Need some insight into my degree of choice.

[possom813]

I'm currently in school to get an Associates of Applied Science in Accounting(A.A.S. Accounting).

I've been wondering lately though, what types of jobs are out there for someone with this degree?

I have an uncanny sense for numbers and how they work, the main reason that I chose this degree.

What can I do with it? I've glanced around some of the career websites and seen that the majority of the jobs offered in accounting want a Bachelor's Degree as part of their qualification set.

Any insight, I'm still early enough in that I can change degree plans if I have to, I just don't want to get stuck with a useless degree, doing manual labor, and I don't have the capability of pursuing a Bachelor's in the foreseeable future.

[Wayne Smith]

First, Possom, realize that "what the majority of jobs offered want" and what they will take often are completely different. Don't be afraid of asking for a job that is above your "qualifications" if you can do it. Don't be afraid to start below and work up, either. You won't find training much more useful than accounting and math, but an AA degree in almost anything only prepares you for more training. Look for a job in big industry or city/state work that offers an education benefit. They are common. This provides you the capability to pursue that elusive Bachelor's degree.

[btroj]

A BA in Accounting would be much better for finding a job.

I am going to say this and I hope it doesn't come across as snarky, not intended that way. Did you investigate the job possibilities before deciding on this degree program? I always suggest you have an end game before starting a degree, what are you going to do with it?

I am sure others will flame me for this but the days in which an associates degree mattered much are done. So many out there have a bachelors degree that the associates degree isn't worth much any more. I think they are pushed by community colleges to boost enrollment.

Start looking for jobs everywhere. Search high and low. Never give up. In the end you will be a book keeper somewhere. Maybe a place that does payroll for large groups of people?

[prsman23]

Brother I have a degree in philosophy. It just depends on what you want to do. If you are set on accounting get a B.A. Especially in this economy an associates might as well be written in crayon.

INTERNSHIPS. Since you will likely have ZERO experience in this field when you graduate I can not stress how important these are. Along the same lines and also unpaid is volunteering for your community. Shows that you have a life outside of school and are a contributing member of society.

Be active AND in a leadership role in clubs. Start your own to be the president if you have to. Very important!!!

Good luck my man.

[dakotashooter2]

Colleges apparently are so desperate they are starting to "make up" degrees to draw in students and make them think they are gaining an edge. Often it is just the opposite. I have some nieces that hold 3-4 degrees each..........All of them in themselves worthless for any job market. I remember a local students (hockey player) "degree" listed as "Introduction to Entreprenureship". That was the name of the degree.............. What the heck is that and why wouldn't a simple business degree be just as valuable.............?

[DCP]

Try not to have, too big of bill$$$ when your finished Good luck

[felix]

Accounting is based upon what has happened, and not upon what is going to happen. A general purpose math degree would be preferable for the latter. Playing both ends towards the middle, consider obtaining skills in computer programming with emphasis on web-based applications. ... felix

[jmort]

You should be able to get a job as a bookkeeper. Pay will not be great. Networking is a good idea. Also, taking or learning Spanish will be a big plus. A math/accounting BS would be a good goal. You could be a teacher or go for CPA. Math majors are in demand for teaching. I wish I liked "numbers." Just learning to speak Spanish will get you further here in California than most anything short of a BS/BA.

[Bzcraig]

All the advise above is solid. Find the job now you can live with and will position you to get the BA/BS which will open the door to a CFO position then decide if you would like to be in the public/private or profit/non-profit arenas.

[edler7]

Look in state government jobs. They often hire "accounting technicians" which have less requirements and pay fairly well.

[Echo]

And I don't believe a degree is necessary for you to become a CPA. Having that certification is a pretty good plus.

My oldest son helped a chum do his taxes one year. Rick went on to learn Excel, and found a part-time job as bookkeeper/transportation clerk for a custom motorcycle parts house. Started also doing other folks taxes. Became a financial consultant and was head-hunted into a position with a financial consultancy house. And along the way, earned a PhD in Music. He was a published and performed composer.

