Background
When someone graduates from a university in accounting and plans to work for a public accounting firm, the firm primarily gives them two work options:
1. Accounting or
2. Tax.
In a large accounting firm, most accounting graduates work in audit or tax. Large accounting firms serve large businesses.
In a small accounting firm, accounting graduates work in accounting or tax. Small accounting firms serve small businesses.
In a small accounting firm, accounting includes bookkeeping, payroll, accounting, and accounting analysis. Tax includes tax preparation and planning.
New small accounting firm accounting recruits perform bookkeeping and payroll, then accounting, then accounting analysis services.
Tax recruits perform tax preparation, then tax planning services.
Years ago, our small business advisory firm, Consortia Small Business Advisors, realized it wasn’t necessary to recruit university accounting students because they’re educated to work for large accounting firms serving large businesses.
We decided to recruit capable individuals and:
1. Instruct them using fundamental accounting courses university accounting students were taking,
2. Examine their knowledge and understanding,
3. Train them in our best practice accounting and tax procedures, and
4. Manage and supervise them performing accounting and tax services.
Our accounting staff first perform bookkeeping and payroll, then accounting, then accounting analysis.
Our tax staff first learn tax preparation, then tax planning.
Our accounting staff are the most qualified bookkeepers, accounting paraprofessionals, and accounting analysts for small businesses.
Our tax staff are the most qualified tax preparers and planners.
Job Placement
Today our Consortia Accounting School continues to develop our accounting and tax students in the same manner through our bookkeeping (NACPB), accounting paraprofessional (NACAP), and tax (NACTP) associations.
We place our bookkeeping, accounting, and tax graduates with bookkeeping, accounting, and tax service companies through our accounting business advisory company, Consortia Accounting Business Advisors.
We also place our bookkeeping and accounting graduates with small businesses through our small business advisory company, Consortia Small Business Advisors.
Compensation
As far as compensation is concerned, the amount of compensation goes up as you advance from a bookkeeper to an accounting paraprofessional to an accounting analyst. The same applies to a tax preparer to a tax planner.
Summary
If you are or plan to be a bookkeeper, get a bookkeeping job, or start a bookkeeping business, join NACPB.
If you are or plan to be an accounting paraprofessional or analyst, get an accounting job, or start an accounting business, join NACAP.
If you are or plan to be a tax preparer or planner, get a tax job, or start a tax business, join NACTP.
There is no need to join all three associations.
Did You Know?
If you are a member of one of these associations, your member discount code applies to all three associations.
You should only belong to one association. Hold yourself out as a bookkeeper, accounting paraprofessional or analyst or tax preparer or planner.
You should communicate you are a specialist and not a generalist.
No matter the occupation, specialists are always in greater demand and receive the highest compensation.