The Accounting Profession is for the Cool Kids

The Accounting Profession is for the Cool Kids

According to the February 9, 2023, Wall Street Journal Article recently called “How Can We Make Accounting Cool?” by Joe Queenan, “accountants are shy, persnickety fussbudgets who are obsessed with trivial details. In popular lore, accountants are depicted as spectacularly unexciting numbers crunchers whose eyes are concealed behind green eyeshades.”

Queenan’s article goes on to say that “With the rise of the tenaciously held millennial belief that work should have meaning, that work should never be uninspiring, that work should never be uncool, accounting has lost whatever luster it once had. It also doesn’t help that accounting is hard work.”

At S. Preston Douglas & Associates, LLP, we would like to set the record straight with the following five reasons that accountants are cool:

1: The Work is Awesome!

Accountants at S. Preston Douglas get to work side-by-side with business leaders in our communities who make important decision affecting the employees and local economies they serve. The situations we encounter vary greatly and can be complicated, which requires hard work, but at the end of the day, this is very rewarding and fulfilling.

2: Accountants are Valued

One of the most important skillsets of a good accountant is problem solving. The industries that we have the pleasure to serve in, desperately crave our guidance and expertise. We are fortunate to make an impact and feel valued by the work that we do. This gives our work lives tremendous meaning and fulfillment.

3: Accountants are Social Butterflies (or at least not always shy)

There is a joke going around on the web that goes; “What's an extroverted accountant? One who looks at your shoes while he's talking to you instead of his own.”

Accountants being shy is another common misconception. Yes, some of us are shy, however, it is important to keep in mind that in public accounting, “soft skills” are one of the top requirements for success. On a daily basis, we work with the public and must work as a team with our fellow coworkers.

4: Accounting is Hard Work

Yes, we agree with the article here. We also believe that if you enjoy what you do, you never have to work a day in your life.

5: Accountants as Decision Makers (vs persnickety fussbudgets)

Merriam-webster’s defines “persnickety” as being “fussy about small details; having the characteristics of a snob; requiring great precision.” We interpret “persnickety fussbudget” as “giving too much attention to small details that are not important in a way that annoys other people.

As an accountant progresses in their career, they are afforded many opportunities to exercise their decision-making muscle on a daily basis. On a daily basis, it is difficult to quantify the number of times an accountant is asked to use their experience, knowledge of client, and technical competence to make decisions. Oftentimes, we must weight the consequences of risk and cost/benefit considerations, knowing that we must give the best possible advice to fit a given set of circumstances. The term to describe an accountant as “persnickety fussbudget”, in our experience in public accounting for over 80 years, couldn’t be further from the truth.

Lee Grissom, CPA, CFE, CISA, is a Partner at the accounting firm, S. Preston Douglas & Associates, LLP. In business for over 80 years and with three office locations, SPD&A offers a wide array of individual and business services in both North and South Carolina. You can contact Lee directly at (910) 739-7523 ext. 307 or by email at lgrissom@spdouglas.com. To learn more about our firm, please visit www.SPDouglas.com.