Opportunities Bright for Accounting Execs
Businesses of all sizes will always need accounting experts to help them see the present and plan for the future, and even in the still struggling economy, career opportunities for accounting executives has been growing.
Mar. 09, 2012
Businesses of all sizes will always need accounting experts to help them see the present and plan for the future, and even in the still struggling economy, career opportunities for accounting executives has been growing.
According to a recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that cited the latest Cerius Executive Demand Index report, “Hiring has been brisk for executives with accounting skills … and during the fourth quarter of 2011, 28 percent of the more than 1,100 top executive job openings nationwide were finance-related.”
Similar results in the AICPA’s CPA Horizons 2025 report, show that the profession’s prospects remain positive, “as long as firms can change to respond to today’s technology-driven, increasingly complex global marketplace.”
One of the keys to continued success for firms, however, is moving away from an overcrowded and commoditized tax preparation market, and into more diversified service offerings.
“The core competency and value of being that trusted financial adviser hasn’t changed, but the world has. It no longer needs your granddaddy’s CPA,” said Gary Edwards, CFO and CAO of Atlanta accounting firm Bennett Thrasher.
He went on to note that, “
“One challenge we all face is being able to articulate our value proposition to clients. We often know more about our clients than they know about themselves, and we need to leverage that knowledge to help them grow.”
When even mainstream media like the AJC are offering articles on the importance of the “value proposition” that accountants need to communicate, then you know that the “value pricing” has truly gained critical mass.