Is your image of accountants one of the stereotypical green eyeshades, No. 2 pencils, and ledger paper? Or, maybe it's more one of a mathematician punching  functions into a  Texas Instruments calculator? You might want to reconsider those pictures in your mind's eye.  Today, accountants are much more likely to be seen advising business leaders about management strategies,  collaborating with peers via webcasts, or transmitting financial data over office networks and the Internet. 

Back to the Roots

Let's take a minute to consider the origins of accounting.  The accounting system of double-entry bookkeeping is over 510 years old.   The Franciscan monk, Lucas Pacioli, published his book, Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita, in 1494.  In the book, Pacioli described the bookkeeping systems used by the merchants of Venice. These principles have persisted as they have evolved, demonstrating the timeless value of accounting.  After all, accounting is the very heart of business.

Troubling Times

Accounting's image has been good throughout almost its entire history.  The recent Enron and WorldCom scandals certainly didn't help it, but those were only a few particles of sand in the hourglass of history.  For a brief moment or two, the image of a mild-mannered number cruncher became something of a crony to corporate criminals.  The public seemed to doubt whether the accountant was really the honest, hard-working papermeister that they had always trusted.  As it turned out, the majority of accountants are individuals that the public can trust. 

The accounting profession's troubles  have only made honest accountants more resolute in dispelling the public's adverse opinions.  If a research poll by Penn, Schoen, & Berland Associates, published in spring 2005, is any indication, the profession has rebounded successfully.  The independent researchers reported that CPAs are clearly perceived as committed to upholding the profession's ethics and fixing the problems that enabled scandals to occur.

What's Ahead?

College students considering careers often view accounting as a boring choice.  They imagine accountants chained to desks in dark cubicles where they spend their lives anonymously shuffling papers for a thankless executive.  This is not exactly the vision of a career filled with opportunities and exciting challenges.  The good news for students is that their perceptions of accountants are usually based upon images from years gone by.  Many of the manual tasks (entering transactions in ledgers, calculating totals from workpapers, crosschecking balances, etc.) that once filled the accountant's day have been automated through information technologies.  In fact, accounting and IT are becoming very good business partners.  IT is alleviating accounting's burden of manual processing and accounting is helping IT account to the Board of Directors for its operations.  It's a win-win relationship.

Maybe students should ask themselves if accounting is really boring, why is it so demanding?  The answer is that the body of knowledge required for practicing accounting is vast.  Not only do today's accountants have to understand complex tax laws, accounting principles, business laws, and information technologies, they have to know how to apply that knowledge in a business environment that is growing rapidly.  As of 2005, forty-five state boards require that CPA candidates earn 150 credit hours and pass the uniform CPA exam before granting them a CPA license. 

Accounting is growing in new directions, too.  The upswing in fraudulent business practices has opened the door for forensic accountants and fraud examiners.  While this area may not be a completely new concept (an accountant helped convict Al Capone of income tax evasion in 1930),  it is attractive to those who envision days filled with more than routine journal entries.  Accountants who want to catch the latest tech wave may find themselves auditing information systems, consulting business owners, or even a part of a software development team working on a new project. 

In any event, make no mistake. The accounting profession is not outdated, boring, or routine.  It is relevant, challenging, and filled with opportunities. Those who look closely will see an image that is vibrant, moving through cyberspace at the speed of light.