WHY BECOMING A CERTIFIED PUBLIC

ACCOUNTANT IS THE ULTIMATE CAREER PATH

YOU SHOULD TAKE

A Synthesis Essay
presented to the
Faculty of the School of Accountancy
LAGUNA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS

In partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the Degree
BS ACCOUNTANCY

By

Marianne M. Batac

Summer 2019
Abstract

Through the years, the way business owners run their own companies have greatly

evolved. Business practices have changed, although there are etiquettes and laws that remain the

same despite the growing evolution that has been clearly surfacing when it comes to the world of

business. One thing that won’t be set aside or forgotten anytime soon, though, is how every

business needs a certified public accountant or CPA. Some businesses may even need to hire an

entire accounting firm or team to handle financial matters and such.

For this reason, among others, it’s been clear that becoming a CPA is a lucrative career

path that anyone should seriously consider. This synthesis aims to support the writer’s

argumentative claim that taking this career path is an ultimate and sensible approach that can

lead to a stable and professional career in the future.

Why become a CPA? Why choose this career over the others? Do you think being a CPA

is far better compared to other professions out there in the business world? These are perhaps just

a few of the questions that an Accountancy student would often stumble upon. While this

program has significantly gained its momentum over the years, it may still remain unclear to a

lot of other people when it comes to the real depth of it and how it can actually benefit an

aspiring CPA. The synthesis will attempt to change those doubtful minds and hopefully

encourage those who are currently taking this particular program.

Accountants are of big help to companies regardless of their size, market or audience, and

profitability. Without a CPA, financial performance will be too difficult to analyze and monitor,

thus making it harder for business owners and organizations to come up with a more strategic
decisions in the future. By the end of this synthesis, you will hopefully be shed with a new and

clearer light with regards to the advantages and benefits of becoming a CPA.

Introduction

The business world has a lot to offer. Different career paths and professions may make it

difficult for anyone to pick a particular program to take on, especially if a person is not yet fully

aware of what he or she really aspires to be. Will you be an IT professional? What about a

marketing specialist? Have you considered taking up business management in the hope of

landing on a managerial position someday? There are indeed so many options to consider and

almost all of them have so much to offer. All business roles seem to be just as important as the

other, but what do you think really lures you the most?

Ah. The struggle of choosing the ultimate career path goes on and on until you meet

someone who is already a certified public accountant. You will learn about how stable the career

is, the potential for professional growth, higher income, and more. That’s when you will start to

think more about it.

For students who are already taking this business program, you may have a moment of

hesitation and end up asking yourself at one point – am I on the right track? Will this decision

prove to be a good one in the end of it all? In this synthesis, you will be given more than enough

reasons to be convinced that becoming a CPA is not just a sensible career choice, but more so, an

ultimate career path that anyone should consider to take.

 Aside from the earning potential, you can also expect this profession to give you a broad

opportunity for career advancement. You will find yourself often times offered with

promotions ,thus giving you a steadfast ladder to a higher success. Rest assured that you will not

remain just the accountant of the company, as you can also partake on being the treasurer,

controller, and even chief financial officer. The possibilities are practically endless as long as

you are highly committed to your job and you have a strong grasp of what you want to achieve

as a professional employee.

As most professional titles, a CPA also earns prestige and respect from co-workers,

employers, clients, and even those who are among your closest circles, professional and non-

professional alike. Naturally, everyone will think that as you have achieved the title of being a

CPA, it also proves that you have finished a college degree and successfully passed the board

exam for it. Everybody knows that this type of exam is nothing like the usual college entrance

examination. It requires dedication, adequate knowledge, skills, and hard work before anyone

can get a passing grade. As a result, your confidence and self-esteem will increase and you will

feel more at ease with what and who you are in terms of professional standing.

There is indeed a lot more to being a CPA than what the title actually conveys. By the

end of this synthesis, hopefully you will have a clearer insight of it and more so, you will be

more convinced that it is indeed the right career path for someone like who you who want

nothing but the best of career.

Review of Literature And Studies

Literature 1: 10 Must-Know Pros and Cons of an Accounting Career

This is a published online article that talked about the pros and cons of getting an

accounting career. According to the article, accounting careers have its own share of pros and

cons, although it wants to emphasize that it’s more of a question of whether this type of career is

the right one for you or not. It’s because there are times when an accounting career may be a

right fit for some, and not for others. This means that it’s not the profession that’s the problem, it

boils down to the person’s professional character and determination to succeed.

