Saturday, September 29, 2007

Becoming a CPA

Becoming a CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, is not easy. In addition to testing that an accountant must undergo in order to become a CPA, you can expect a lot of education and training to get there. The first attribute a CPA needs is a desire to go into accounting. Besides desire you must also have an aptitude for math and numbers, as well as organization. Someone desiring to become a CPA must also possess a good sense of moral values and business ethics.
Once you have decided that you want to pursue an accounting career, you must decide if becoming a CPA is the right type of accountant. To make this decision you need to know what a CPA actually does. Whether employed individually or within a public accounting firm a CPA specializes in tax or audit services. The CPA provides services on a fee basis for the public in general rather than a specific corporation or company Working with a diversity of customers and situations provides a wide variety to your CPA career.

Although starting salary figures may not seem fantastic they are very competitive. A CPA can easily start out making enough money to be considered middle-class income level, which is not a bad place to start in today's society.

Once you have decided that you want to become a CPA, you must attend a college or university to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Requirements set by a Board of Accountancy or similar department or agency will tell you how many credit hours of your education must be in accounting related courses in order to become a CPA.

Once you have completed your degree, the Board of Accountancy will want you to undergo testing to see if you can become a certified CPA. They test your knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, accounting laws, and accounting regulations for your state but may also include ethics examination as well as tax law and principles.

Because CPAs have a lot of opportunity to commit fraud and embezzlement crime, some Boards of Accountancy may require you to provide them with references from people that can attest to your work ethic and moral character. Since these aspects of a CPA are very important, only people who have demonstrated good moral character and a sense of ethics are allowed to receive a CPA license.

After all requirements are met, your state will issue you a license to practice as a CPA. This license allows you to go to any firm and apply for a position or, if you prefer, you could start your own small firm and practice as alone. For more information about becoming a CPA, you should contact your Board of Accountancy or local college or university today.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Why take online training

You can learn anything by playing around with it on your own for a couple of days or maybe even years but, seeking online training can be more efficient With any subject you can do so many things that your knowledge and skills can be channeled into a career. But you will probably never be able to reach your full potential, unless you take advantage of training

If you become serious about using anything as a tool for advancing any aspect of your life, then you will go on learning how to do new things as long as want. But the great thing about training is that it can get you started in a short time. One of the first things that any training can teach you is how to do many things quickly.

Most of us have had our share of users' manuals and how-to books that pack much more information than we need in the beginning, and often their sheer volume is discouraging. It takes the enjoyment and spontaneity out of the learning process quickly.

Being a cross between tradition classroom and self study, online tutorials and training courses are a much more effective medium for learning the techniques and skills you need in order to get the most out of anything you choose. The wonderful thing about online training is that with many courses show you how to do everything step by step, click by click. It's much easier to follow and grasp than it is to follow instruction manuals that are often boring. Even training based on message boards and question and answer threads is a huge improvement over traditional text books and manuals alone.

Text books and manuals are most effective when used as reference books. If you run into a specific problem, the manual can help troubleshoot and fix the problem in a hurry, simply because it covers so much in one place. But when it comes to a task like getting started, it is faster and easier to stay motivated by breaking down the learning process into manageable segments. This is what good online training does best. It takes you one step at a time, focusing on one skill until you've got it down before moving onto the next skill.

It has never been easier to learn. It is easy to become discouraged when you don’t know how to do things. If online training had been available before, I'm sure I would be a much more advanced today. Sign up for a training course today and discover how it can help you achieve your full potential.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Dollars and Cents of a Four-Year Degree

The longer you stay in school the better off you are when it comes to earning potential over the course of your lifetime. Recent estimates have found when it comes to the importance of an education there are some rather astonishing figures to support the claim of higher earning.

A high school diploma will net the average individual an additional $200,000 income over a lifetime. Some college without a degree will increase that figure an additional $150,000 totaling $350,000. A four-year degree increases this figure another $500,000 to total $850,000 in earning potential over the course of a lifetime. These figures can be found to be a nice motivator for going back and finishing a degree.

Businesses need a defining factor by which to narrow down the field of potential employees. That factor is often a college degree. Since ability and capabilities are among the things you just can't see on a piece of paper, education is used. Even though a person's education may not be a true measurement of his or her actual ability, it is often used in the business world to narrow down the growing field of applicants.

This may not seem fair to the many people who have the practical skills needed. However, companies are now seeking employees that can fill multiple roles. They are looking to consolidate positions that were occupied by several people in the past. Unfortunately, the only way to show whether or not you have these specific skills is if you list them on your resume. Those individuals who have a four-year degree are believed to have the necessary skills by the merit of their educations. A college education provides a brief introduction to many skills that employers are seeking.

Even if the earning potential alone is not enough incentive when it comes to the importance of earning a college degree, perhaps the reasons below will provide a little additional motivation.

1) Reaching for a degree gives challenge. Not much in life offers the same level of challenge of as returning to college. It can be frightening and exciting at the same time. Returning to school can open your eyes to new ideas. Learning challenges your preconceptions and tests the limits of your own experiences. Continuing education can open your mind to the thoughts and ideas of others.

2)A degree forces you to learn new skills. There is never a bad time to begin learning new skills. There is no age restriction on expanding your intellect. The truth is that as long as you open your mind to learning you are feeding your intellect and gaining new skills.

3) A degree can provide career advancement. Whether you realize it or not, a college degree is one of the quickest paths you can take to career advancement. It shows everyone around you your desire to improve.

Hopefully you can see how much a degree can affect you. It can improve so many things about your life. A degree improves how you view yourself and how you see the world around you. Make now the time to go back to school and earn your degree.