Money-Making Job Opportunities in Accounting Career: Exploratory Guide

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Accounting Career|Money-Making Job Opportunities in Accounting Career: Exploratory GuideAccountants work with numbers. They ensure that the money of organizations, governments, and individuals is spent efficiently. In short, accountants are the backbone of the business world, and as long as cash exists, accountants will remain essential. Modern-day accounting is one of the most advanced and front-line professions which incorporates itself in various fields, from data analysis to cloud computing. Accountants deal with statistical data, such as financial records, costs, and profits. This title demands a deep understanding of finance, and it requires, at the least, a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting.

There are many different job opportunities in the accounting field that range from entry-level jobs to executive positions. Bottom tier jobs depend on the level of your education, such as a clerk or bookkeeper’s job demands a high school diploma and an associate degree. The accounting field offers space for professional development. If you work in the field long enough, you can go from a staff accountant to an executive position such as a CFO. Most statistics show that the job progression rate in the accounting field is higher than in other industries. Approximately 24 % of accounting graduates work as certified accountants, and the next most common profession is investment analysts. Regardless of the job you choose, the accounting field offers endless opportunities to learn more skills to help you progress to the top.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN ACCOUNTING CAREER

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

CFO is one of the end goal positions for all accountants. It requires the highest level of power and duty, and only the most capable accountants can achieve this title. The position of CFO demands the most considerable expertise, maximum experience, and exceptional leadership skills. The job requirements also depend on the status of the organization where you have applied. The more compound the organization is, the more vital the character of a CFO becomes. The approximated salary of a CFO is around $127,780, which is an impressive figure. Good luck with that.

Bookkeeper

Bookkeepers are taken on board by businesses that may not have the resources to support an on-staff accountant. Bookkeepers usually look after routine financial tasks such as billing and payroll. The salary of a full-time bookkeeper ranges from $18,000 to $40,000, and it is a good figure for a start-up job. Most organizations that require a bookkeeper are retail stores, law offices, or small accounting firms. If they need an accountant, then they contact separate accounting firms to outsource the job. Bookkeepers focus on details as their job requires them to be precise and active with the wide variety of tasks related to finances.

Controller

It is another high-level position in the accounting field. Controllers are financial officers who manage the accounting department of large organizations. This occupation asks for a unique background in the area. And the title is usually earned through promotion within the department. Controllers typically answer to the CFO, but in individual companies, both the positions work in the combination, and the main tasks include preparing taxes, approving significant budgets, and maintaining daily financial reliability. The estimated salary for a controller ranges from $75k to $107.5k, so the title is worth the years of work and experience.

Forensic Accounting

This occupation plays a distinctive role in the field of accounting. Forensic accountants use their knowledge of numbers to assist in investigations related to financial crimes that include fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and even embezzlement. It is a complicated field that requires a high level of education as well as experience. These accountants can work with law enforcement agencies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. They take part in financial examinations as part of the legal process, and most of the time, they have a say in defining awards from lawsuits. The median annual earning of a forensic accountant is around $68,000.

Cost Accountant Manager

Its specializations define modern-day accounting. The skills required from an accountant depends on the complexity of the organization. Their primary focus revolves around cost analysis and profit maximization. This job demands impressive analytical capabilities and a thorough understanding of economic factors that impact value and profit generation. Cost managers earn around $82,950, and it is a well-deserved amount.

CONCLUSION

There is a large variety of occupations to choose from after graduating as an accountant. It is a robust and competitive field that demands a lot from you, but if you want to earn an executive position in accounting, you must show resilience and develop your skills. You must show a distinctive and impressive performance at work, so you are recognized, and you can work your way to the top of the department. Take it easy on you, though. The success depends upon the hard work and dedication you offer, no matter what the field is. Therefore, instead of looking for shortcuts, choose a highway, and give your best.

Practical, Professional Programs That Strengthen Business Practices

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |professional programs |Practical, Professional Programs That Strengthen Business PracticesProfessional programs are much more than some window dressing.

Their benefits are many and varied, ranging from money savings and worker engagement. But, they can’t be implemented by edicts. Words and promises don’t account for much either.

Instead, management needs to set priorities, take action, and get workers behind programs. It’s a strategic effort that requires ample resources.

Worker safety, accountability, and satisfaction are the three key ingredients of business success. Here is how to mix and blend them together.

Cultural Foundations for Professionals Programs

Before fleshing out programs, lay the foundations with empowering company culture.

First off, senior manageress should embody the core value and mission of the company. They would also do well to embrace responsibility and lead by example, not by cracking the whip.

