Which Major Should You Choose: Accounting or Computer Science?

[avant-garde]

Assuming that you like both of them fairly equally in terms of passion (or lack of), which would you pick based on all the possible criteria?

 

[rubrix]

if i liked them both, i would do them both.

if i lacked passion for either, i would find something else to do.

 

[lubuntu]

I would do CS i think you will find it more reward, a mixture of the two isn't a bad idea. You could work on accounting software for example.

 

[avant-garde]

Hi lubuntu. In order to write accounting software, do you necessarily need a CS/engineering education next to an accounting degree?

 

[lubuntu]

Not at all, honestly you probably don't need either.

 

[avant-garde]

Why do accountants earn so much for the relative simplicity (compared to engineering) of what they do? Honestly, isn't it not what you would consider a "thought-intensive" job?

 

[Sankaku]

There is a difference between being a book-keeper and being an accountant. A good certified accountant is doing corporate taxes, estate planning, cross-border tax law, etc. - not pushing small numbers around.

...and not all accountants make big money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_accountant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_accountant

 

[avant-garde]

Well, let me reword the question.
Technology usually makes things more efficient. Thus if you make accounting routines more efficient (maybe not fully automated), then wouldn't there need to be fewer human resources (accountants)?

In this respect, a career in computer science may be wiser than a career in accounting.

 

[jmaat7]

avant - you posted the above question in another thread.

yes technology can make things more efficient, and it has in accounting. And yes there is less need for accountants to do the work. but accounting is not the same as pushing information. It is more like Law. The accountant makes sure that all the money is being allocated to the proper places according to a set of legal standards. A big difference in why they are paid so much is because they are Legally accountable for the financial reporting. If a program screws up than the IT guy might get fired, some profits will go down, or some other manageable problem. If an accountant screws up a financial report real bad, then they get sued for boatloads of money and the company pays big time.

but yes IT and accounting are coming closer and closer together. But the field of computer science is science, and has nothing to do with accounting. Its a completely different field

 

[mal4mac]

Accountancy seems like a not-too-demanding 9 to 5 kind of job that pays lots of money. So you have the evenings & weekends free & early retirement to look forward to - that is, plenty of cash and enough spare time to do a reasonable amount of what you really want to do. The same is not, generally, true about CS... you *might* get a high paying 9 to 5 CS job that is really interesting, or a high stress 100 hour a week job that's really stressful & boring - or anything in between - so you need to really think about what kind of CS job you want, and be prepared to move quick...

 

[moonglow]

Just to throw my two cents in (being an accounting major myself) - not only is it more like Law than info pushing, like jmaat7 said, but because accountants spend considerably less time crunching numbers than in bygone years, the occupation has evolved to the point where personal communication abilities are just as crucial as the other aspects of the job. There is a much more involved, face-to-face relationship between accountant and client now than there used to be, which is why approx. 50% of all current accounting majors are women, since they have better personal and communicative skills (at least according to one of my instructors, who just happens to be female). So another thing to consider is - how well do you communicate with others? Are you comfortable with public speaking, since you may be required to lay out financial info to a roomful of people? Things like that. So it's not really a demanding job, it's just an occupation that's changed a great deal over the years.

 

[avant-garde]

So, what exactly are the most important skills required in order to become a successful accountant, with promotions here and there?

 

[avant-garde]

I'm guessing that MATH is not necessarily one of them? The thing is, I would say I'm in the 95% percentile of American youth for Math skills. idk.. this is just an approximation.

I guess you can say I'm a decent people-person, but I'm constantly looking to improve myself in this aspect. Have a sense of humor. Making stable progress.

Which do you think I would thrive at better, engineering (EE/CE/CS) or accounting? Haha. Need more info?

 

[avant-garde]

bump... any input appreciated please?

 

[story645]

Which do you think I would thrive at better, engineering (EE/CE/CS) or accounting? Haha. Need more info?

An engineering major will eat away at your soul if you're not actually interested 'cause it's very difficult to just coast through the degree. Math is almost the least of it, 'cause the math doesn't get more complicated than some calculus. It's all about applying the thousand formulas and principals to solve whatever problem is thrown at you. CS is much of the same, except to be really good at CS you have to at least be somewhat interested in all that abstract/theory type stuff having to do with languages, logic, hardware/software bridge, and everything else that gets thrown in the mix. (By the way, I'm a computer engineering major->CS+EE = major headache)

If you can, take the starter course for each major (CS 101, circuits, accounting principals, etc.) and use that as a baseline for likely future interest. If you're apathetic, accounting is probably the safer route career wise. You could also see which courses count for all the majors (usually prereqs do) and drop down if you need to.

