School Accounting Software

Posts Tagged ‘Career’

Topic: What is Graphic Design?

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation .Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.

Education for Graphic Design

The majority of schools, colleges, universities and institutions around the world educate students on the subject of graphics and art.

In a Delhi based ADMEC Multimedia and Graphic Design Institute, this subject is taught in a broad variety of ways, each course teaching its own distinctive balance of craft skills and intellectual response to the client’s needs.

This Institute prioritizes traditional craft skills—drawing, printmaking and typography—over modern craft skills. Other courses may place an emphasis on teaching digital craft skills. Still other courses may downplay the crafts entirely, concentrating on training students to generate novel intellectual responses that engage with the brief. Despite these apparent differences in training and curriculum, the staff and students on any of these courses will generally consider themselves to be graphic designers.

Graphic Design Uses: 

Common uses of graphic design include magazines, advertisements, product packaging and web design. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.

Graphics are visual elements often used to point readers and viewers to particular information. They are also used to supplement text in an effort to aid readers in their understanding of a particular concept or make the concept more clear or interesting. Popular magazines, such as TIME, Wired and Newsweek, usually contain graphic material in abundance to attract readers, unlike the majority of scholarly journals. In computing, they are used to create a graphical interface for the user; and graphics are one of the five key elements of multimedia technology. Graphics are among the primary ways of advertising the sale of goods or services.

Business

Graphics are commonly used in business and economics to create financial charts and tables. The term Business Graphics came into use in the late 1970s, when personal computers became capable of drawing graphs and charts instead of using a tabular format. Business Graphics can be used to highlight changes over a period of time.

Advertising

Advertising is one of the most profitable uses of graphics; artists often do advertising work or take advertising potential into account when creating art, to increase the chances of selling the artwork.

Political

The use of graphics for overtly political purposes—cartoons, graffiti, poster art, flag design, etc—is a centuries old practice which thrives today in every part of the world. The Northern Irish murals are one such example.

Education

Graphics are heavily used in textbooks, especially those concerning subjects such as geography, science, and mathematics, in order to illustrate theories and concepts, such as the human anatomy. Diagrams are also used to label photographs and pictures.

Educational animation is an important emerging field of graphics. Animated graphics have obvious advantages over static graphics when explaining subject matter that changes over time. 

Many of the Illustrated Dictionary uses graphics and technical illustrations to make reading material more interesting and easier to understand. In an encyclopedia, graphics are used to illustrate concepts and show examples of the particular topic being discussed.

Film and animation

 Computer graphics are often used in the majority of new feature films, especially those with a large budget. Films that heavily use computer graphics include Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter films, Spider-Man and War of the Worlds.

Career Path:

There are many career paths to take within the field of graphic design. Graphic designers may choose to work as book designers, in web design, branding, illustration, logo design or often a combination of several fields. Belong is an ongoing list of job options within the field of graphic design.

                                                 (An article by ADMEC Multimedia Institute, Delhi)

The profession of software testing emerged in the early nineties when personal computers became more popular as they became more affordable. The fast-growing population of PC users created new opportunities for software companies as well as strong competition for the consumers business.

The new generation of software users quite naturally expected their applications to work as advertised. At the same time, market forces encouraged the fast release of new software often at the sacrifice of thorough testing. Defective software does not sell.

The software industry soon recognized that, to achieve success, they would have to set quality standards prior to release and create thorough end-user testing procedures in-house.

In 1992, I got my very first job as a Software QA Engineer literally by accident: an old friend introduced me to a small startup company in Newark where he worked at the time. My job there was to identify functionality and performance problems in a client-server database application.

I searched for fellow testers for professional networking; but I found none. I approached over two dozen software developers asking if they knew of anyone who tests software for a living. They had never heard of software testers and could see no use for them since they tested their own software.

