Do you want to work as an accountant? If so, a career in accounting is definitely for you!

Do you want to start your own company? Become the CEO of a multinational? Work in sales? Work in an IT project role? Work in business but aren’t sure what you actually want to do in business? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, an early career in accounting might also be for you.

An accounting qualification isn’t what you might think. A qualification in accounting has become a qualification in business, and can act as an access point for an array of career paths. It just depends on how you want to use it.

There are qualified accountants in every walk of life. Accountants are behind the major decisions made by every type of company you can imagine. Every business, big and small, employs accountants in some way. Every not-for-profit, every start-up, every government department, every big global business, every small Irish business – in fact, almost anywhere people gather together to achieve a shared goal employs trained accountants.

Accounting is one of the largest professional communities globally, with accountants sitting at the epicentre of virtually every organisation or movement you can imagine.

What do Stan McCarthy (CEO, Kerry Group), Michael O’Leary (CEO, Ryanair), Siobhan Talbot (Group Managing Director, Glanbia), John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and indeed, Charles J. Haughey all have in common? They all trained as accountants.

Accounting attracts graduates from every discipline, from commerce to STEM, IT and arts. More people are employed in accounting training contracts every year than in any other discipline and once they’ve qualified, they can be found in an amazing variety of jobs.

If you have even the faintest interest, leave your bias aside and get informed. Accounting might surprise you.