The next step revolves around engaging the workforce.

To pull it off, open your channels of communication, and gather suggestions and feedback. The whole process has to be completely transparent.

Once it’s completed, set clear, measurable, and realistic goals. You can use the S.M.A.R.T. formula to do it right. The next sections will give you an idea of what concrete objectives to pursue.

Workplace Safety and Health

Worker health and safety have to be absolute management priorities.

Namely, effective safety programs add true value to the organization. They reduce injury frequency and severity, as well as worker compensation premiums.

So, carry out workplace audits and come up with preventive measures and controls. Put proper training procedures in place and hold biweekly/monthly safety meetings.

Educate everyone on Occupational Safety and Health requirements. Check out OSHA guidelines (including those for COVID-19), which are golden industry standards.

Provide corresponding materials, such as this HazCom training guide to classifying and labeling chemicals. Make sure worker participation is ubiquitous.

A Matter of Accountability

Next off, it’s of utmost importance to foster organizational accountability.

The ultimate trick is to do it without pointing fingers and alienating anyone. Moreover, you want to instruct and demonstrate instead of merely telling people to be more accountable.

Here, bear in mind accountability pertains to the aforementioned goals, values, and priorities. Your main job is to communicate them and put together a working system. Keep the messages positive and informative.

This is a way to become a desirable employer, a company people want to be part of.

Bolstering Employee Motivation and Satisfaction

To apply finishing touches, develop programs aimed at further boosting motivation and satisfaction.

Always give recognition and credit where they are due. Reward top performers offering more than kind words. Both monetary (gift cards, for instance) and non-monetary incentives can be quite effective here.

Apart from individuals, you can recognize the contributions of whole teams and departments.

These programs will pay dividends in terms of improving workplace productivity. At the same time, you have a chance to supercharge your employee retention rates.

That’s a clear win-win right there.

Turn It Up a Notch

Purpose-built professional programs empower workers and reinforce your bottom line.

But, integrating them with your practices isn’t easy. You first have to get everyone on board, from workers to top executives. Start by uniting them around shared goals and vision.

Furthermore, make the workplace safer and minimize the risk of injuries and hazards. Become a true role model for organizational accountability. Acknowledge and appreciate good work.

Following these steps, you’ll steer worker behavior in the right direction and outpace the competition.
Get in touch with us if you need strategic advice and counseling. It’s time to take your business game to the next level.

Three reasons why you should study a Women in Leadership Certificate

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Women in Leadership|Three reasons why you should study a Women in Leadership CertificateIf you’re an ambitious businessperson, you might be considering ways to upskill yourself to ensure that you remain at the top of your game. One way of doing this is by taking further training courses to hone particular skills relevant to the world of business. While leadership skills are taught on many courses, from bachelor degrees to training certificates, there are certain components that, as a woman in a leadership position, are particularly relevant to you. Considering this, here are three reasons why you should study a Women in Leadership Certificate.

1. The “double bind” of female leadership

Despite having in-depth technical expertise, women often find themselves in a so-called “double bind” when they are promoted to leadership positions, resulting in an unconscious bias against her from colleagues and subordinates. If she shows strong, confident leadership—a managerial style lauded in men—she is seen as being abrupt and unlikeable. If, however, her leadership is more collaborative and empathetic, she may be seen as being incompetent and too soft. A certificate designed for women leaders in business will teach you how to recognize and deal with this unconscious bias in your workplace. You will learn how to balance a strong managerial style while still remaining approachable. Having this emotional and social intelligence is key to strong leadership and will allow you to bridge the gap between different personalities.

2. Build on existing communication skills

There is growing evidence to suggest that men and women think and communicate differently. For instance, women use verbal communication as a way to process issues and come up with solutions, whereas men tend to be solution-focussed and prefer communication to be to the point and action-based. Misunderstandings can often arise because of these intrinsic differences, which, if left unresolved, can lead to unhappiness at work and reduced productivity. Through a course for women leaders in business, you will learn the theory behind gender-based communication styles and expand your toolbox of communication skills so that you can persuasively and confidently communicate ideas and information to different audiences.

3. Build on existing negotiation skills

Negotiation is an intrinsic skill for business. Whether you are persuading a client to use your services, discussing the terms of a contract, or explaining why you deserve that promotion, the fact is that you need to have a strong negotiation toolbox in order to get ahead in the business world. Despite this, it’s long been believed that women are less likely to attempt negotiation than men, perhaps due to women traditionally being socialized to be more accommodating to others’ needs. However, with specific negotiation and self-advocacy training, women can be just as successful as men.