 

[avant-garde]

Thanks. but what I was wondering what percentile of CPA's actually earn six figures? They say that accountants can earn a lot... but wondering if this is merely for the best and very best...

 

[accountant]

Assuming that you like both of them fairly equally in terms of passion (or lack of), which would you pick based on all the possible criteria?

This questions like which eye you like in your two eyes,,,,
It would be tough to tell which one is better.
In some part of time Computers is and same applicable to http://www.connollyholmes.com" .

 

[cpa]

Hi -

I am a CPA. I came to this board because I'm interested in changing careers (at 35) to something in science (most likely a phd cs track).

Here is what you need to know about accounting:

1) At a minimum, you can make around $80K per year in a large public firm without making it to manager with just a few years experience (will probably get hired in around $50K). If you mkae manager, you can hit $100K and get as high as $150K. If you make partner, the sky is the limit. The junior partners make at least $200K, and the senior equity partners make more like $300K or more ... (this is really in flux, because at this point, beiing an equity partner, it really just comes down to the profitability of the firm).

2) If you go with a small public firm, disregard the above point. $50K - $75K is probably where you will be most of your career ... maybe as high as $100K, but that's about it ...

3) Public accounting, with your CPA, is where to be to make big money, and yes, everyone who makes it in public can easily hit the $80K mark without getting to management. But, the problem is that a lot of people don't make it because they aren't good enough, or they don't like it.

4) Industry (working in the private sector) is where you want to go for a cushy job. Go work public for about 5 years, get your CPA and go make about $100K starting out as a controller for a medium sized business.

5) Tax is a better job in public because you don't have to travel, but audit prepares you better for the switch to industry if you decide to do it.

6) You don't have to be engineer smart to be an accountant, but accountants are all smart by comparison to the rest of the world .. just not necessarily as smart as science majors. Accounting is more of a mix of intelligence and WORK ETHIC because you will work your butt off at different points in this field.

7) Yes, communication skills are very important. Accountants aren't just nerds crunching numbers. To be sucessful as you move up in the firm, you need to be able to successfully deal with clients. And, EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, is your ability to fraternize with the peers in your firm. The large firms are just like law firms: it's a good ol' boy network and is all about what fraternity you were in during college, and if you fit into the click (these rules don't apply to small firms).

8) Accounting is a great career choice for stability and reasonable level of financial sucess, but you won't get rich doing this. To get rich, practice law or go into medicine. Same kind of work ethic, but more rewarding (law, btw, is easier than becoming a cpa).

9) Accounting is very boring, so it will be the social aspect, or building your own firm, or dealing with clients doing planning and so on that will give you happiness; not the work itself, per se ...

10) Last, but not least, you need to be VERY FAST to be sucessful as an accountant. ... in public anyway ... they won't tell you, but they don't care sooo much about how accurate your work is ... what they really care about is if you can do it well enough that nobody notices the mistakes but did it in a reasonable amount of time. They want you to put as little into your projects as possible (time wise), but yet bill as much as they can for it. They won't tell you this, but tis' true ...

Hope it helps.

 

[avant-garde]

^ Wow, cpa. Great post!
Do you mind me asking, what made you want to choose Computer Science, after many successful years of accounting ?

 

[comp_math]

Comparing accounting with computer science/engineering doesn't even make sense.

 

[cpa]

^ Wow, cpa. Great post!
Do you mind me asking, what made you want to choose Computer Science, after many successful years of accounting ?

Well, basically, I am a scientist at heart. What does that mean? I have a curiosity about life; I'm always asking "why"; I love to learn and understand how things work. I have been successful in the academic and technical side of my field, but I don't do too well with the cultural side. I just don't fit in that well with the kind of people I work with. For them, and nothing wrong with this, life is all about who won the latest college game and other such base interests. Again, nothing wrong with that, but I am just bored to no end listening to people drone on about this type of thing night and day.

I feel I made the wrong career choice from the outset. I did so out of much pressure to conform to the middle class expectation of securing a good material life for myself and family (which is not unwise to do), but this has been at the expense of my very soul. When your soul is filled night and day with penetrating questions about our existence and the potential of creation around us, it becomes increasingly difficult to remain unresponsive.

I don't know: honestly I feel torn between a scientific path and a religious one. Both worlds intersect within my inmost being.

So, I am here with you now. You guys are all doing what I'm considering within. Your threads are of immense value to me as they help me to gauge where this career track might lead. Thanks.

 

[cpa]

Comparing accounting with computer science/engineering doesn't even make sense.

I believe the comparison stems from job prospect, earnings potential, long-term employment and the like. I've also heard that an aptitude for accounting is consistent with that of programming. Of course, I do understand that computer science encompasses far more than coding.

