Accounting students may work with big numbers, but they are also receiving the big bucks as the demand for talented students is on the rise.
Business Week recently named worldwide accounting firms Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young as the top three best places to start a career.
"The market for [accounting] students is hot," said Professor Charles Christian, director of ASU's School of Accountancy. "Starting a career in public accounting often gives a student training and exposure to the business environment."
Average starting salary for an ASU accounting major who graduated in December 2006 or May 2007 was $47,248, said Terri Erb, W.P. Carey School of Business career consultant.
Accounting senior Kimberly Mackey said job security was one reason she chose accounting as a major.
"There are a lot of opportunities for accountants in public accounting and government, too," Mackey said. "And [companies] will always need accountants."
Mackey has enjoyed accounting because of the challenge. It is not an easy major to take on, she said.
Geoffrey Tran, masters accounting student and president of ASU Accounting Students' Association, said accounting concepts have their own logic.
"You have to conceptually understand them in your mind and you can't 'bs,'" he said.
Tran said working in public accounting will mean putting in long hours, but he believes it will be a good experience.
"You are exposed to a wide variety of companies [as an auditor]," Tran said.
Working in public accounting or in private industry is solely up to the student's preference, but the advantage of working in public accounting is the extensive training and challenges, Christian said.
"New hires are supposed to exercise professional judgment right away," he added.
In order to receive a public accountant certificate certification [CPA] in Arizona, accounting students need to accumulate 150 hours in addition to working in a public accounting environment, Christian said.
With the increased demand for accountants, Phoenix is a great market for students, because Arizona's economy is growing at a faster pace than the rest of the country, Christian said.
For others like marketing junior Heather Hellwinkel, accounting is not the right career path.
Hellwinkel said she took Accounting 230 and found it boring.
Christian acknowledged that someone interested in the fine arts or sciences may not prefer accounting.
"But if someone is interested in the economy or business, I'd be hard-pressed to think it's boring," Christen said.
Mackey added that with the hard work involved accounting is anything but boring.
"I like [accounting] because it's challenging and I'm learning all about the ins and outs of business," she said.
Reach the reporter at: jeffrey.mitchell@asu.edu.
