[Question] What are the perks of being a fund accountant?

kenjicpl · 05-09-2017 01:11PM #1

I have quite a few friends who are doing fund accounting or auditing, but most of them seem to not enjoy what they are doing. I can understand that, since it's not as obviously appealing as, say, performing music or making aeroplanes fly.

On the other hand, I believe that there are others out there who find accounting/auditing to be a fulfilling profession.

Would be great if anyone in accounting/auditing can share why you enjoy what you do.

Cyrus · 05-09-2017 05:11PM

fund accountants arent necessarily accountants, lots of them aren't

i cant think of any reason to do fund accountancy (and my wife has been at it for 14 years) apart from being reasonably well paid

as regards accountancy / finance, i did the big 4 training contract and then went into industry.

I find it a very interesting career, in most companies the head of finance / cfo is the next most senior executive after the CFO and finance is always a crucial role in any business. Basically if you are good you can have an interesting role central to the running of a business and get very well paid.

the earlier part, training and working your way up can be difficult / hard going.

kenjicpl · 27-09-2017 11:24AM

Cyrus wrote: »

I find it a very interesting career, in most companies the head of finance / cfo is the next most senior executive after the CFO and finance is always a crucial role in any business. Basically if you are good you can have an interesting role central to the running of a business and get very well paid.

the earlier part, training and working your way up can be difficult / hard going.

Really interesting point about accountants (proper) being on the fore-front of business decisions. Would you say that accountants/auditors working for practice companies have the same degree of authority or influence in making key business decisions for their clients?

Cyrus · 27-09-2017 01:46PM

I wouldn't have thought so, maybe in smaller practices where clients have no finance function of their own and transactionaly for larger clients with large firms

But in general no

kenjicpl · 05-04-2018 10:45AM

That's too bad. I guess an accountant role is a stepping stone to more intensive business consulting with more power, though.

ACADasltiv · 05-04-2018 02:05PM

What do you mean by authority? It's ultimately going to be up to the head of the organisation how much they value the opinion of their finance people (rightly or wrongly).

kenjicpl wrote: »

That's too bad. I guess an accountant role is a stepping stone to more intensive business consulting with more power, though.

What do you mean by power? A business consultant is there to advise and only that, they don't have the power to enforce any decisions.

Realistically its only the people who own the business that have power; if the anyone else is given authority and directorships and has the power to make key decisions it's because they have proven their capability and have the backing of the people at the top.

Cyrus · 05-04-2018 02:11PM

ACADasltiv wrote: »

What do you mean by authority? It's ultimately going to be up to the head of the organisation how much they value the opinion of their finance people (rightly or wrongly).

What do you mean by power? A business consultant is there to advise and only that, they don't have the power to enforce any decisions.

Realistically its only the people who own the business that have power; if the anyone else is given authority and directorships and has the power to make key decisions it's because they have proven their capability and have the backing of the people at the top.

a CFO is a finance person and will be at the top of an organisation, especially a plc where the shareholders appoint the management.

asuna_cpl · 16-04-2018 02:34PM

I have friends studying to become an accountant too, and from the outside it looks like a pretty painful process.

I am curious about whether any accountant finds the work itself in any way rewarding...

Cyrus · 17-04-2018 03:15PM

Of course they do

But not normally at the training phase

[Question] What are the perks of being a fund accountant?

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