Many employers are interested in students with an accounting degree. While employment opportunities are extremely varied for accounting students, the typical manner in which accountants begin their careers is as client-service professionals.  Most accounting degree holders work for public accounting or consulting firms who provide various services to many clients.  Clients need to have financial statements prepared or auditing, to have tax returns filed or develop strategies to minimize taxes paid, to have a more efficient and effective information technology environment, and to have their internal data analyzed for purposes of maximizing profits and minimizing fraud risks.  Accounting and consulting firms need entry-level accountants to help perform these tasks for their clients.  The entry-level accountant taking a job in client-service has diverse experiences in that she or he provides similar services for different clients.

Government agencies and most businesses also directly hire accounting graduates to help them with their accounting and analytical needs.  Rather than working on various clients, an accountant who gets hired by a government agency or a business (large or small), serves the employer exclusively.   The entry-level accountant taking a job directly for a business or government agency has diverse experiences in that she or he often provides different services for the employer.

Regardless of how one chooses to enter the accounting profession, most students of accounting find that the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation maximizes their job opportunities throughout their entire careers.  The CPA designation can be earned in most states by earning 150 college credit hours, at least 36 of which are in accounting courses, passing all 4 parts of the CPA Exam and logging at least a year or two of experience in either client-service or directly working for a government agency/business under the direct supervision of a licensed CPA.