Employment Prospects For Accountants And Cpas
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website, “Accountants and auditors held about 1.3 million jobs in 2008.” (As of December 17, 2009, these were the latest statistics available.)
As with many other careers, accountants and auditors worked throughout private industry and government. Of these, about 24% worked for payroll service firms, tax preparation, accounting, and bookkeeping firms. Another 8% were self-employed. Among the larger set of management accountants, internal auditors, or government accountants and auditors, there is a subset who are licensed CPAs. Most CPAs work in urban areas because that’s where the jobs are–most corporate regional or central offices and government offices are in urban areas.
A small percent of accounting professionals are employed as full-time college and university faculty; others teach part-time while working as self-employed accountants or as accountants for private industry or government.
Job growth in the accounting sector is expected to grow faster than the average growth rate for all industries during the decade of 2008-2018. Within that group, CPAs should have the best prospects for employment and expected growth rate higher than those accountants and auditors without the CPA professional designation.
Very strong growth (22%) in the number of accountants and auditor jobs (an increase of 279,400 jobs) over the 2008-18 decade is expected because of several factors. We will discuss the factors tomorrow.
1.IF the economy expands, the number of businesses will increase which means that new jobs will be created in the accounting sector to set up the books, prepare taxes, and provide management advice. As these new businesses grow, the quantity and complexity of financial information reviewed by accountants and auditors on the costs, expenditures, taxes and corporate internal controls will increase as well. As the globalization of business accelerates, there will be an increased demand for accounting expertise and services regarding international trade and accounting rules as well as international mergers and acquisitions.
2.Because of financial scandals, investors will be demanding increased accountability for protecting an organization’s stakeholders. The need for these “accounting watchdogs” will spur job growth in the accounting sector.
3.Forensic accountants who can detect illegal financial activity will be even more in demand as the number of financial crimes increases. Crimes such as embezzlement, bribery, and securities fraud by individuals, by corporations, and by organized crime networks are increasing because computer technology has made these crimes even easier to commit and even harder to uncover. But the “good guys” have weapons as well: the development of new computer software and advanced electronic surveillance technology has made detecting financial crimes easier which increases the likelihood of discovery, investigation, prosecution and conviction. As the success rates of the “good guys” rise, the demand for forensic accountants will rise as well.
4.Opportunities for CPAs who are forensic accountants who support the work of attorneys in family law, bankruptcy and business law are increasing as well. For example, the recent high profile divorce of Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills included a dispute over how much the former Beatle, Sir Paul, was actually worth. His side claimed he was worth around USD $785 million while the ex-wife thought he was worth around $1.6 billion. Enter her team of forensic accountants who delved into the situation. As of June 2008, the accountants had not found any evidence which would have compelled the judge to award Ms. Mills more moola than her initial divorce settlement.
5.Changes in laws regarding taxes, financial reporting standards, business investments, mergers and other financial matters will lead to an increased need for accountants and auditors.
6.Changes in financial laws to curb corporate accounting fraud will create more jobs in the accounting sector. With the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 (also known as ‘Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act’ in the Senate and ‘Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act’ in the House), a new layer of accounting oversight was created to thwart the tide of corporate financial misfeasance. Prior to passage, there were a multitude of corporate and accounting scandals (e.g., Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine Systems and WorldCom) which cost investors billions of dollars. When the share prices of these corporations collapsed, the confidence of the public was shaken and the US securities markets trembled. The act established new or enhanced standards for all US public company boards, management, and for public accounting firms.
By creating a new public agency, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (or PCAOB), the act created a number of jobs in the accounting sector for overseers, regulators, inspectors, and those who would discipline accounting firms who were auditing public firms. In addition, another government agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) implemented the adoption of dozens of new rules to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. It is estimated that the growth in the accounting sector will be seen in new jobs being created in:
1.Public Company Accounting Oversight Board will expand to hire more accountants and CPAs to provide independent oversight of public accounting firms which audit their corporate clients. The central oversight board will register auditors as well as setting up the procedural framework for compliance audits, inspections and policing conduct, quality control, and enforcing compliance with specific elements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX Act).
2.Because the SOX Act prohibits auditing companies from providing services such as consulting and management advice to their clients, it is expected that there will be job growth in accounting companies which provide consulting and other non-auditing advice to their clients.
3.Since Sarbanes-Oxley requires that senior executives of a company (such as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer) take individual responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of the corporate financial reports, it is likely that those who are rise to C-level will have to have more familiarity with accounting than a manager’s passing glance. This opens a career path for CPAs into the CEO chair as well as the CFO chair. (Since the CEO is asked to sign the company’s tax return, this is all the more reason for the person to be a CPA as well as a manager.)