A Women in Leadership Certificate will teach you negotiation strategies and give you the opportunity to practice them in roleplay scenarios to ensure that when you enter a real negotiation in your place of work, you will be confident in your skillset to get what you need.

How Your Career Can Help You to Help Others

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | How Your Career Can Help You to Help OthersMany people volunteer in their free time to support the causes that they value. However, others feel that volunteering is not enough, so they begin careers that allow them to help other people. If you want to do more to improve your community, consider starting a new career in one of these areas.

Law

One stereotype about lawyers is that they are all corrupt and just work for the money. However, most lawyers genuinely care about the people they represent and want to make their lives better. If you look at your credentials and think, “What legal firm would hire me?”, other options are available. You could help expert witnesses to prepare their testimonies, or you could serve as the court reporter for your county’s courthouse. If the courtroom scene does not appeal to you, get involved with local politics by running for an elected office at the county or state level. This path allows you to create legislation that helps at-risk groups and addresses issues you’ve witnessed in your community.

Medicine

One of the most tangible ways to help other people is to begin a career in medicine. Becoming a doctor is a famously difficult career path, and if you have already worked for several years, you may not want to spend so much time in school again. However, if you begin a career as a nurse, technician or even receptionist, you will still help people to recover from their illnesses and feel more comfortable.

While physical health is important, so is mental health. However, many people forget that mental health is also a part of medicine. To become a certified psychiatrist, you need to get bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but some of your earlier education may transfer. If counseling does not appeal to you, consider working for nonprofits that promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs.

Education

In the United States, each state stipulates how long children must attend school. These numbers vary, but all states require education until well into the teenage years. Becoming involved in education is a great way to have a positive impact on these children’s lives. If you already have a bachelor’s degree, return to school to become certified to teach at the level you are most comfortable with. If teaching does not appeal to you, find out how you can work as a receptionist, guidance counselor, coach or nurse at your local high school. Some people love to teach but do not want to have a full classroom of students. You can tutor individual students in a variety of subjects, including music and foreign languages. Finally, if you have extensive experience in an area such as science or politics, consider completing advanced degrees and teaching college.

Volunteering is an excellent way to spend your free time. However, if you want to take your community involvement to the next level, consider switching your career to one in law, medicine or education. By taking your job seriously and working to help the people you encounter, you can make a substantial difference in their lives and your community’s culture.

How To Improve Your Professional Development

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StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | How To Improve Your Professional DevelopmentWhatever your role – business owner, team leader, staff member – it is human nature to want to learn new skills and grow as a person. Personal and professional development are both key to this, but it is the latter – development in the context of the workplace, such as skills that can be used in your career – that can occasionally be difficult to know where to start with.

Primarily, there are a few key principles to remember:

  1. Stay motivated
  2. Increase how much you read
  3. Learn from different industries
  4. Get feedback on what you’re learning
  5. Attend a training program
  6. Assess your progress

The Basics of Professional Development

If you’re not motivated, you’re unlikely to learn anything new, or at least anything new quickly. If you struggle with self-motivation, perhaps you could team up with a partner and set each other targets to push each other. This will also help vary the way in which you learn, as you can share hints and tips for what methods are working. The most obvious method for widening your professional horizons is to read more. Reading books not only based in your field of work but other ones as well will give you a wider, more rounded outlook on your job.

Getting in touch with people in other businesses and industries and asking what sort of professional development they have done – or what skills they need for their job – is also a good idea. Developing yourself in the context of your own position is obviously useful for the present but equipping yourself with knowledge and skills of other positions will make you a more attractive worker or business partner in the future.

Once you have started learning a new skill or studying a new business practice, it’s never a bad idea to ensure you’re working along the right lines by either getting feedback or checking your progress against examples. For instance, if you’re learning more about search engine optimization, looking into case studies for SEO is a good way of gauging your understanding against real-life examples.

Working with experts in the field you are studying and trying to grow your understanding will also improve your rate of development. If it’s a skill that you can enroll in a training course for, consider doing so. If you can, contact somebody who has already completed the course to ensure it’s worth the investment. Always find professionals with a lot of experience and with proven examples of their training improving a business.

Embarking on learning a new skill, developing your existing ones, or any other form of furthering your professional improvement can seem like a daunting task. It is never easy to remove yourself from your comfort zone, but pushing yourself and surrounding yourself with knowledge will help you do your job better and encourage those around you to do the same. Assessing your progress as you go along – looking back and seeing where you were at a week, month or year ago – will demonstrate how far you have come and motivate you to go further.