Tax or Audit? Things Students Should Consider When Making Their Career Choice
Students specializing in accounting typically need to decide if they want to lean into the tax or audit side of the field once they graduate and start working. Going into the process knowing some of the specifics of each and what to consider when making a decision can help you decide which one feels like the right fit for you. Some things to think about as you navigate through the decision-making process include:
Should You Try Out Both Public Accounting Sides?
Being able to try out both sides of public accounting is important in making this decision. It’s difficult to make a choice on something you haven’t yet tried; this is especially true since sometimes having real-life experience can be very different from anything you can learn in school.
What are the things you would consider?
There are several things to consider when picking a public accounting side, such as recognizing that your likes and dislikes in school may not be the same when you enter the workplace. It’s important to know that although you may think you only enjoy one area of public accounting, you won’t truly know until you give everything a try. You might be surprised at what you enjoy. Being open to learning new skills, exploring different fields, and navigating new opportunities is important to finding the area of public accounting that you truly enjoy.
Is it good to get experience in both areas? Or specialize in one?
Getting experience in both tax and audit early in your career is important since it helps guide you to knowing what you might want to specialize in the future. You don’t have to be limited to one area, you may enjoy both and want to focus on both of those areas of public accounting.
What are The Benefits of Getting Experience in Both Areas?
Getting experience in both accounting areas provides a full understanding of each side of public accounting, which can be beneficial if ever asked to do work in an area that you aren’t specialized in. Additionally, testing out both sides provides more work opportunities outside of what you specialize in. Finally, if studying for the CPA exams, it helps with understanding some of these sections more since you have real life experiences in those areas.