[popper]

Associates of Applied Science in Accounting(A.A.S. Accounting) -- What school? Accredited? Transferable credits? MBA's are a dime a dozen now. Physics, math? Depends on your goals. If you do want to do accounting (bookkeeping), find a GOOD business school. When jobs get tight, the trend, a B.S. may keep you employed, an A.S most likely won't. I was talking to a car sales guy last week, found he graduated from MU @ Jeff City. I asked what his degree was -journalism! - probably cost $100K. Use your $$ and time wisely, we don't have much of it. accounting technicians insurance industry uses a lot of them. a degree is necessary for you to become a CPA Not always a requirement, but how else will you learn enough to pass the test? Accounting is NOT about math, it is about the rules, auditing and business law. Computers do the math(add & subtract)

[375RUGER]

Associates in accounting sounds like Bookkeeper to me. If you're really good at it maybe you should be aiming higher at something that will lead you into getting your CPA. disclaimer; I couldn't tell you what the education requirements are for CPA but heard it was a BS.

[Larry Gibson]

I wonder how many really find jobs related to their college degree or if all that mattered for the job was a degree, any degree? I only worked a few years in my major and after that only having a degree mattered. Of three kids with college degree's only one works in her major, one having a degree was needed and the other didn't need a degree.

Larry Gibson

[dbosman]

First of all, I congratulate you on knowing what you're interested in.
Now the bummer. An associates degree will get you a job as a paperwork preparer at an accounting firm.
For serious work you'll need an MA and a CPA or at least an BA and a JD. I work at a state research university that has a business college. I get to talk to the student employees.

Please consider teaching math.
Since you said
I have an uncanny sense for numbers and how they work,
A computer can crunch numbers faster than you can. A computer can drill students. A computer can not, however, Teach.

Also consider that you are part of the first wave that may live to 100 with good health extending to your 90s. Your working life will probably see many changes, in any case. I'm a computer tech. When I was in college, the whole university had four computers. I care for 700.

[KCSO]

Consider manual labor first... I did a lot of manual labor to earn a degree and came out owing nothing and ready to go to work. My daughter wanted an easy no dirt job and is now a Lawyer with 100,000 dollars of debt. Dn't be afraid to shovel manure to get what you really want.

[crawfobj]

I highly recommend the BA if you can pull it off. I'm a CPA and I don't see many with associates degrees at my clients, even in the entry level positions.

On the plus side, there are lots of accounting jobs out there.

[Dan Cash]

KCSO has the very best advice; manual labor. Learn a trade, eg. plumbing, heat and air/ sheet metal fabrication, welding etc. Jobs requiring these skills are going begging and many firms will train you at their expense and pay you while you are learning. These guys are making $50K to start.

[possom813]

Just a bit more info.

I'll be 32 at the end of the month.

I tried plumbing, I don't like being in the confined spaces with excrement, not enough cash in the world to pay me to that day to day.
I've done roofing, not a bad gig, pays well, but if I were to continue with that, I'm going to buy the equipment and hire someone else to do the work.
I've worked in manufacturing at different companies for several years
I've been a correctional officer for last few years

My childhood dream of, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?" has always been a teacher. Unfortunately, real life got in the way, got married, dropped out of college, and went to work.

Now I have a brief opportunity to pursue a short-term degree, and I don't know when I'd be able to complete a Bachelor's program.

The school is Navarro Junior College, Texas A&M Commerce.

[waksupi]

Heck, if I was good at numbers, I would look at being an engineer. Build stuff, then blow it up! Opportunities for inside and outside work.

[possom813]

I've stacked all the hay I care to ever throw and stack. Got paid a dime a bale too.

[pmeisel]

A little background -- I am a controller and have worked in businesses either doing accounting, financial management, or operations management for nearly 4 decades. I have hired several dozens and fired a few too.

An associates in accounting is not as good as a bachelors degree, but it will get you in some door somewhere. Possibly basic general bookkeeping, or payables processing, or receivables, or as a payroll clerk. Take whatever you find, it's a foot in the door and some practical experience.

Find out if you like it. If you do the next logical thing to do is pursue the bachelors part time. If you are doing a good job sometimes the company will help you with that, maybe with tuition reimbursement, or maybe by helping you with a flexible schedule to get classes in.

Or, maybe you find yourself interested in other aspects of the business. I have observed many who started out in entry level accounting-type jobs who wound up working in production management, inventory control, and maintenance planning. Usually because the company had a need and a manager in some other department said "hey, this guy is smart and good with numbers, he could help me...."

Go the the Robert Half website. They are a leader in recruiting, placement, and temporary employment for accounting and finance people. They publish an annual salary guide for all sorts of finance positions. You want to look at it just to see some of the job titles they list at entry level, so you know some of the things you might be eligible to do.

You're working your way up from the bottom. But if you have patience and don't mind doing the dirty work, it's a good way to learn the business.

