Accounting: A recession proof career

No matter how bad the economy gets we’ll still need somebody to crunch the numbers, which is why accounting is as good a career path as any right about now.

Accounting might not sound like the most exciting career route on paper but then again there is only a lucky minority of people who work in the entertainment business, in professional sport or who get to fight off would-be alien invaders while flying ultra-cool, ultra-fast, and ultra-powerful state of the art jets in outer space (we may have made that last job up).

For the rest of us, it is more attainable and realistic ambitions that matter, ambitions like employability, mobility and flexibility, all of which apply to the accounting industry at the moment.

Although the accountancy sector has proven to be reasonably recession-resilient, career paths in the finance function are changing”, said Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Ireland.

“Research conducted on behalf of the ACCA shows that over half of the younger generation in the finance workforce are seeking wider business careers while some continue to pursue classic finance careers.

“For individuals, broad-based finance qualifications such as ACCA help keep career doors open to pursue a wide range of finance and business careers, as well as providing insights into future career options.”

As Hughes explained, “The recently launched ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business was created in direct response to employers’ needs and allow the individual to develop skills that are best suited to business. Students can then transfer to the ACCA qualification and secure an advanced diploma, a BSc in Applied Accounting and ultimately their complete ACCA professional qualification.”

If Liz’s words have struck a chord and accountancy sounds like the type of career you’d like to pursue, then doing so couldn’t be easier. Simply follow the five steps as outlined here and for more information about the ACCA and what they’re all about, check out their website here.

ACCA: A Qualification that Opens Doors