Careers in Accountancy - Griffith College Cork

Accounting is the study of how businesses track their income and assets over time. Accountants engage in a wide variety of activities besides preparing financial statements and recording business transactions including computing costs and efficiency gains from new technologies, participating in strategies for mergers and acquisitions, quality management, developing and using information systems to track financial performance, tax strategy, and health care benefits management.

There's a lot to get out of a career in accounting. Perhaps most important: You will learn how business works. The field of accounting offers stimulating and challenging work that is constantly evolving. Because accountants spend a lot of time looking under the hoods of businesses they really learn how business works. It's no surprise that many successful players in business began their careers as accountants. It's also no surprise that most Chief Financial Officers of large corporations have a background in accounting. An accountant is perfectly positioned to become a CFO because he or she probably has the best understanding of what drives business and profits in a company.

Accountancy is a lucrative and challenging career, encompassing a wide range of disciplines and specialist areas.

There are many different qualifications in accountancy in Ireland, from a number of organisations which, in turn, lead to many different career opportunities.

CPA Ireland - The Institute of Certified Public Accountants
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland is one of the main Irish accountancy bodies with in excess of 2,500 members and 1,600 students. Being an independent accountancy body means that the Institute's affairs are directed and controlled in Ireland.

The CPA designation is the most commonly used designation worldwide for professional accountants and the Institute's qualification enjoys wide international recognition. Its current membership operates in Public Practice, Industry, Financial Services and the Public Sector.

ACCA Ireland - The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
ACCA is Ireland's fastest growing professional accountancy body, with over 14,500 members and students throughout Ireland. As the leading global professional accountancy body with nearly 345,000 students and members in 160 countries around the world. ACCA's mission is to provide quality professional opportunities to people of ability and application, to be a leader in the development of the global accountancy profession, to promote the highest ethical and governance standards and to work in the public interest.

IATI - The Institute of Accounting Technicians in Ireland
The Institute of Accounting Technicians in Ireland is one of the fastest-growing professional bodies in this country, with more than 4,300 members and 5,600 students. It was founded in 1983 to provide a recognised business qualification for ambitious people working or planning to work in middle management or in the accounting area.

The Institute of Accounting Technicians is a partner body of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, which means that it has close links with the accounting profession as a whole and with major employers. The IATI has offices and libraries in Dublin and Belfast and links with local networks throughout Ireland.

Accounting Technicians work alongside qualified accountants in business, industry, private practice and the public sector. The comprehensive training received means that they can play a wide range of roles in any organisation from accounts clerk to assistant accountant, from credit controller to systems administrator.

CIMA - The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
CIMA is a leading membership body that offers an internationally recognised professional qualification in management accountancy, which focuses on accounting for business.

In the Republic of Ireland, CIMA has almost 6,000 members and students.  The division was established in 1987 with a membership of 750 and a student body of 1500.  Today, CIMA Republic of Ireland has 3,000 members and an equal number of students.

For information regarding our professional accountancy courses in ACCA, CPA, CIMA and IATI contact Griffith College Cork now on 021 4969110 or email courses@griffithcork.com.