More than 500 students in ACC 221 (Introduction to Financial Accounting), taught by Katie Tew, were given the opportunity to earn extra credit and have one-on-one conversations with accounting faculty to discover how accountancy plays a role in different industries. ACC 221 is part of the business core curriculum required for all business majors at the Farmer School of Business.
Students were asked to interview accounting faculty to help them understand the different ways accounting influences business and industry, specifically as it relates to their own major. Other points for discussion include how having an accountancy background provides financial and job security, as well as flexibility, in one’s career. The slider below shows some excerpts from students’ responses.
The thing that struck me during my interaction with Dr. Marinich was that it seems like people need accounting even if that was not their desired profession to begin with. Professor Marinich wanted to be involved in the finance field but seemed to fall in love with accounting later on in life. It is just surprising that accounting is needed in every field to make a business successful. There will always be high demand because they are needed for specific functions to carry out. That’s what struck me the most—that it is such a stable career and that it can be used with other fields.
After my conversation with professor Farrell, what struck me the most about our conversation was a follow-up question I asked her about why she decided to change her profession after 12 years in accounting for a variety of different companies, to become a professor. She explained that all the way back in college, her accounting professor urged her to become a professor claiming she had the natural talent for it, however that was not something she immediately jumped to. After years working for a variety of different companies, she decided to explore the idea of teaching, so she used the flexibility accounting allows to teach some classes, while still working at her job. She ultimately decided to switch professions to become a professor and has loved it ever since.
An accountancy degree intrinsically translates to financial and job security; this is consolidated by several surveys showing the field as one of the most resilient and stable ones. In each sector, accounting professionals play a big role in ensuring compliance, maintaining budgets, and providing strategic insights into the company. This versatility allows accountancy to fit multiple roles and fields for protection against economic ups and downs. The financial literacy obtained within is personally beneficial and allows individuals to work on their finances accurately.
My discussion with Qing Burke showed how foundational accounting is across all of business. I was struck by how accounting acts as a “springboard to diverse career paths” including marketing, compliance, and entrepreneurship. It was fascinating to learn how accounting knowledge helps with decision-making in areas like product development and customer analysis. Additionally, the idea of financial stability and flexibility in career choices makes accounting a very intriguing field for everyone, even those pursuing other majors like marketing and real estate (like me). The alumni examples were particularly inspiring and showcased the range of opportunities this degree can unlock.
I thought that it was very interesting to interview Annie. She was so fun and I could tell that she enjoys her job. It was inspiring to see her long journey with accounting. I am excited to move forward with accounting and to learn more about business. She told us that one of her children worked in public accounting and then went further into sales. I thought it was interesting that you can take a different path and you do not just have to stay in public accounting. It was helpful to hear her talk about her long journey to where she is now. Accounting is a very broad career and Annie proved that you can really do anything with an accounting degree.
Thanks to the following faculty members who participated in this year’s Accounting Quest: Brian Ballou, William Brink, Qing Burke, Po-Chang Chen, Jan Eighme, Annie Farrell, Michele Frank, Dan Heitger, Eric Marinich, Jon Pyzoha, Dale Stoel, Matthew Wieland, and James Zhang. Special thanks to Sara Potter, who organized the week-long event.