Where Should You Work?

The great thing about accounting is that you can work almost anywhere. Hospitals, the government, small businesses, corporations, and accounting firms are just some of the places where accountants work. Even if you're still a freshman or sophomore, you should start considering the type of place you want to work. A few factors to consider when thinking about where to work:

Career Goals
In some states, CPA candidates must work in a public accounting firm in order to meet the experience requirements. Most accounting graduates want to get a CPA license, so working at a public firm is an obvious choice. If you plan to work in public accounting, you will still need to decide what kind of firm you want to work at. A larger firm may offer a greater range of experiences and more resources that will help you pass the CPA exam. However, at a smaller firm you may take on more responsibilities due to a smaller staff. In order to decide the size of the firm that's best for you, also consider your personality and values.

Personality
If you're an independent person, working at a small company might be best. Large companies often have many levels that allow for a lot of training and assistance to new employees. At a small company, you'll probably have to learn more on your own. Smaller companies are also less likely to have big social events, so they might be the best choice for introverts.

Values
Security, work/life balance, and relationships are a few key values to consider when choosing a workplace. If you value a work/life balance might want to avoid public accounting because the hours can be long, particularly during tax season. Consider working for the government if you value security. In a small company, you're more likely to get to know your coworkers and establish closer relationships.

Interests
Accountants have the opportunity to choose from many different specialties. Forensic accounting, governmental accounting, not-for-profit accounting, and management accounting are some of the choices available to accountants. If you're interested in a specific cause, you can choose to work at a related not-for-profit. An accounting professional has many opportunities to get involved with an organization that interests him or her.


It's a good idea to focus on obtaining your CPA license as soon as possible once you're out of college, because a CPA license is useful even if you don't plan on working in public accounting your entire career. After you've completed your experience requirement, you might decide to move to a work environment that better suits your personality and values.