The article listed six pros which are as follow:

1. Clear career path

2. Stable job field that will continue to grow

3. Potential for professional growth

4. Favorable earning potential

5. Ability to work where you want to

6. Potential for entrepreneurial possibilities

The cons were listed as:

1. The learning/education never stops

2. Work may appear dull for some

3. Although it is a standard office job, there is what they call a busy season which

equates to longer hours

4. The work can prove to be pressuring and stressful

Before deciding on any career path, the article suggests that you take some time to evaluate so as

to know if this field is the right one for you or not.

Literature 2: 5 Great Reasons to Become A CPA

This is also an article that was published online by a website called Top Accounting

Degrees. It aims to convince the readers to consider an accounting degree because of several

good reasons. The first reason is a better salary since licensed accountants are able to earn higher

compared to regular unlicensed accountants. It also claims that there are firms that would offer

its employees a sort of bonus once they pass the licensure exam. Another reason is the variety of

job or work that an accountant does on a day-to-day basis. This will depend on what type of

company you are working for, may it be government, non-profit, or a private company.

Career development is also another advantage of becoming a CPA. Licensed accountants

are more exposed to promotions and career development, but it also means that you need to

continuously educate yourself for you to keep your license active. CPAs are also usually

regarded as a respectable title, as it’s not easy to accomplish it. Aside from the prestige and

respect that you will earn from other people and colleague, you can also expect your confidence

to increase, resulting to higher self-esteem and a better work performance. Lastly, according to

the article, CPAs have more job security since it is a very secure profession. There will always

be a need for CPAs in the business industry even in the years to come. This means you can

expect to have flexibility and job security, allowing you to take better control of your career.
Literature 3: Why Become A CPA? Top 4 Reasons and Major Benefits

An online article written by a former CPA named Kenneth W. Boyd, this

literature/source lists down 4 major reasons as to why you should consider becoming a CPA.

These reasons are:

1. CPAs earn more money compared to other similar fields

2. CPAs have more and better opportunities

3. Being a CPA is a stable career

4. Everyone respects a CPA

The article is short and straightforward. It’s more of an author’s personal perspective and

since Boyd is a former CPA, he has enough experience and knowledge about it. Boyd is also an

author of several accounting books that have become popular such as the “CPA Exam for

Dummies.”

Conclusion

It is now clearer and even more conclusive that being a CPA is almost like a dream job

for anyone. This career path is what you should take if you are after career growth, stability,

flexibility, and higher earning potential. It offers several advantages that outweigh the very few

disadvantages. Such disadvantages are in fact subjective and will depend on the employee

himself. There are people who would regard office work as boring and dull, while there are those

who find accounting tasks to be exciting, challenging, and fulfilling when fully accomplished.
We all have our own perspectives and it will just boil down to how much we are willing to work

hard in order to achieve our dreams and plans for the future.

We cannot deny the fact that there has been a significant change in the world of business

and entrepreneurship caused by a lot of factors; technology being one. What used to be an

effective business strategy may now prove to be obsolete. However, this is almost impossible to

happen in the accounting field. All businesses will always need a CPA, one way or another. That

being said, you know that you will always be in-demand as an employee and as a professional in

your own field.

Being a CPA has its own fair share of pros and cons, and at the end of the day, the pros

obviously outweigh the cons. All professions and job titles have their own downsides, after all. It

is up to you to handle it well and turn it into something advantageous for your own good. For

example, if they say that being a CPA is boring, make sure that you always find something

interesting in each task that you need to accomplish. They may say that numbers are

complicated, but if you’re the type of person who enjoys juggling numbers and does not mind

the pressure, that means you are on the right track.

You can surely tell on your own whether or not you are fitted for this career path. After

finding out more about the benefits of being a CPA, we have arrived to one conclusion only –

becoming a CPA is one of the most rewarding careers that one can hope to successfully conquer.
References:

“10 Must-Know Pros and Cons of an Accounting Career,” Rasmussen College, By

Brianna Flavin, March 18, 2019

https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/business/blog/must-know-pros-cons-accounting-

career/

“ 5 Great Reasons to Become A CPA,” Top Accounting Degrees

https://www.topaccountingdegrees.org/lists/5-great-reasons-to-become-a-cpa/

“Why Become A CPA? | Top 4 Reasons and Major Benefits,” CPA Accounting Institute

for Success, By Kenneth W. Boyd, last updated July 12, 2019

https://www.ais-cpa.com/why-become-a-cpa/