7.Since 2002, funding for the SEC has nearly doubled. The SEC hires accountants who can censure or bar from practice stock brokers, advisors, or dealers. In addition, SEC hires CPAs and accountants in Washington, D.C., *Division of Corporation Finance, *Division of Enforcement, and the *Office of the Chief Accountant. For SEC jobs examining financial statements in public filings, resolving controversial accounting issues, and in rule writing, there are openings in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and San Francisco in the offices of: *Division of Trading and Markets, *Division of Investment Management and the *Office of Compliance, Inspections and Examinations.
The SEC prefers to hire experienced CPAs with three to eight years of public accounting experience in the securities industry. Desirable previous experience would include audit work involving SEC financial reporting, complex internal audit work involving multi-national corporations, or mergers and acquisitions related work. Typically, these accountants enter at the mid- and senior staff accountant positions–in the SK-13 through 17 levels. The grade at which the person starts their SEC career is based on a combination of the amount of relevant work experience and of graduate education in accounting, finance, or related fields.
In looking at the entire market, the best job prospects will be for CPAs while the prospects for accountants and auditors who have a college degree or any certification are good.
Wages for Accountants and Auditors May 2008 BLS Statistics: Median Income: $59,430 Top 10%: $102,380+ “According to a salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor’s degree candidates in accounting received starting offers averaging $48,993 a year in July 2009; master’s degree candidates in accounting were offered $49,786 initially.
Accounting Employment Rate of Change In the decade from 2008 to 2018, employment opportunities for accountants and auditors are expected to grow by 22% (or 279,400 new jobs), which is faster than the average for all occupations. As previously mentioned, job growth will be driven by a projected increase in the number of businesses/expansion of the economy, changing financial laws, and corporate governance regulations, and increased accountability for protecting an organization’s stakeholders.
Opportunities for CPAs should increase markedly because their oversight is needed to focus increased scrutiny on corporate finances and accounting procedures. Those CPAs who are management accountants and internal auditors will be needed to uncover and eliminate fraud before audits and to make sure that critical processes and procedures are documented completely and accurately. The need for CPAs who are government accountants will increase because of an effort to make government agencies more efficient and accountable.
Job opportunities for CPAs will increase rapidly while opportunities for accountants and auditors will increase but at a slower rate than for CPAs. The need for accounting clerks will increase as consumers opt for storefront tax preparers such as Liberty and H & R Block, rather than hiring a CPA firm. The shift to tax preparation software will take some business away from CPAs who handled the uncomplicated returns of individuals. This will make a very minor adjustment in employment opportunities while increasing opportunities for clerks.
Job Prospects Across the public and private sectors, job opportunities for CPAs will be excellent while those who are accountants and auditors will be favorable. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Enrollment in CPA preparation courses is now growing as more students are attracted to the profession because of its job growth, increased compensation, stability-and in answer to corporate accounting scandals.
In the wake of the Enron and Tyco accounting scandals, the public views professional certification as even more necessary because it ensures that the accountant’s ethics are sound and his/her knowledge and credentials are up-to-date.
Regardless of specialty, accountants and auditors who have earned professional recognition through certification or licensure should have the best job prospects. Applicants with a master’s degree in accounting or a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting also will have an advantage.
Individuals who are proficient in accounting and auditing computer software or have expertise in specialized areas-such as international business, specific industries, or current legislation-may have an advantage in getting some accounting and auditing jobs. In addition, employers increasingly seek applicants with strong interpersonal and communication skills. Many accountants work on teams with others who have different backgrounds, so they must be able to communicate accounting and financial information clearly and concisely. Regardless of qualifications, however, competition will remain keen for the most prestigious jobs in major accounting and business firms.
In addition to openings from job growth, the need to replace accountants and auditors who retire or transfer to other occupations will produce numerous job openings in this large occupation. —US Bureau of Labor Statistics For accountants, the career path upwards requires that of becoming a CPA, a Certified Public Accountant. Progressing from being an accountant to becoming a CPA offers greater opportunities for promotion to management and higher salaries.
In California, the requirements to sit for the CPA Exam are: *A bachelor’s degree; *24 semester units in accounting-related subjects; *24 semester units in business-related subjects; *150 semester units (or 225 quarter units) of education; *Passing the Uniform CPA Exam; *One year of general accounting experience supervised by a CPA with an active license; and *Passing an ethics course.– Logging 500 hours of attest or auditing experience will allow you to obtain the authority to sign attest reports. In many firms having a CPA license is the only way one is promoted into upper management. Becoming a CPA increases your opportunity for promotions and a higher salary.