I wish you luck, and feel free to PM me if you have specific questions that I might be able to help with.

[wv109323]

My sister is a CPA and is having trouble finding a job in Roanoke,Va. I would think with an A.A.S degree it would be much tougher, with less pay and fewer promotions.
I just read an article that machinists, welders, mechanics and manufacturing positions are all in demand.

[.45Cole]

Definitely get the BA. There is an energy boom going on in the country and there are just as many job postings for engineering/technical people as there are for accounting people. Finance is also going to be good-for a while I would guess. Do volunteer work for a non-profit in the accounting dept. Go to the oil, there's money there.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

INTERNSHIPS. Since you will likely have ZERO experience in this field when you graduate I can not stress how important these are. Along the same lines and also unpaid is volunteering for your community. Shows that you have a life outside of school and are a contributing member of society.

Be active AND in a leadership role in clubs. Start your own to be the president if you have to. Very important!!!


Just a bit more info.

I'll be 32 at the end of the month.

I tried plumbing...
I've done roofing...
I've worked in manufacturing...
I've been a correctional officer...

Since you have some life experience, you probably already know this. If you are bright and clever and likeable...It's not what you know, it's WHO you know when it comes to getting the job.

Lack of a degree may get your resume' circle filed for a larger corp. BUT, if you have a connection...your resume' will likely be just a formality.

GO OUT, join sportsmans clubs, JC's or Lions type clubs, Rotory if you're catholic or if not? any Church that matches your beliefs is great for your faith obviously, but a place to make connections also.
GO TO the political caucus' and voice your opinions.

Small business owners hire like minded people, their business is their life and are much more likely to surround themself with like minded people.

Good Luck,
Jon

[theperfessor]

No comments on your degree of choice. But let me share some advice I give to all my students:

Become an active participant in your own education.

What I mean by this is to do more than just go to class. Participate in as many activities as you can. When I was a student I competed in every engineering design and speech contest I could enter. Also did some community projects that got some newspaper coverage. When I graduated (from a relatively small state college) and was looking for a job I had a pretty good resume that included academic and community activities. (I will mention that I was NOT a straight A student). Made getting a job a lot easier.

I know there are regional and national accounting contests held each year. Does your school participate in any of them? Check it out.

And I hate buzzwords, but the larger the "network" of contacts you develop, the higher the probability that one of them may know of a job opening.

Good luck with your career. My son is an accountant, by the way, and is taking night classes (at the University where I'm employed) to get his CIS degree.

[MT Gianni]

My wife has an Associates Acpunting degree. 1st year was Bookkeeping qualifications, 2nd basic accounting. She worked for many years doing payroll for a couple of CPA's. Made a decent wage after 10 + years but could never have lived on it without my income. If you like numbers get at least the 4 year degree. The ability to do accounting for a small business will keep you in groceries and housed tho not wealthy.

[2HighSpeed]

I have my Bachelors. It's as worthless as the paper it's wrote on. BSBM. Buisness Management with a double minor of healthcare administration and psychology. I graduated Dec of 2010 and have not found anything in either South Carolina or Texas. Hoping the job market is a little stronger in North Carolina

[popper]

I've done roofing, not a bad gig, pays well, but if I were to continue with that, I'm going to buy the equipment and hire someone else to do the work. With your JC training, your own business may be your calling. A lot of good advice in these posts. Teaching anything but spanglish will require a BA, minimum. SIL has the AA degree she got as a single mom going to nite school. She's has some good jobs, some bad, just holding on til retirement now. It is bookkeeping, nothing wrong with that occupation. Friend who got a jet tech cert is an IT manager with a major dating site. Who knows where you will go.

[Blacksmith]

Plan on spending time and money getting educated for the rest of your life. Your A.A Degree will get you started but with the speed of change in the workplace you will need to take every opportunity to continue and upgrade your education for the rest of your working life.

When many of us old fXXXellows started there were no such things as computers, CAD/CAM, CNC, typewriters were mechanical and secretaries used them. Things will keep on changing and you will need education to change with it.

Anyone good with number crunching will have a leg up in the business world. Learn spreadsheets inside and out and get a good background in computers.

[Char-Gar]

I think you are asking the wrong people. If you are enrolled in the degree program, why have you not asked your academic counselor or instructors about job possibilities in your area. Those are the folks who can answer your question.

