
• However, like most students, was lukewarm to the
  idea of becoming an accountant.
• UNTIL an internship became available in the
  accounting department at the Gap.
• She took a job as an accounting clerk an entry
  level job usually performing one or two
  accounting tasks.
• She worked there while attending college to
  become a CPA --- Certified Public Accountant.
• CPAs pass a national test to meet specified
  experience and education standards to become
  certified to practice accounting. Much like
  passing the bar for lawyers!

18
Public Accounting Firms

• Public accounting firm that provides accounting
  services to clients.
• These firms can be large or small from a local
  business specializing in personal tax returns to
  an international firm like Ernst Young, which
  provides services to businesses around the globe.
• You might hear people refer to the BIG FOUR.
  These are the biggest of the public accounting
  firms Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte
  Touche, Ernst Young, and KPMG.
• Accountants in these firms might work in tax
  planning or auditing. Auditing is the review of
  financial statements to confirm that they follow
  accepted accounting principles.
• From entertainment to health care, conservation
  to entrepreneurship, the career possibilities in
  accounting are endless!

19
Chapter One Notes OrganizerPart Two Accounting
Careers Endless Possibilities

• Accounting can be a lot of things you would never
  have expected!
• ______________________ handles a broad range of
  responsibilities, makes business decisions, and
  prepares and interprets financial reports.
• Think of any business Nike, Detroit Pistons,
  Hard Rock Café, Bad Boys Records they ALL look
  to accountants to help run their businesses!
• Think of any celebrity Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts,
  Eminem, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez they all have
  financial advisors.
• ________________________________ operate to
  earn money for their owners. Example Detroit
  Pistons, Wal-Mart, Nike, entertainers like Alicia
  Keys.
• Today ______________________ handle much of
  the basic accounting work, freeing accountants up
  to do more planning and advising.
• Accountants dont need to be chained to a desk.
  If you worked for Alicia Keys, you would probably
  spend some of your time traveling.Laptops and
  cell phones keep you connected.
• _______________________________________, also
  known as non-profit organizations work for a
  cause. Their goal is to balance their income with
  expenses rather than earning a profit for owners
  or investors
• Examples are the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity,
  Salvation Army, and the World Wildlife Fund,
  United Way, and the Sierra Club
• Shelly Hale .. Loves her job. In high school, she
  had a keen fashion sense and loved math and
  logic.
• However, like most students, was lukewarm to the
  idea of becoming an accountant.
• UNTIL an internship became available in the
  accounting department at the Gap.
• She took a job as an _____________________________
  an entry level job usually performing one or
  two accounting tasks.
• She worked there while attending college to
  become a ___________ which stands for
  __________________________________________.
• CPAs pass a national test to meet specified
  experience and education standards to become
  certified to practice accounting. Much like
  passing the bar for lawyers!
• _______________________ firm that provides
  accounting services to clients.
• These firms can be large or small from a local
  business specializing in personal tax returns to
  an international firm like Ernst Young, which
  provides services to businesses around the globe.
• You might hear people refer to the BIG FOUR.
  These are the biggest of the public accounting
  firms Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte
  Touche, Ernst Young, and KPMG.
• Accountants in these firms might work in tax
  planning or auditing.