Don't overlook government accounting.Out of a love for the work I had performed as a bookkeeper, I began to study accounting and earned my accounting degree at a relatively "old" age. When researching positions in the profession, I quickly discovered the horrendous hor·ren·dous adj. Hideous; dreadful: "Horrendous explosions shook the whole city" Howard Kaplan. hours and travel requirements often demanded of accountants in both industry and public accounting. With a six-year-old daughter and a husband subject to overnight travel on a regular basis, that type of schedule was not an option for me at the time. Through discussions at an annual reception held by the professional club at my university for students and representatives from all accounting sectors, I realized that the government sector would be the best fit for me. Given this background, when I read "Practitioners as Mentors" (JofA, Jun. 03, page 39), I expected to learn that the mentoring program developed by the Boler Business School at John Carroll University The university is organized into three schools including two undergraduate colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences and the Boler School of Business, and one graduate school, each defining its own academic programs under the auspices of the Academic Vice President. would include practitioners from various areas of the government sector. On the contrary, the article states the "program draws mentors from both public accounting and industry." Government was not mentioned, which, I believe, is an unfortunate omission. The government sector offers opportunities and flexibility that public accounting and industry may be unable or unwilling to offer. As in any comparison, each sector has its strengths and weaknesses. Experience in the government sector may not have the prestige the public accounting (especially Big Four) experience possesses. Often salaries in government, especially starting ones, are not as generous as those offered by industry and public accounting. On the other hand, government offers family-friendly benefits such as shorter workdays, compensatory time compensatory time n. Time off given to an employee in place of overtime pay. Noun 1. compensatory time - time off that is granted to a worker as compensation for working overtime for overtime work, generous sick, holiday and annual leave, flexible schedules, longevity pay and even work-from-home options for some positions. The work is varied and interesting, and for those who wish, there are opportunities for advancement. However, those who do not want to advance are not penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. for preferring to remain where they are. For me, the lower starting pay and lack of prestige were more than offset by the flexibility and family friendly milieu mi·lieu n. pl. mi·lieus or mi·lieux 1. The totality of one's surroundings; an environment. 2. The social setting of a mental patient. milieu [Fr.] surroundings, environment. that allowed me to work and to watch my daughter grow up. Many areas within the government sector offer interesting and challenging accounting positions for both traditional and nontraditional students. To exclude the government sector as an option for accounting students does them a disservice dis·ser·vice n. A harmful action; an injury. disservice Noun a harmful action Noun 1. . Teri-Ann James, CPA (Computer Press Association, Landing, NJ) An earlier membership organization founded in 1983 that promoted excellence in computer journalism. Its annual awards honored outstanding examples in print, broadcast and electronic media. The CPA disbanded in 2000. Smyrna, Tennessee Smyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 26,614 people at the 2000 census. A special census conducted by the town in 2005 showed a growth in population to over 31,000. |
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