There was a time when people viewed accountants with disdain, often making jokes about the high school nerds growing up to become accountants with their thick-framed eyeglasses and pocket protectors. That’s no longer the case. Today, the world recognizes the need for qualified accountants, and that has opened up a whole world of opportunities who choose to pursue an education in accounting. Here are just a few reasons you may want to consider this career move.

Everyone Needs an Accountant

There will never be a shortage of accounting jobs because every single business needs an accountant. From Hollywood film studios to east coast hospitals, everyone needs accounting staff. As more complex laws regulate how businesses record their financial transactions, the field of accounting will continue to grow. Even if your true passion lies elsewhere, accounting skills relate to multiple careers, so your early accounting jobs can be used as stepping stones to something greater. You can branch out and even select jobs based on your geographical preferences.

Analytical Minds are Prized

More than ever, those skilled in math, logic, and statistics are highly sought after in the business world. Certainly, balancing the books is the most widely known function of an accountant, but accountants also manage pay for employees and ensure all of the company’s taxes are paid on time. In this way, the accountant is vital to keeping any business solvent and operating.

Work Part-Time, Earn Full-Time

Typically, a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) worked hardest during tax season, which is just January through April. This is a high-pressure period, but, for many in this line of work, it does come with benefits. The remaining eight months of the year can be spent working fewer hours or even taking extended time off altogether. The free time can be used to relax or to pursue another area of interest. Tax season usually can earn an accountant a full year’s salary, so that gives him or her the financial backing to pursue a hobby or a passion for the arts.

Career Flexibility

If you want to have a lot of options in your career path, accounting is a good fit. As mentioned earlier, almost every industry needs accountants, but you can even move beyond that. While earning your accounting degree, you will have also learned business management principles. This will allow you to branch into a variety of other careers in business if you find that accounting isn’t what you want to be doing. There are also a variety of functions that accountants can be involved in, from investments to financial projections, to bookkeeping.

Opens Up a Host of Opportunities

From lateral transfers to promotions, starting out in accounting can open more doors for you within your company. While your skills allow you to branch out into other areas, performing well as an accountant can promote you to other business positions naturally. Many accountants who have moved up to Chief Financial Officer were later promoted to CEO (Chief Executive Officer), proving that an accounting degree provides a vast potential for advancement.

Whether you choose to make a career out of accounting or use it to launch a career in a related field, getting started with a degree in accounting can provide anyone with a high level of career diversity. As you gain experience and establish your career, you may be able to choose your hours, the type of industry in which you work, or your geographical location. The nature of an accounting career provides opportunities that are only limited by your personal preferences and desires. This may be just the opportunity you need to advance in your life.