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I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2001 with a History degree. i did some museum jobs after graduation. i would like to have a career in accounting. I am planning to go to a local community college to get a certificate in accounting. Will this help me find an good accounting job? I know my BA in History is worthless for the accounting job but will it play a factor on getting an accounting job?
Tyson R
June 27th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Wow John, you and me have a lot in common. I graduated with a B.A. in History in ’02… and where am I working now?…
In accounting!
Yes, it is an entry-level position that doesn’t pay extremely well, but I can definitely do the work after only taking one accounting course at community college. The accounting knowledge is easy enough to come by, it’s the procedures and mindset that you need to wrap your head around.
The actual numbers part of accounting is incredibly transferable from the fact that we History majors have a nack for numbers — Declaration of Independence minus Columbus discovers America is 284.
And what I mean by wrapping your head around the procedures is that accounting is all about routine. Once you understand why a certain thing is done, you know to do it over and over again.
My recommendation: Go to school and get the courses you need to become a CPA, you are smart enough, and you would be frustrated at lower jobs you get without certification. And if you can, in whatever job you get, try to leverage the writing skills you developed as a History student, that will more than likely pay huge dividends. I used my skills to develop a website http://www.learn-basic-accounting.com/ devoted to teaching others the few things I know about accounting.
I wish you the best in your endeavors.
Keypad Door Locks
June 28th, 2009 at 3:48 am
Well I have hired a ‘non-accountant’ (by formal education) before and to tell you the truth some have slowly evolve, while some become a useless workforce. The thing is, you do need the knowledge to advance in the field of your work. Although it’s not rocket science, accounting is a science that requires you to at least understand the basic concept.
Like I said earlier, some do turns up good. Partly because of their own good attitude, partly because they keep on studying.
Bravo 88
June 28th, 2009 at 4:33 am
I would advise you to take some higher level accounting courses than those offered at the community college. You can take the CPA exam with 24 semester hours of accounting courses, and I’d suggest you head toward taking enough courses to be eligible to sit for the exam.