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Careers in Accounting

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Assignment 1: Careers in Accounting
Isaac I. Huff
Strayer University

Assignment 1: Careers in Accounting
When it comes to pursuing a career in the accounting field, there are many options. According to AccountingEDU.org there are four primary fields in the arena of accounting. Public accounting, Management accounting, Governmental accounting, and internal auditing are the primary fields with many sub-fields that can be entered into. Accounting, of all types, is a constant demand field. A brief search with the term “accountant” yielded over 500 results on USAJobs.gov alone.
Two of the accounting fields that interest me most are Forensic Accounting, and Tax Accounting. These two areas appear to be the most involved and ever changing areas in accounting. A Tax accountant is accountable for the collection of tax-related information, reporting to taxation authorities at the federal, state, county, and local levels in a timely manner, and advising management on the tax impact of various corporate strategies. And a Forensic Accounting is the examination of financial records that will lead to or result from litigation. The results of a forensic accounting investigation can be used as evidence in court, and so are usually heavily documented. With the ever-changing US tax code and the increased scrutiny that business is beginning to face, due to things like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, these two areas can be the difference between jail and smooth operation.
Forensic Accounting is a field that I researched more in-depth. The academic skills necessary for a career in forensic accounting are similar to any other accounting job. One would need a degree in accounting, a CPA, and often need to be a Certified Fraud Examiner. With the high earning potential of this field, many organizations look for extensive education. A master’s degree and many different certifications aren’t uncommon requirements for employment in this area. A minor in Criminal Justice, Business, or Computer Science is also highly recommended. In addition to the educational requirements, there is a very big dependence on skills that can be intangible. The legal requirements of the field, and the possibility of having to testify in legal proceedings means that the person filling this position needs to be personable and articulate as well.
A job posting on Indeed.com for Green Dot Corporation lists an expansive amount of requirements and skills for this position. Illustrated in Exhibit A.
Ultimately, Accounting is a vast and all-encompassing field with many sub-specialties. Forensic accounting is one of the most involved and in-depth areas in the field of accounting. It requires significant academic training, varied skills, certifications, abilities, and experience. With the legal and ethical nature of monies exchanging hands, I think that forensic accounting is the one of the most vital areas in the field.

Exhibit A:
Fraud Specialist
Green Dot Corporation 11 reviews - Pasadena, CA Fraud Specialist, RiskSummary
Reporting to the Director of Fraud Strategy & Operations, the Fraud Specialist is responsible for performing large scale and complex data analysis activities to support risk, fraud, and loss mitigation efforts. He/she will present findings and recommend preventative rules / strategies to Sr. Leadership, Attorneys, Forensic Accountants, Key Customers, and members of Law Enforcement. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a strong analytical background and a passion for finding and preventing fraud.Responsibilities * Design and execute large scale data pulls related to criminal, compliance and operational investigations. Leverage data to complete investigations of moderate to complex fraud schemes. * Develop, pilot, and implement fraud reduction / red flag rules within the Green Dot production environment using industry leading banking products. * Support investigations involving highly confidential data and potentially perform subject/witness interviews. * Utilize strong verbal and written presentations skills to impact change at all levels of the corporation including Executive / C-Level. Reduce fraud losses and improve overall corporate compliance. * Assists in the delivery of fraud awareness training initiatives throughout Green Dot as well as to external partners and audiences. * Perform other ad hoc analytical activities.Requirements * Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred with a concentration in Finance, Business, Economics, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, or Statistics/Mathematics. * 4 to 6 years of experience conducting data mining and analysis activities. * Previous experience with analyzing financial fraud e.g. identity theft, account takeover, SIRF, money laundering, debit/credit card fraud, ACH/check/wire fraud, on-line banking, embezzlement, data breech investigations, etc. * 2+ years of experience working with one or more of the following systems: Actimize, Falcon Fraud Manager, i2 Analyst Notebook, MasterCard Expert Monitoring Systems (EMS), or Visa Risk Manager (VRM) strongly preferred. * Solid experience writing complex Microsoft SQL Server T-SQL queries and understanding requirements for complex queries strongly preferred. * High level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Access, including experience with pivot tables, complex formulas, statistical functions, and building and maintaining tables/forms in a multi-user environment strongly preferred. * High professional integrity given the daily requirements to handle confidential/proprietary data. * Flexible availability needed including willingness to work on weekends and outside of normal business hours. * Ability to travel overnight approximately 20%. * Certified Fraud Examiner preferred.Green Dot Corporation is committed to achieving a diverse workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any category protected by law.Job Type: Full-timeLocal candidates only: * Pasadena, CA 91107Required experience: * Data Analysis: 4 yearsRequired education: * Bachelor's |

References
Accounting Edu. (2015). accountingedu.org. Retrieved from www.accountingedu.org: http://www.accountingedu.org/types-of-accounting.html
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (2016). AICPA.org. Retrieved from www.aicpa.org: http://www.aicpa.org/INTERESTAREAS/FORENSICANDVALUATION/RESOURCES/LITIGATION/Pages/Litigation.aspx
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. (2016). ACFE.com. Retrieved from www.acfe.com: http://www.acfe.com/career-path-forensic-accountant.aspx#education
Green Dot Corporation. (2016, February 26). Indeed.com. Retrieved from www.indeed.com: http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Green-Dot-Corporation/jobs/Fraud-Specialist-0c0df20b295a8a29?sjdu=QwrRXKrqZ3CNX5W-O9jEvStQrnKNnjNQ-XsRN9ROAdk-rsC0jJO5bA90ZJOk-d43TPZfyRTxzVJalcSrxGZYXQ
US Office of Personnel Management. (2016, 02 01). USAJOBS. Retrieved from USAJOBS.GOV: https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/?Keyword=accounting&Location=&homeRadPublic=public&search=Search&AutoCompleteSelected=False&CanSeekStatusJobs=False

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