I found myself wondering what growth potential, if any, there may be in this career. In particular, I wanted to know how much I could earn as a software tester. I approached our VP of Engineering with this question. He suggested that, if I stay with the company for five years and do really well, I might hope to make up to $40,000 a year.

A small group of developers who had heard this exchange were clearly skeptical. I read the look on their faces, “That’ll be the day!”

In May of 1993 the startup I worked for collapsed. In the course of a week, there were five advertisements in the San Jose Mercury News for software QA positions. I sent a resume to each, which resulted in two job interviews the following week and one on-the-spot job offer.

My new employer was a multimedia startup. And guess what – that job paid 25 percent more than my previous one. Three months later I got a raise, which brought me to a $40,000 salary, exactly the projected five-year target thought to be unrealistic. My new employers were exceptionally successful. They sold the company profitably six months later. The new owners restructured the business and I was back in the job market again.

What I discovered in my new job search amazed me. Where I had found only five software quality assurance listings over the course of a week, I was now finding 10-12 listings a day. I had 3-4 interviews a week, sometimes two interviews a day, and received many offers within a month. The market had grown dramatically within a single year and the demand for software testers far exceeded the supply.

I chose the company that offered me strong exposure to automated testing, my passion at the time; but I could not help mulling over the amazing growth in demand for software testers and the equally amazing lack of supply.

In the mid-90s, software testing was still a new profession. Between 1994 and 1997, half of QA graduates of many small and big local QA schools became the first person in their companies specifically hired as software testers.

Today, most software companies have a dedicated quality assurance department with one or more managers and a staff ranging from junior testers to senior quality assurance engineers.

Before the recent recession, starting salary in QA was about $60,000 on average with 2-3 weeks spent on job search. Those who liked to change jobs every year or so as they acquired experience, saw their salaries grow to $90,000-95,000 within two-three years. When the recession hit Silicon Valley job market in 2001, there appeared to be no jobs at all for the inexperienced software tester.

But in the year 2007, the recession is over. On average, an entry level QA job seeker in Silicon Valley would get 2 job interviews a week. It seems to take only 3 or 4 interviews to land an offer. Finding a QA job today seems to be no more difficult than it was in the 90s.

Software QA is a unique job niche in many ways: Maturity is an asset in software testing unlike other IT fields. Maturity is easily marketed as patience, attention to detail, and tolerance for routine tasks, all of which are highly valued in software QA.

Whatever your prior education or work experience, it is likely to be an asset because there is likely to be software that specializes in your field of expertise. If you have experience in education, accounting, banking, publishing, workflow or contact management, sales, client relations, drafting, stock or bond trading, image processing, to name but a few industries, you will find software companies that target your field.

Testing software is basically about finding the discrepancy between the expected behavior of the application and its actual behavior. If you have an accounting background, for example, you are better positioned to understand what the expected behavior of a software application should be and how an accounting department would use it.

Testing is not a difficult concept to learn. We all have some experience testing something. We test new recipes, test-drive cars, double-check our change at the convenience store. In each case we are testing to see that the actual result meets our expected result.

Entry-level jobs in software QA do not require a computer science degree. The field covers a broad spectrum of technical proficiency. The niche is large enough to accommodate you.

We see individuals of all ages transitioning from H1B visas to green cards, for example, becoming two-income families and homeowners, and establishing themselves in their new country.

Software testing is definitely a consideration for college educated people of all the ages and professional background looking for a career change.

 

Today the term globalization has become more popular to people. The world’s economy has tuned to a new age that trading between countries is easier than ever. Yet, globalization has affected and really changed the world from heavy industrial, manufacturing, services, transportation, and education.  It even affects on the accounting careers today.

            In this paper I will focus on three main issues of globalization that affects on accounting careers in the near future.

