Job Duties The Top Draw To Accounting Profession

Despite Misconceptions About It, Most Accountants Would Still Choose Same Career

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Nov 03, 2015, 08:11 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- If you were given the opportunity to go back in time and change your career, would you? According to a recent Accountemps survey, nearly seven in 10 accounting and finance workers would choose to stay put. Accountants feel this way despite the many misconceptions about the profession – the most objectionable being that they're bean counters, they only do taxes and the job is boring, according to those polled.

If you were given the opportunity to go back in time and change your career, would you? According to a recent Accountemps survey, nearly seven in 10 accounting and finance workers would choose to stay put.

The top reasons survey respondents originally chose to pursue an accounting career is the nature of the work and job duties (45 percent), the positive employment outlook (21 percent) and the variety of career paths within the field (20 percent). The survey findings come in advance of International Accounting Day (November 10), when many organizations honor the accounting profession.

View a slideshow of the survey findings and surprising facts about the accounting profession.

"It's an exciting time to be an accountant," said Bill Driscoll, a district president of Accountemps. "No company can survive without an adept accounting team. Accounting professionals today have more influence on business decisions. Their expertise is frequently sought to analyze financial data, identify ways to reduce costs and grow revenue, and make recommendations that impact the entire organization."

According to the 2016 Robert Half Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance, starting salaries in the accounting profession are expected to increase 4.7 percent in the year ahead. "Accounting salary increases reflect the rising demand for accountants and their growing influence within organizations," added Driscoll.

About the Research
The online survey was developed and conducted by Accountemps. It includes responses from more than 2,600 accounting and finance professionals in the United States.

About Accountemps
Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 340 offices worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

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SOURCE Accountemps