Succeeding in the profession as an American without an accountancy/business backgroun

adrian32

Hey all,

As a short note of introduction, I'm a foreigner without any business/accountancy background (I have an IT-related degree) so excuse my cluelessness. I'm seriously considering entering the field of accountancy because I think it would be perfect for my academic aptitudes - strong analytical logic skills and attention to detail. I'm also great at math/statistics but I understand accountancy requires only low level math skills. I am however a bit worried I might not be the right "personality type" for the job. I am geeky and artsy and a major contrast to the typical business/corporate persona. So I guess my question is...are there a lot of geeks/introverts/shy people in Irish accountancy or is it mostly "business types"? Could I succeed in the field even though I would never come across as one of those types? Will I be able to find like-minded colleagues?

My second question is, in a small country like Ireland, is there a market for very niched/nontraditional accounting positions? I'm particularly interested in entertainment accounting, accounting information systems and real estate accounting (I gather the latter would be handy everywhere).

Third question, do you think it will be harder to enter the field as a foreigner? Would employers prefer locals? Of course, they're not supposed to discriminate, but what happens in practice?

Last question (for now), will age be a factor? Will it be extremely hard to enter the field after you hit 30?

Cheers and thanks a lot in advance!

jus_tin4

adrian32 wrote: »

Hey all,

As a short note of introduction, I'm a foreigner without any business/accountancy background (I have an IT-related degree) so excuse my cluelessness. I'm seriously considering entering the field of accountancy because I think it would be perfect for my academic aptitudes - strong analytical logic skills and attention to detail. I'm also great at math/statistics but I understand accountancy requires only low level math skills. I am however a bit worried I might not be the right "personality type" for the job. I am geeky and artsy and a major contrast to the typical business/corporate persona. So I guess my question is...are there a lot of geeks/introverts/shy people in Irish accountancy or is it mostly "business types"? Could I succeed in the field even though I would never come across as one of those types? Will I be able to find like-minded colleagues?

My second question is, in a small country like Ireland, is there a market for very niched/nontraditional accounting positions? I'm particularly interested in entertainment accounting, accounting information systems and real estate accounting (I gather the latter would be handy everywhere).

Third question, do you think it will be harder to enter the field as a foreigner? Would employers prefer locals? Of course, they're not supposed to discriminate, but what happens in practice?

Last question (for now), will age be a factor? Will it be extremely hard to enter the field after you hit 30?

Cheers and thanks a lot in advance!

I can’t answer most of your questions, but age shouldn’t be an issue! I have seen 50 something year olds sitting their FAE(finals with chartered Ireland) so 30 isn’t too old if you have the drive and commitment as it will take about 4/5 years for you to qualify with no back ground

adrian32

Hi jus_tin4,

Thanks for the response. Are you an accountant?

What is your visa status?

Sure there are lots of different types of people in accounting but the vast bulk will have followed the same path from college (business, commerce mostly) to a training contract in a firm to a job in a company.

It is nowhere near as rigid as it used to be but the most will still follow a traditional path.

The term accountant is not particularly protected here so unless you are pretending to be a registered auditor or something you can pitch yourself as whatever you like - there are specialised accountants like in tv production or aviation finance but I am not sure how you would get into those - I imagine the best paid would be the least easy to get into.

You do have to be careful though as for example accounting for solicitors is particular to them or in case you land someone with a big tax bill in real estate. I imagine you would need to know a lot about tax to do tv.

Age shouldn't be a problem.

What are you doing now?

Edit: I see from another post of yours that you have an associates degree. That would probably be a negative as many training programs will require a (three or four year) bachelors degrees.

adrian32

Hi pg633! Thanks for your reply.
Are you working as an accountant or are you an accounting student? Where in Ireland are you working, if you don't mind me asking?
I have a Stamp 4.
I do not have an associate degree (not sure what post you were talking about). I have a 4-year bachelor's degree, graduated with honors, but not in the field of accounting or economics.
I think you misunderstood my question from the previous post. I wasn't asking if there are a lot of people entering accounting from different educational routes...I was asking about personality types:
I am worried I might not be the right "personality type" for the job. I am geeky and artsy and a major contrast to the typical business/corporate persona. So I guess my question is...are there a lot of geeks/introverts/shy people in Irish accountancy or is it mostly "business types"? Could I succeed in the field even though I would never come across as one of those types? Will I be able to find like-minded colleagues?
Another question is, do you think starting my accounting career with Accounting Technicians Ireland would be a good choice? They claim I should be able to find work after I get my diploma with them (even though I still wouldn't be a fully qualified accountant). They also say no background in accounting shouldn't be a problem for entering their program.
I am however a bit worried employers would much prefer students/trainees with college degrees specifically in accounting over my IATI diploma or certificate. Am I right to worry?
Thanks in advance

I didn't get the emphasis of your question.

Yes there are all sorts working in accounting but most are probably your classic boring business type.

Geeky shy people or whatever can get on grand and find their place but it will be harder tò get in the door and once in there to progress.