I teach Legal Studies in a program that trains Paralegals and leads to an Associates or Bachelors degree depending on how far they want to go. Almost all of our students are returning adults and very serious students. They have been in the workforce at minimum wage and have learned the value of having a marketable skill. Most of our graduates do indeed find work with local attorneys, local, state or federal governments as Paralegals at a very good salary.

Our department (Applied Business Technology) also does accounting, but I don't know anything about the job possibilities in that area. My assumption is there must be plenty or else we would have no students. Most students are pretty savy about such things. They are not going to waste their time and money in a dead end education.

Again, the answer to your question is right at your elbow. If you did not ask your instructors, then it is time you do.

[Char-Gar]

I don't get those folks who get an education and then don't use the education in their field of employment. I received Bachelors, Masters and Doctor's degrees and worked for over 40 years in field represented by one or more of those degrees. I have never worked out of my field, but I do have several fields.

The trick, if there is one, is to pick a field that deals with a human need that is as old as the human race. Technology won't put human related fields into the trash basket. My BIL built a good business as a Travel Agent, and went bust when everybody started to do that on computer. You don't want to be the last buggy whip maker in America. If you want a job that is not going away, be a Funeral Director, as everybody dies sooner or later.

[archmaker]

Char-Gar - I got a BA in Accounting, and even though I work for a large international CPA firm, I don't do accounting.

Instead my chosen profession is "security consultant" ala Hacker. But I did start in Accounting and then found I did not like it. What changed it for me was the one time my boss came in and asked me how did we want to account for the purchase of 1,000 small trash cans. Do we depreciate it, expense it, they were going to last us years, but to keep track of them was going to be a pain if you do depreciation. Decided that was not for me. My mother has a double degree in teaching and science, but spent her last 40+ years working in Banking as Sr. VP in operations.

So some of us just get the degree and do something else. :)

The large CPA firms almost all require the BA (I only say almost as I can't think of one that will accept the AS, but I could be wrong). And to be able to sit for the CPA, from what I understand you have to have X number of hours in accounting, and the only way to get the necessary hours is getting a MA.

[Echo]

[QUOTE=pmeisel;2269032]
Find out if you like it. If you do the next logical thing to do is pursue the bachelors part time. If you are doing a good job sometimes the company will help you with that, maybe with tuition reimbursement, or maybe by helping you with a flexible schedule to get classes in.

Or, maybe you find yourself interested in other aspects of the business. I have observed many who started out in entry level accounting-type jobs who wound up working in production management, inventory control, and maintenance planning. Usually because the company had a need and a manager in some other department said "hey, this guy is smart and good with numbers, he could help me...."
End quote

My youngest son went to school to be an engineer. On his way to his degree I strongly suggested that he take just one class in Mgmt. "No, dad, I'm just going to design!". Right. He is VP of a jillion-dollar international company, and hasn't designed anything for years. The schooling, whatever you take, will prepare you for advancement, perhaps in a direction of which you are not aware at this time. Just be flexible, and mainly - ENJOY YOUR WORK!

[bangerjim]

I have a BS in Engineering + post grad work. What I learned in college is: " College teaches you not to remember everything, but to remember where to look it up when you need it!" Most of the engineering classes I took got me a degree. What I use to run my own company now is from the School of Hard Knocks.

A degree will get you thru the door. What you learn from then on is what makes you successful or a failure. I have had many hundreds of hours of advanced technical and engineering classes and training in different fields to augment my college degree.

Now.......if only I could clone my brain and transplant it into my younger employees!

Good luck!

bangerjim :coffeecom

[gon2shoot]

I have supported my family for over 40 years in a job that has nothing to do with my degree, however the number of cathouses needing piano players is dwindling.

[redneckdan]

Can't help you with advice on your current degree. I can tell you however that the world is hurting for engineers that can do theory as well as know how to turn a wrench and build stuff. I swear if my intern does another machine shop print with a precision square hole I am going to scream. Or tie his *** to the front of a 793 and go find some big mud puddles...

[Blacksmith]

I wish I had a dollar for every "Engineer" I have explained why you can't mill square corners on an inside pocket.

My degree was BS in Business Management on the GI Bill; my career was:
Industrial Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Robotics Engineer
Design Engineer
Director of Marketing
Teacher

All required number crunching, people skills, thinking, hard work, long hours, some luck, and additional education. My last formal education was taking courses toward a Masters in Education but over my career I took advantage of thousands of hours of formal, informal, seminar, and industrial training courses. I am retired but still learning.

Your degree is just a starting point. It is a foot in the door and what you do with it is what counts.