Accounting is a very diverse field, but unfortunately, it has been tied to being a tax-oriented field in past decades. Many other things have been attached to the reputation of accountants and accounting jobs.
There are a lot of myths about accountants that are not true at all. Pursuing and holding an accounting degree is probably the best thing if you love accounting.
You can explore a lot when you actually step into the field. Every day brings new learning opportunities, risks, and industry exposure.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the accounting assumptions are louder than reality. However, we are here to break the myths and tell you what it’s like to be an accountant or accounting-related job holder.
If you’re an accounting enthusiast who wants to pursue his/her career in the field but is hesitant due to the noise, you’re at the right place. We will talk about if accounting is a fun or a boring job.
Besides, we will break the myths about accounting and help you understand the importance and implications of being an accounting professional.
So let’s get into it.
What Is Accounting All About?
If a short answer to the question is meant to be given, accounting is not a boring job. When we talk about the myths in detail, you will understand why accounting is not boring.
Accounting is a fun job for everyone who loves accounting and enjoys being in this profession. If you have been pushed into the accounting field without your interest and personal choice, it can easily become boring.
Being neutral, we can easily say that accounting, like any other job, has some boring aspects and many fun and enjoyable sides.
It can become boring when the process of learning stops, new risks and opportunities are not there, and you’re not motivated enough to try out new ways of doing the same things.
Myths About Accounting That Make It Sound Boring
Let’s break the myths about accounting that make it sound horrifying and boring.
Accountants Are Math Whizzes
The most common myth, and a very wrong one about accountants, are that they all are math whizzes. When you tell someone that you’re an accountant, they first assume that you’re a numbers wizard who absolutely loves math.
However, the truth is that accountants do most of their work with Microsoft Excel, accounting software, and accounting information systems.
Understanding mathematics and numerical literacy is undoubtedly an important part of an accountant’s life, but it’s not everything.
Artificial intelligence and data analytics have taken over the redundant tasks of accounting, eliminating the boring element of doing the same things repeatedly.
Accountants = Free Tax Advice
Another myth about accountants is that you can get free tax advice whenever you meet one. No, accountants do not love to give free tax advice. Tax advice is generally the domain of tax accountants only.
Accountants spend a lot of time navigating tax arrangements and internal tax reporting. But they do this because they’re getting paid.
You should probably go to a tax accountant who practices independently to guide you about the U.S. tax code and its implications if you want tax advice. Let’s not make the accounting job harder for the accountants out there. :D
Accounting Work Is Not Flexible
Neither the work setting nor the job description of the accountants is flexible!
It’s the biggest myth about accounting that it’s not flexible work. Logic, standards, and rules are indeed critical of the accounting systems, but it doesn’t mean that accounting work is rigid.
The accounting job is flexible and creative, like any other one. Once you’re in, you will know that creativity also works in accounting. Therefore, the common belief that accounting is a ‘paint by numbers thing is completely wrong.
Accountants Only Work On Taxes
Accounting skills and jobs are not narrowed down to taxes only. Prospective accounting students and people sitting outside often see accounting as highly focused on taxes. But the reality is that it’s just a small part of being a Certified Public Accountant.
If we narrow down the accounting careers and options, you will be surprised to know that there are diverse careers and jobs in accounting.
The field you get to work in depends on your expertise and the accounting you have studied as a major. For instance, a managerial accounting specialist has a different job description than someone dealing with mergers and acquisitions. To cut it short, accountants do not work on taxes only.
Accountants Are Introvert, Unfriendly Human Beings
Whenever choosing a career path is discussed, accounting is labeled as a field for introverts. Over time, the redundancy of the same things and tasks can dry and dull a person. But it doesn’t mean that all accountants are introverts, unfriendly, and dull human beings.
Unlike the popular belief that accountants do not have a personality or are anti-social, accountants have different colorful personalities. At the end of the day, personalities are not to be judged by profession but at a personal level. It just depends on who you’re meeting.
Reasons To Love Your Job As An Accountant
Now over to reasons why to love your job as an accountant. You would have heard so many things about accounting jobs. Therefore, this part is necessary to highlight the fun side of the accounting job.
Every Day Is An Opportunity To Learn New Things
As we mentioned earlier, redundancy can make things boring, and accounting jobs can be redundant for some. However, in general, accounting is not a synonymous term with redundancy. Instead, it brings new learning opportunities every new day.
Whether you’re working as an auditor or a bookkeeper, you can have a satisfying experience in exploring new aspects of the same thing, doing the same things differently for diverse organizations, and applying new tactics and strategies in daily operations.
You Develop Expertise In Excel and Accounting Information Systems
Accounting information systems consolidate the financial information for the accountants to use. Unlike popular belief, accountants do not always have a calculator, pen, and paper to play with numbers.
Most of the work in accounting is done on Excel and other accounting software. Therefore, an accounting job can be fun as you can develop soft skills and expertise in different businesses’ commonly used accounting software.
You Can Create Multiple Income Streams
A perk of being an accountant is that you have a huge potential to create multiple income streams for yourself. Along with working as a company’s full-time employee, you can work part-time as a freelancer, take on individual projects, and earn handsome earnings.
You can find different projects, from preparing financial statements to tax returns and financial consultancy. Even you can set up your independent practice as a CPA.
You’re Impacting Society By Helping Businesses Grow
Another fun and positive part of being an accountant is that you’re directly helping businesses grow and flourish. Whether doing financial consultancy or investment planning, you are guiding the businesses to become more profitable and different ways to grow the business and profits.
Simply put, you’re positively impacting businesses by playing your part in the financial decision-making of businesses. As an accountant, it can be very fun and enjoyable to see businesses grow for a better economy and society.
Industry Exposure and Interactions
Irrespective of industry, scale, and business type, accounting is necessary. Therefore, accountants have a very large playing field.
The biggest fun aspect of being an accountant is exploring different industries, business structures, and market exposure.
An accountant can work in the real estate industry, FMCG, the public sector, or any other business as large as an automobile company or as small as a team of IT experts. Every experience adds to the knowledge and exposure you already have gained.
Final Words
To conclude, we will say that accounting is not at all a job for introverts and bored people. It is a very fun job with many learning opportunities for people who want to grow and try out new things.
Suppose you have an imaginative approach with logical thinking and an affinity for mathematics and business. In that case, the accounting will bring many new opportunities for you to try and conquer.
Finally, a job can be fun or boring depending on the interest level of every individual in a specific field.