The role of Information technology affects on accounting career

International students and new immigrant population 

Changing in International trading between countries

The rapid growth Information system and the Internet not only changes the way people trading, but also changes accountant’s roles. The accountant’s role has been expanding within organizations and they are becoming part of the management and decision-making team, rather than just providers of financial information. Corporate accountants must shift priorities from analyzing past events to acting as strategic partners, advisers and information providers. Already, accounting and finance professionals are mining data, turning information into knowledge and communicating what they learn to all levels of the organization. This is a result of having a new option in accounting education. Most colleges and universities realize the importance of information technology, so they have added a new track that is called Accounting Information System to their school program.

Internet and information technology created a revolution in storing, managing, and using business databases. Some traditional accounting job will be cut in the near future with more and more people use accounting software for tax preparation. Additional advancements in information technology further reduce the need for accountants and auditors. However, Increase of applying information to accounting will create new jobs. And those new jobs will require accountants to receive more education. They will be hired into positions to develop, maintain, and monitor new systems. Because there will be larger volumes of information to report and the increased complexity of reporting mechanisms, demand for auditing or monitoring services by both internal and external auditors should also increase in the future. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Individuals who are proficient in accounting and auditing computer software and information systems may have an advantage in getting some accounting and auditing jobs.”

Globalization opens opportunities for international students to study in the United States. The number of international students who go to college to major in accounting in the US is increasing. This will have both positive and negative impacts on accounting in the US. A large number of international students will be a good source for accounting in both the Us and countries. The US will be able to take advantage of international accounting students as they return home and implement what they have learned. However, there will be a large number of students who will stay and work in the US after graduation. This will create an unbalance in supply and demand in the US accounting job market. 

With the effect of globalization, today accounting students can work for the big 4 companies in Asian countries or for accounting firms in European countries. Future accountants in these positions will require more traveling and additional education. Since accounting systems are still different in different countries, accountants need to study different rules. The most important skill would be understanding and communicating efficiently in a different culture. English is still the first choice in international trading, but Spanish and some other languages are also necessary.

According to USA Today, “In an interview, Sir David Tweedie, chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board in London, says the growth of the global economy means “we must eventually end up with a common system of regulation, auditing and accounting.” Change in International trading between countries is the beginning of change the accounting rules. This will be a big challenge for international accountants. A common rule for accounting might be made to simplify the accounting job. In addition, most of the companies in the US need to expand their market to remain competitors. When those companies globalize, they also need to globalize their accounting system.  A switch from GAAP to IFRS will be a good solution. Currently, there seems a hesitance in switching because the change from GAAP to IFRS may affect to the benefit of company. This also requires a change in some accounting college level courses.   In Future of Accounting System, Zin Lin says “It is clear that many of the disadvantages of IFRS are just short term, for example the costs of transition; while the advantages are long term.” For me, sooner or later, the change needs to be considered to fit with International trading.

Accounting careers are being affected deeply by globalization. Accounting in the future will require not only specific knowledge but also must change with the globalization. Accountants will need to be well prepared in computer skills, the ability to learn new softwares and new accounting rules. All accountants must be prepared to work in an international, world-wide environment.

Are you considering an accounting education but confused by all the jargon? This is a quick guide to understanding the different specialties associated with accounting careers and the training you will need to be successful.

Business cannot function without people who monitor, evaluate, and synthesize productivity, financial, and resource data. Accounting, or accountancy, is the practice of collecting and measuring data in order to allocate resources. Most often accounting is specific to a business’s finances. Auditing is a related field whereby records are reviewed and a conclusion reached; resulting in a recommendation for action; geared to ensure efficiency and to improve performance and ensure adherence to standards and principles. A simple example of the workplace relationship follows: An accountant would enter and keep track of payroll and company expenses. An auditor would review the records kept by the accountant to determine if money and time are being well spent.

When people think of auditors, the first thought is probably one of an IRS man in a suit with a stern expression coming to make sure you paid your taxes. While this type of auditor exists (not to be feared if you have been a good record keeper) auditors are usually individuals who are hired to evaluate the accuracy of accounts kept by a company. Their analyses help management determine effectiveness and efficiency.

