CPA=ACCOUNTING MAJOR?? WHY?
I am a college student in the U.S., I appreciate you those who give me advices and answers☆ Why do people major in Accounting if students from other fields can take the US-CPA test? Do those in Accounting major get advantages for US-CPA tests? OR Is it required to major in Accounting in order to take US-CPA tests?
Why do you have a passion for accounting?
I never wanted to be an accountant. When I took Intro to Accounting (Acct 101) in college, I swore I would never take another accounting class or work in accounting. I graduated with a Business Administration degree with an emphasis in marketing began a career in advertising. I thought that would be more fun and glamorous. I landed a job at a boutique advertising company where I had to wear several hats. In addition to the advertising related responsibilities, I was also helping the owner of the company run his business. I did the bookkeeping, payroll, payroll taxes, billing, accounts receivables, accounts payable, and created simple reports and analytics that helped the owner understand the financial position of his business and make business decisions. After 5 years of working there, I got better at accounting than I ever did at advertising. And I felt that I made way more impact doing the accounting stuff than advertising.So even though I swore I would never take another accounting course, I decided to go back to school for a Master's in Accountancy. And my advertising boss wrote me the best recommendation letter! I've been working in accounting for the last 10 years since graduating with honors.I wouldn't say I'm passionate. But I definitely have an aptitude and thus an affinity and appreciation for accounting. My accounting journey has been challenging at times but also very fun and rewarding.Learning accounting at school can be quite tedious and boring. It certainly was for me. Luckily, real life application is completely different than studying from textbooks. And the careers one can have with an accounting degree is so varied, there is bound to be something that you will find interesting and rewarding.
Job Shadowing attire?
This isn't business casual unless you work at a '90s .com. Jeans are never business casual. Tennies are never business casual. Your hair should be pulled back. You should be wearing slacks, trousers, khakis, or a dress/skirt. Your shoes should be vet/medical office professional, which means anything from danskos to dress flats (or small heel), depending on your attire. The only exception would be if you are in scrubs. If you are in scrubs, then gym shoes should be fine. No fragrances, no nail polish, no severe makeup. And speak with the vet when you arrive about when it's appropriate to talk and ask questions. Usually, if you are in the room with a client/patient, the shadow is silent. Also, ask about how the introductions should go. Usually, the vet will introduce you, say who you are and why you are there, and ask the patient if they are comfortable having you in the room. If the client isn't, they don't be offended if you are asked to step out. Animals are so stressed at the vet already, a teenager in the room could complicate matters or put you in a dangerous situation. Don't take it personally. Good luck.
How do I learn about finance, economics, business, and legal systems and get a better idea of how they operate & affect the world we live in? How do I get started? Are there introductory books or online resources? What kinds of classes should I take?
Truly understanding stocks, beyond just knowing the terms, requires longer term study than any single book. That said, I've read a fair number of books, and most of them are fairly bad. You know that thing about "if you can't do, you teach"? Well, that applies to most of the writers of investment books. Only one I know who doesn't fall into this category is Jim Cramer (the MadMoney guy), who only wrote books after he got so rich running a hedge fund that he retired and made his retirement mission to educate the home investor.I highly recommend his "confessions of a street addict." It is an awesome book that reads like a thriller. Pretty crazy crazy stories from his own experiences as an insanely driven hedge fund manager and Goldman Sachs trader. It'll entertain you, and give you a lot of insights that go way beyond the boring terms like P/E, PEG, EBITDA etc... Once you read that book, then you'll have enough interest to go read more traditional, boring investment books. I also recommend some of his other books. They're drier, but still reasonable ("real money" is decent).But I think to really learn, you need to spend a fair bit of time on learning about the market. hard to keep interested in dry books. I DVR MadMoney daily and play it while I work at night. It's entertaining, and even if you're not paying attention, you learn a lot of details and cool tricks, not to mention actual recommendations that are quite useful. I don't use most of Cramer's recommendations, but he saves you a lot of time by coming up with a large set of ideas, and you can pick and choose. I've made a lot of $ by doing homework on his ideas, and selectively investing on some of them (and missed out on a couple of his big winner calls). I only wish I bought REGN when he recommended it hard at $5 a few years ago, now it's at 175. Sigh.