 

[weinerburg]

I'm a senior in college majoring in computer science, but lately I've found that computer science doesn't interest me as much as I had hoped. I absolutely want to work a steady, well-paying job where I can work with numbers, logic, math, etc. (I'm very good with that stuff, and very computer-savvy), and I'm especially looking for one that suits my personality, which is rather shy and quiet. I'm attracted to accounting because it seems to fit my description, and I especially like that it seems to be more about working individually, as opposed to most computer science jobs where you work as part of a big team. No matter what I do, I'd like to get a master's degree, and if I choose accounting I am thinking of doing one of the Masters in Science programs in Chicago, New York, or Boston, and getting the CPA after that. Does anybody have experience in accounting who could lend some insight into my decision, or who knows of programs that would suit me?

http://www.connollyholmes.com/"

 

[avant-garde]

cpa's responses were beyond any advice I could ever ask for.

 

[RickyD]

I'm a senior in college majoring in computer science, but lately I've found that computer science doesn't interest me as much as I had hoped. I absolutely want to work a steady, well-paying job where I can work with numbers, logic, math, etc. (I'm very good with that stuff, and very computer-savvy), and I'm especially looking for one that suits my personality, which is rather shy and quiet. I'm attracted to accounting because it seems to fit my description, and I especially like that it seems to be more about working individually, as opposed to most computer science jobs where you work as part of a big team. No matter what I do, I'd like to get a master's degree, and if I choose accounting I am thinking of doing one of the Masters in Science programs in Chicago, New York, or Boston, and getting the CPA after that. Does anybody have experience in accounting who could lend some insight into my decision, or who knows of programs that would suit me?

http://www.connollyholmes.com/"

I can lend you some advice. I majored in accounting in college and got my master's in taxation. I initially worked for a small public accounting firm. I got into accounting with the same line of thinking as you. I too am not really outgoing and figured accounting would suit me personality wise. However, I was wrong in a way. After a year and a half, I realized I didn't care for public accounting and didn't have a passion for it at all. To be successful in public accounting you are going to work some very long hours. I was working 65-70 hours a week from Jan to May. Some people don't mind this, but it isn't for me. I also don't like the billable hours requirement that firms expect. I decided to go over to industry, but I won't use my master's in tax at all really. If it were me, I wouldn't get your master's until you work in accounting to see what it is like. Not everybody desires to be a CPA. I personally don't, and it isn't because I could never pass the exam. I did well in college and got my master's paid for entirely by the college. Just because you get a degree in accounting doesn't mean you have to work in accounting. There are many options for someone with an accounting degree.

 

[RickyD]

Well, basically, I am a scientist at heart. What does that mean? I have a curiosity about life; I'm always asking "why"; I love to learn and understand how things work. I have been successful in the academic and technical side of my field, but I don't do too well with the cultural side.
I feel I made the wrong career choice from the outset. I did so out of much pressure to conform to the middle class expectation of securing a good material life for myself and family (which is not unwise to do), but this has been at the expense of my very soul. When your soul is filled night and day with penetrating questions about our existence and the potential of creation around us, it becomes increasingly difficult to remain unresponsive. .

I read your post and can relate to what you stated. I too feel that I picked the wrong career field for the wrong reasons. I chose accounting mainly because I wanted a steady, decent paying job out of college. But I found out that I really can't be happy doing this for the rest of my life simply because I have no passion for working with numbers all day. I feel like I am not creating anything of value or doing anything interesting with my life. I just feel like there has to be something more out there for me. However, I am not trying to discourage anyone from considering accounting as a career choice. Many people love this line of work and make great money doing it. Accountants are very intelligent people. It is a stable career because people and companies will always need accountants. Best of luck to everyone in their careers.

 

[Ronnin]

Something you may take a look at if you enjoy both the IT and accounting would be to pursue a CISA certification. It's geared toward IT auditing and may be an option if you enjoy playing with the backend of accounting systems as well as dealing with audits.

 

[Ronnin]

I started out as a compsci major before I eventually switched over to accounting and finance. I really enjoyed both and sometimes wished I would have stuck with computer science but I made the choice to change majors based on earning potential after I had trouble finding work as a programmer after the dot.com bubble burst. Both are really great majors but they share almost nothing in common. I throw in my 2 cents. If you want to do computer science work in the programming arena you can do this with or without the degree credential if you are good enough. If you wish to pursue accounting the degree is an absolute must unless you want to top out as a bookkeeper. Another thing you may consider is MIS if and only if you can find a good college program for it. I found most of the MIS stuff were things I had already learned through practical experience and really didn't see much for the classes. Take that with a grain of salt though because I had already done some commerical programming. If you haven't you may consider it.