Accounting professionals often deal with time to money ratios. In order to keep track of all these numbers, professionals must be well able to use computers; specifically spreadsheet applications (such as Microsoft Excel).

Accountants often specialize in one field. Jobs include bookkeeping, tax accounting, cost accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, time keeping and payroll.

•    Accounts receivable refers to incoming payments.

•    Accounts payable refers to debits and outgoing payments.

•    Bookkeeping refers to recording transactions and calculations.

•    Tax accounting in its simplest form refers to the specialty of preparing tax returns.

•    Cost accounting refers to the specialty of accounting that deals with analyzing, tracking, and recording business costs. Cost may be measured not only in money, but in time.

•     Time keeping and payroll clerks do just what it sounds like; they keep track of workers’ time sheets and payroll.

Training for accounting careers varies. For many jobs a bachelor’s degree in accounting is not necessary, though some education or experience is generally required. Accounting training programs often involve computer classes to familiarize students with the applications used in the workplace. Those in the accounting field must be comfortable using spreadsheets and other financial and accounting software (QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel) as well as word processing software such as Microsoft Word. Close attention to detail is essential, as is an aptitude for numbers and order. A high level of trustworthiness and discretion is also essential as much of the information processed is confidential. Office experience and communication skills are also essential in the workplace. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) must undergo a four-part, two-day exam administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and are required to complete a minimum of 150 college credit hours (this is 30 hours more than the usual needed to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.) The exam is considered to be quite difficult, and many do not pass all four sections at one time. Partial credit is usually awarded as long as the candidate passes at least two sections.

As with any career, an interest in the subject matter is helpful. Someone who hates math should probably not consider an accounting career just as someone who hates English should steer clear of copywriting.

Remember, it never hurts to do a little research and ask questions about programs. School representatives are always happy to help prospective students find out more about their offerings. Accounting careers are diverse and abundant; why not change your future with an accounting education?

I’m a Canadian residing in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. After high school, I’m enrolling in a B.com (bachelor of commerce) program at the University of Alberta. My major will be accounting and my minor will be finance. After University, I will be pursuing a CA (Chartered Accountant) designation. I will spend a couple years working as an tax accountant/auditor. After experience as an accountant, I will be pursuing a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). When I obtain this designation, I may either i) Start an accounting practice, ii) Work as a CFA for a few years then start an investment firm or iii) Start working in the public sector.

I plan on becoming a careerist and making a truck load of money.

Either way, by the time I feel like I’m ready, with my wealth and business connections, I plan on starting a venture capital firm.

FYI these are the only areas of business that I’m savvy in. It’s to late for me to become a software tycoon or whatever.

In addition, I am not naive. I have a very good idea of what I want to do and I would like to hear some intelligent input on this issue

Danke

The need for CPA’s or certified public accountants that can perform various duties including bookkeeping, company audits, tax preparation, and project management is increasing in many industries due to updated laws, international business practices and a greater reliance on technology. If you enjoy working with numbers and learning the latest accounting software, there are many job opportunities waiting for you after you earn your degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, accounting is a field that’s growing at a faster than average rate with an estimated 1.2 million accountants currently working in various industries including public agencies, corporations, educational institutions and charitable organizations. If you’re interested in a career in accounting, now is an excellent time to return to college to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting or finance.

When looking for an online accounting degree program, keep in mind that each state has its own licensing requirements if you want to become a CPA. Although most states require that you complete 150 course hours before you can take the CPA exam, there are still a few states whose requirements aren’t as stringent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, 42 states including the District of Columbia currently require this amount of coursework or will require it by the beginning of 2009.

As a result, most colleges and universities offer bachelor’s programs that require 150 course hours to complete. Some have even opted to give students the option of completing a master’s degree in the process. Make sure you enroll in a degree program that provides enough instruction and at least 150 course hours.

