Employment Prospects
Employers
More than 1.5 million people are employed as accountants and auditors. Accountants and auditors work throughout private industry, the nonprofit sector, and government. Many work for accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services firms. They also work for government agencies. Others work as professors at colleges and universities.
Starting Out
Junior auditors may work in-house for companies that have their own internal audit staff, or they may work for accountancy firms that provide auditing services for clients. They may also be hired in clerical positions as accounting clerks, cost clerks, ledger clerks, and timekeepers, or as trainees in technical or junior executive positions. In the federal government, most beginners are hired as trainees at the GS-5 level after passing the civil service exam.
Some state CPA societies arrange internships for accounting majors, and some offer scholarships and loan programs. The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants' This Way to CPA Web site (https://www.thiswaytocpa.com) offers useful resources and information for aspiring auditors.
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