What's it like to be an accountant?

The accounting field is full of job opportunities in various areas and industries, such as corporations, government and nonprofits. You could do clerical work, reconciliations, filling, assembling documents, supervision and management of an accounting department. Accounting jobs are usually done in office environments where people work regular working hours and overtime can be expected at certain times. Education is valued in the accounting world along with certifications, such as the "Certified Public Accountant," CPA license, and the "Certified Management Accountant," CMA certification.

Accounting Clerks

Accounting clerks are usually entry-level jobs. You can be a clerk in accounts payable or receivable, or you could enter journal entries in the general ledger. You may be required to do some filing and to organize documents. An accounting clerk is detailed oriented and organized with a high school diploma or an associate in arts degree. With the advent of computerized accounting, the more knowledge you have about computers, the more successful you will be. Many students work part time as accounting clerks until they finish their bachelor's degrees.

Be proficient in spreadsheet programs such as Excel. Learn QuickBooks and be familiar with entering data into that program, which is very popular with small to midsize businesses. The average accounting clerk salary is $32,000, as of May 2010.

Staff Accountants

Staff accountant jobs can be entry level for many accounting graduates with bachelor's degrees and even with master's degrees, although some of them can start as senior accountants. Staff accountants perform daily activities such as reconciliations and preparation of journal entries. Staff accountants must have a good background in accounting, usually through formal education and be proficient in Excel and be very comfortable navigating around accounting software. They must be familiar with concepts such as accruals, deferrals and closing periods. The salary for staff accountants as of May 2010 is $55,000.

Controller

Controller is the "boss" of the accounting department. Controllers usually have a bachelor's degree in accounting or master's degree and many are certified as CPAs or CMAs. They oversee all aspects of accounting, such as accounts payable, receivable, inventory, payroll, cash management and reporting. They hire, train and supervise accounting managers or staff accountants. They are supposed to be experts, make presentations to executives and be very proficient and confident in all accounting matters. Average salary for a controller as of May 2010 is $79,000.

Read more: Jobs in the Accounting Field | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6601900_jobs-accounting-f...

A pointless question really Neely. People doing it who like it will say great. People doing it who don't like it will say crap. The opinion of people not doing it and who never have is not worth much really is it.

I have never worked in accountancy though i am very good with figures and worked with figures as part and parcel of my jobs, but for me personally i would find an accountants work hugely boring.