An accountant generally works in one of four major fields. One of these is a public accountant. People that work as public accountants work with several different clients on their accounting needs. You might work with these clients on your own as a consultant. Alternatively, you can work with a firm that provides accountancy services to the public. As a public accountant you will focus primarily on tax functions and auditing. Should you excel in this position, you can advance to higher positions within a firm or open your own firm.
Another career prospect that you have in accountancy is a private accountant. These kinds of accountants work with a corporation as a cost accountant or junior internal auditor. When you work as a private accountant for a corporation you can advance through the corporation depending on the corporate structure in the accountancy department.

A government accountant is another career prospect that you may have with a career in accountancy. With this position, you work in a variety of government branches like the Internal Revenue Service or Department of Defense.

The fourth prospect for a career in accountancy is an internal auditor. In this position, you will be conducting audits to ensure compliance with accounting laws and working to make sure that accounting information systems are up to standard. The difference between an internal auditor and the other accounting professions is that you do not have to have a Certified Public Accountant designation.

The Pros and Cons of Accounting Professions

There are pros and cons to each of the accounting professions available. Of all the professions available, public accountants have the most potential for earnings. In most cases, employers only hire experienced accountants as private accountants. Government positions might be difficult to obtain. If you do not wish to take the extra courses necessary to take the CPA exam, you can become an internal auditor.

While going through the college courses necessary to obtain an accounting degree, you will learn more about the professions. As you are exposed to this information, it will help you make a better decision about the accounting profession that you would like to make your career.