How To Employ Foreign Nationals In Your Singapore Company
Every year about few thousand foreign owned companies get registered in Singapore. At the same time, the number of foreign professionals working in the country has gone up considerably and now over one-third of the entire working population in Singapore comprises of overseas professionals. Although this year saw a number of amendments introduced on the employment pass scheme to ensure only the best minds were able to live and work in Singapore, overall it is fairly simple for a company to employ foreign nationals in the country.
Firstly companies that need to employ foreigners for whatever reason must ensure they apply for an employment pass for each of the foreign professional they want to employ. The employment pass is actually the main type of work visa meant for foreigners that want to work in Singapore. Obtaining an employment pass takes about a month and authorities would check the background of both the professional who is being employed as well as the company that is employing the foreigner. With the recent changed introduced in the eligibility criteria for an employment pass, authorities in Singapore would look at the relevant work experience of the foreign professional, their educational qualifications as well as their existing and offered salaries in Singapore. The third criterion, that of salary is an important addition to the eligibility for employment pass as Singapore wants to ensure highly skilled professionals who already have a good professional background are able to enter the country.
Foreign companies that are about to incorporate in Singapore and need to bring in staff from their head office can apply for the employment pass immediately after receiving the certificate of incorporation. Again it must be noted that an application has to be submitted for each of the overseas staff members they wish to relocate. Ministry of Manpower (MoM) in Singapore processes employment pass applications and they would ensure that the employment offered is legitimate and whether all rules and regulations are being followed.
If a company in Singapore wants to employ a foreigner who is already working in the country for another company, they must endorse a new application for the foreign professional as each employment pass is connected to one employer. Moment the foreigner stops working for the company that originally employed them, their employment pass expires immediately. Hence for change of companies, foreigners need to apply for the employment pass again endorsed by the new company employing them.
Non-bank Lenders Offer $10k Special To Bad Credit Borrowers
Folks with less than sterling credit, and many with good credit, are finding it hard to get an unsecured loan, especially from traditional lenders such as brick and mortar banks and credit unions. Those with poor credit will find that getting approval for a personal loan from a non-bank lender is far greater than getting one from a traditional lender
Also, traditional lenders are operating under a self-imposed credit crunch and have tightened their underwriting criteria, reduced loan amounts, and limited new lending. Most will not even consider a loan application that does not show a sterling credit history. But, that is why non-bank lenders exist and they can offer a wide array of lending programs with no credit check and for amounts up to $10,000. These loans require no collateral and qualifications are relatively easy to meet.
Employment Tenure and Salary
Most any lender, whether traditional or non-bank, needs to establish some minimal guidelines to increase the possibility of repayment. Usually that begins with having a steady job with an income that shows a good debt-to-income ratio. Lenders like to see at least 90 days on the job with the same company. Some may require six months. Anyway, the longer you have been employed at one place, the better. Lenders consider steady employment to be a sign of stability.
Direct Deposit Bank Account
To be seriously considered for a personal loan from a non-bank lender you should have a valid direct-deposit bank account. A checking account would furnish you with the minimum requirement. However, if you also had a savings or money market account, your credibility would be greatly increased in the eyes of the lender. Usually a lender likes to see three months worth of bank statements to approve your loan. Hopefully it will be pretty clear of serious red marks such as NSF checks, excessive overdrafts, and similar bad marks.
Who Are You and Where Do You Live?
Many non-bank lenders operate online. You may never even see each other in the process of application. Many of them can check your credentials using online resources. But if they cannot, they will ask you to fax or send a scan of a bona fide picture ID. They may also require a utility bill as proof of residence. Some lenders may require other documents. Usually, the greater the amount you have requested, the more documentation you may be asked to supply.
Shopping for the Best Lender
Your credit score, your income, your residency all play a role in the approval process and will influence your approval. Understand that some lenders will approve your application while another may reject it. Do not be discouraged. Sometimes a lender just might be in a bad mood. They all have different policies and different approval thresholds.
Anyhow, make multiple applications and you will get multiple approvals, thus allowing you to choose the best rates and terms. The internet has made it extremely facile to apply and get approved for a loan without spending too much time or energy. Approval is quick and you can usually have money in your account within 24 hours.
