I have a great interest in accounting. Out of my desire to learn from a practicing professional accountant, I got myself an opportunity to interview a lead accountant of local NGO. I found the interview very informative, especially regarding learning about the accounting discipline, thriving, and rising in the industry over time. First, I was able to learn that accounting as a profession needs a passion for math and the urge to give direction to a company. I also took away that it takes time, passion, and self-drive to be an accountant on demand and to create trust with organizations you work for.
Several reasons seduced my interviewee to join the accounting field. First, it requires one to have been good at mathematics from the early days of education (Auyeung & Sands, 1997). He loved math and playing with figures, and as he grew, he got the opportunity to work in one of his uncle’s eateries. At some point, his uncle trusted him with the small hotel management, and what motivated him was the level of accountability and responsibility that was required to manage the hotel finances ranging from proper record keeping, proof of transactions like receipts, and balancing the records in the evening. This experience gave him the urge to want to learn more, and as he grew, he was keen to become an accountant. He enrolled for ACCA as the first step, and the rest followed (Association of Chartered Certified Accounts). Another that stood out for me in his career is that even when he was taking his accounts courses, he was always attached to some institution, either paid or not paid and sometimes even partially paid.
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My interviewee was quick to note that all his life, he has always uniquely loved philanthropic work and giving back, which was a major reason he settled for non-profit work. As a non-profit accountant, he mentioned that the charities he has been involved in have allowed him to inculcate his technical business competencies to a good cause while contributing to his passion. Another aspect that attracted him to non-profit work us the fact that the non-profit sector is less scrutinized. However, despite the lesser scrutiny, it is a sector that is subjected to complicated regulations, and apparently, many people who are outside the filed do not understand. As an accountant with the proper competencies and understanding of the basics of non-profit accounting, he is able to make a considerable impact.
When I went ahead and asked an example of some of the regulations, he cited one example where the news bulletins reported that the Red Cross claims 91c of every dollar spent is allocated to Red Cross programs. The public assumes that the statement implies that the total 91c goes to relief efforts, which is not the case because, in reality, the figure includes all the program’s expenses categories, such as education as well as other costs. Therefore, the accountant noted that the public always has a perception regarding non-profit making organizations, which is quite different from the accounting reality.
I also inquired what informed the course he pursues, and he said that his courses were based on field demand. For example, he said that he enrolled for QuickBooks almost immediately he started doing his ACCA because the company he worked for then had deployed QuickBooks as the main accounting tools. Other skill areas he took out of job demand included financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. Sometimes he found himself working as a freelancing accountant, and different jobs demanded different accounting packages, so he had to learn SAGE, Cash and Costs management courses, etc. To bolt his career, the accountant informed me that he enrolled for a Degree in Accounting, with special units on NGO Accounting. Other special units in the course included International Accounting and Management Accounting. Today he works for a local NGO. He has recently completed a refresher course in QuickBooks for NGOs.
When I asked him about his dislikes for accounting, he gladly replied that he did not get to the profession because of money or any inappropriate reason, but because of the passion and the burning desire to someday make it big in the industry (Carcello et al., 1991). According to him, if an accountant lacks the passion and the drive, then it would be difficult moving on because it implies a lack of readiness to learn and serve the community at the same time, and this makes it difficult. However, he added that the downside is that it takes a lot of time and resources investment, but every single investment in education and working for an organization propels you to the next level in your career. If one takes a course or serve a company well, and the efforts are normally rewarded.
The interview meant a lot for me because it helped me scrutinize myself and have a deeper thought of a career path I have chosen. I admired the accountant for the good work he does, and the change he makes in his position to the organization and the children they serve.
References
Carcello, J. V., Copeland Jr, J. E., Hermanson, R. H., & Turner, D. H. (1991). A public accounting career: The gap between student expectations and accounting staff experiences. Accounting Horizons , 5 (3), 1.
Auyeung, P., & Sands, J. (1997). Factors influencing accounting students' career choice: a cross-cultural validation study. Accounting Education , 6 (1), 13-23.