When looking for an online accounting degree program, the amount of attention paid to the CPA exam is important. The exam, which is given by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, will thoroughly test your knowledge of accounting, finance law and ethics. Before signing up to take classes online, you should ask school advisors if there are special courses offered to help you prepare for the exam.

Once you earn your accounting online degree and pass the CPA exam, you will be able to begin looking for employment. Many online degree programs offer job placement assistance to those who need it.

Select the best accounting program for you

Depending on your current job situation, you can choose to pursue a degree in accounting by attending classes or taking them online. There are many accredited colleges and universities that can offer you the opportunity to earn an accounting degree online.

Online courses provide you with the same foundation and skill sets as traditional classroom courses, but require you be disciplined when it comes to studying and turning assignments in on time.

When looking for an online accounting degree program, keep in mind that each state has its own licensing requirements if you want to become a CPA. Even though most states require that you complete 150 course hours before you can take the CPA exam, there are still a few states whose requirements aren’t as stringent.

If you have an ambition is to become a successful accountant and want to choose accounting field as your career path after graduation. Then, you need to start planning for your career path and working toward the success of achieving your career goal. In accounting field, a good knowledge in accounting, constant accuracy and working experience are of utmost important for a success. Here are 8 steps that you can include in your career path planning to ensure you are in the right track to meet your career goal.

Step 1: You must Excel in Math

Accounting is about numbers and the manipulation to numbers; hence, you must certain that you excel in math at high school. People who hate math may not be success in accounting field. That’s why you got to love math if you like to become an accountant. Take a special attention in math and ask your teacher or counselor’s guidance on which courses to take to best prepare you for earning a degree in accounting when you enter a college later.

Step 2: Request Information From College that Offer Accounting Degree

Beside the traditional brick & mortal colleges, there are many prestige’s online colleges and online universities offer degrees in accounting that enable you to earn an accounting degree from home. Send a letter, an email or make an online information request to those colleges that offer accounting degrees for heir catalogs and admission requirement on their accounting degree programs.

Step 3: Research On Certified Public Accountant Requirement

In order to become certified accountant, you must receive Certified Public Accountant certification, CPA from a state. The pre-requirement to CPA certification is you must first receive a bachelor’s degree in accounting or in related business fields. Check out the information on the requirement of CPA will make you more prepare on what courses need to be taken in accounting degree program. See the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (aicpa.org) for further information.

Step 4: Ensure Your Accounting Degree Will Fulfill State Requirement

Normally, you will start your first career in you own state after graduating from your degree program. Hence, you need to make certain that the accounting degree program that you are going to enroll fulfill all state requirements, else you will face problem when you want to start your accounting career later.

Step 5: Decide Accounting Field Of Interest

There are a few starting points for your accounting career, you may major in public, government, and management accounting or internal auditing. No one degree program will cover all these fields; you need to choose which field that best suits your interest which you can choose as your majors of study.

Step 6: Become Proficient with Accounting Software

The time of using Microsoft Excel program in accounting work was over. You need to become proficient with a variety of accounting software if you want to success in this field. You may not be able to learn all the accounting software in the market, but you need to familiar with the common accounting software use by most corporate.

Step 7: Gain Working Experience in Related Fields

Related working experiences are important in determining a success in your accounting career. If you are attending class-based accounting degree program, you could work at part-time jobs or internships in accounting firms during your college years. If you are getting your accounting degree online, then you can start gaining your full working experience in accounting with a full-time job, because an online accounting degree program allows you to plan your learning schedule that fit into your full-time job.

Step 8: Takes CPA Test & Become A Certified Accountant

You can start preparing for CPA (Certified Public Accountant) examination while earning your bachelor’s degree in accounting. You will need some accounting experience, in addition to a bachelor’s degree, before applying for the test.

Summary

In order to prepare you career path to successfully become an accountant, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a good working experience in accounting field and pass in CPA examination.