[Top]Let An Employment Attorney Help Your Business Maintain Legitimate Practices
When you are working to expand your small business, it is important to remember that you must always grant employees the rights they are supposed to be afforded under the guise of state and federal laws. In some cases, employers may not even know that they are violating laws or infringing on a person’s rights. Sometimes, they are just trying to be nice or make things easier for both the company and the employee. These mistakes or lapses in judgment can be quite costly.
If you are making a lot of changes or bringing a new group of people onto the team, it is a good idea to consult with an employment attorney. One of these legal professionals can review your new policies and ensure you are doing everything in exactly the right way. The following are a few policies that you should ensure are in place that your attorney will be able to explain to you.
State laws require that employees give their workers 30-minute lunch breaks and other short breaks during the day, depending upon how long a person works at any given time. You cannot deny your workers these breaks or encourage them to skip them. If you do, you could get sued over the matter. It is up to managers and human resource officers to make sure that all of your employees understand the break system. This ensures that everyone knows how to use their time appropriately.
It is also important to know when you should be providing overtime pay and to whom. It is unlawful to let workers put in a certain amount of hours per day or per week without giving them overtime pay. Consult with your company’s employment attorney if you are unsure of what the law states and how it pertains to your operation. If you continue to let someone work without adequate pay, you might eventually have to provide back-pay and deal with certain penalties.
The aforementioned policies are just a couple of the ones you should review with an employment attorney. Others that are important involve termination, confidentiality agreements, vacation time, and harassment. If an employee can show that you or one of your other employees has treated them unfairly with regards to one of these policies, you could have a lot of legal woes to deal with in the very near future. It’s better to get sound advice from your employment attorney before a problem ever arises, rather than trying to work through court proceedings.
For information on how to get help from an employment attorney, Portland, Oregon businesses can consult with a legal representative from Bullard Law. For more information, visit: http://bullardlaw.com.
[Top]Occupational Therapy Travel Employment
Register with an Expert Healthcare Staffing Firm
Division of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2008-09 documented that in 2006, OT’s held about 99-thousand jobs in this region. They worked at hospitals, in offices of other well being practitioners like chiropractors, in universities and nursing facilities. Work opportunities for occupational therapists are predicted to grow a great deal faster than the regular for all occupations by way of the 12 months 2016.16.
The title of Occupational Treatment presents you 3 roads to get. You can be an occupational therapist, an assistant or an aide. Contains about every of these titles comes with a distinctive training and licensing necessity, along with various responsibilities and salaries.
To come to be an Occupational Therapist in the United Says, you will require a Master’s Diploma and a license to apply. For the license, you will have to display that you have graduated from an accredited system and you will have to pass a national certification examination. Wage ranges from a small of 59K to the median of 65K and a superior of 72K.
Assistants of a therapist comply with the treatment method blueprints formulated by occupational therapists and would make positive purchasers are performing people activities satisfactorily. Occupational therapist assistants also preserve a log of patients’ progress for occupational therapists. To turn out to be an occupational therapist assistant, you will need to have an associate diploma or a certificate from an accredited neighborhood university or technical college. You’ll also have to do some medical fieldwork and most states demand that you pass a nationwide certification examination. Salaries for assistants collection from a reduced of 38K, to an typical 42K, to a significant of 46K.
Occupational therapist aides are accountable for getting ready the tools and elements that an occupational therapist will be using while in remedy. They are generally asked to cope with clerical responsibilities, as perfectly. An occupational therapist aide will normally be authorized to do on-the-occupation training immediately after finishing large college or receiving their GED. Aides are compensated possibly hourly, around $eight.20 per hour up to $21.22 for each hour. And each year they can earn from 17k to 44k for the 12 months.
Mainly because lots of jobs are in hospitals and nursing residences, it is just about assured that they will give a great advantages bundle along with the salary. To acquire journey occupational therapy careers a person should at minimum have a bachelor’s degree in from an accredited institute. People today seeking a occupation in travel occupational therapy should have sturdy interpersonal expertise, empathy, integrity, and fantastic communication abilities. A substantial sum of persistence is also necessary for doing this task.
Occupational remedy traveling employment are worthwhile profession options for pros who delight in exploring new destinations. A person can investigation for chances on the internet. There are many recruitment companies that give journey jobs in a selection of healthcare configurations such as hospitals, assisted living amenities, rehabilitation centers, acute treatment amenities, extended expression care centers, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, household wellness companies, instructional institutions and personal practices. The income may well differ dependent on their specializations, experience, and preferred site.
Occupational therapists on journey assignment commonly receive quite a few advantages these as:
*Competitive wages
*Compensated homes
*Travel allowances
*Medical, dental insurance coverage
*Assistance in licensing and immigration processing
*Continuing schooling
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