Accountants engage in a wide variety of activities besides preparing financial statements and recording business transactions including computing costs and efficiency gains from new technologies, participating in strategies for mergers and acquisitions, quality management, developing and using information systems to track financial performance, tax strategy, and health care benefits management. The field of accounting offers stimulating and challenging work that is constantly evolving. Because accountants spend a lot of time looking under the hoods of businesses they really learn how business works The future of accounting is bright according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics which projects a 34 percent increase in job openings by the year 2005. Much of this reflects the increasing complexity of corporate transactions and growth in government.
Demand is especially high in the tax and health care areas.
There is high demand for individuals who can go beyond technical skills and display good interpersonal abilities, legal knowledge, sales abilities, and foreign language skills. Accountants are broadening as business globalizes and becomes more team-oriented.