No different than any other profession, the accounting industry is plagued with many misconceptions. People tend to assume things about the type of people accountants are and what the job entails. Many of these assumptions are untrue, and we will be debunking them below.
Firstly, you do not need to be a math genius to have a career in accounting. There is basic math involved in the job, but a lot of the calculation is done by automated computing. The most important knowledge to have as an accounting professional is a thorough understanding of financial law and regulations. Next, many people assume that accountants are dull and boring as people. Accountants have personal and social lives just like people in any other profession. There is no concrete evidence to support the theory that all accountants are introverted and mundane.
Some may think that all accountants do all day is sit at their desk and crunch numbers. As previously mentioned, many of the bookkeeping and calculations are taken care of with modern technology, so accountants have more time to attend to other matters. Their days can include meetings, projects, and reports similar to other professions. Hand in hand with this is the myth that accounting as a job is boring. With laws about financial and taxation matters constantly changing, accountants need to be alert and ready to adapt at all times. Accounting can also have its moments of glamour, as celebrities often hire accountants, and global companies allow accountants to travel the world.
One of the most common misconceptions about accounting is that it is a man’s career. This is a complete myth. Of course, the profession is still working to close the gender gap, but there is absolutely room for women to thrive in the field. The Accounting Age Financial Power List has recently featured powerful women such as Sarah Churchman and Sascha Romanovitch, and more will be featured year after year. Lastly, some people stray away from choosing Accounting as a career because they believe robots will soon dominate the job. Certain functions of accounting are becoming more automated, but that only means that human accountants’ jobs are changing, not disappearing. Accounting is still an ideal job for graduates and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.