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Should I go for Accounting or Finance?
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Which would you go for?
Accounting
46%
 46%  [ 6 ]
Finance
7%
 7%  [ 1 ]
Don't know/care
46%
 46%  [ 6 ]
Total Votes : 13

Author Message
Big_Bird



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:56 am    Post subject: Should I go for Accounting or Finance? Reply with quote
Seriously toying with doing another Masters. Thinking about a Masters of Business in Professional Accounting (this is for people whose undergrad degree in NOT in accounting) or a Masters of Business in Finance.

There's a world shortage of accountants, so I'm pretty much guaranteed a fairly well paying job if I complete the Masters in Professional Accounting. But Finance rather takes my fancy too.

Most important is that I end up in well paying work, and am in a position to pack up and move to various countries (kind of like an ESL teacher) when I fancy a change.

Any thoughts?

PS: Especially interested to hear how either of those qualifications would go down in London.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bigbird,

What kind of finance would you focus on? As I'm sure you know, it is a field with a very sharp and wide division of labour. I myself am starting a second masters in a finance related field in August and for a time also considered accounting. I've been working more or less in the financial industry for the past year in a variety of positions.
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moff12



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
To be honest, I voted 'don't know' as I don't want to be responsible for your decision.

I think it depends on a couple of things:

1. What work do you want to do,

2. What was your undergrad in,

An MBA with any major will always be trumped with a specific degree (i.e. a Finance MBA loses out to a Finance Masters.) As the value of the MBA is that you know a bit about everything.

I dont think an MBA in Professional Accounting (for non-accountants) is as good as an undergrad accounting degree. If you want true mobility I think CPA is the way to go, so do an MBA that does CPA prep.

I guess you can always go accounting to finance but not the other way around (why anybody would want to is beyond me though).
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Big_Bird



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
thepeel wrote:
Bigbird,

What kind of finance would you focus on?


That's a bloody good question, actually. I suppose I was thinking mostly about corporate finance, but I haven't looked into it enough and that's something I need to to do more of.

I like the idea that a job in finance may involve problem-solving and analytic skills, and I also like that it could (depending on which direction I take) incorporate advanced maths (my background is in maths). But I worry that it might require more years of experience before I got the 'good jobs' relative to acounting. I'm also daunted by the responsibility a job in finance may entail. I wouldn't want to make decisions that might result in any losses! I think there'd be less chance of that in most accounting work. And perhaps I'd be able to travel more easily in Accounting? But perhaps it will (eventually) pay more than Accounting? But I don't really have much idea really - I don't know anyone in these fields to discuss it with. My family tend to be doctors, dentists and engineers and my friends are all bums who travel the world teaching ESL. Laughing
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inukshuk



Joined: 27 Jan 2008
Location: korea
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:51 am    Post subject: neither Reply with quote
don't do either because you asking people on dave's. If you really liked either program, you would be asking.
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Big_Bird



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:08 am    Post subject: Re: neither Reply with quote
inukshuk wrote:
don't do either because you asking people on dave's. If you really liked either program, you would be asking.


That's just dumb. I'm just beginning to explore two areas that I think I will find very interesting and which I may be suited to, given my personality and particular skills and talents. There's nothing wrong with thinking aloud and seeing what feedback I get. I may get some interesting suggestions or useful information. I may not. Your post is certainly not very useful. As for asking on Dave's, how do you know who may be out there? I've already had one response from someone working in Finance.
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Big_Bird



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
moff12 wrote:
To be honest, I voted 'don't know' as I don't want to be responsible for your decision.

I think it depends on a couple of things:

1. What work do you want to do,


Still pondering...

Quote:
2. What was your undergrad in,


maths

Quote:
An MBA with any major will always be trumped with a specific degree (i.e. a Finance MBA loses out to a Finance Masters.) As the value of the MBA is that you know a bit about everything.

I dont think an MBA in Professional Accounting (for non-accountants) is as good as an undergrad accounting degree. If you want true mobility I think CPA is the way to go, so do an MBA that does CPA prep.


Perhaps I wasn't clear; I wont be studying for an MBA. I may be doing an Mbus in Professional Acounting or in Finance. The Mbus in Professional Accounting I'm considering will lead me into the CPA. I would not chose a course that did not prepare me for it.

Quote:
I guess you can always go accounting to finance but not the other way around (why anybody would want to is beyond me though).


Yes, that's a thought. Accounting would be relevant past work experience I suppose.
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moff12



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry about that, when I saw Master of Business I wrongly assumed it was an MBA.

If you can stomach it, accounting would give you the most options but the maths is pretty basic.

It is a bit more specialised but I think you should look into financial mathematics or financial engineering programs. From what Ive heard you can pretty much write your own paychecks with those two.
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Big_Bird



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
moff12 wrote:
If you can stomach it, accounting would give you the most options but the maths is pretty basic.


You're saying that it would probably be boring, then. Not too challenging...

Quote:
It is a bit more specialised but I think you should look into financial mathematics or financial engineering programs. From what Ive heard you can pretty much write your own paychecks with those two.


Hmm. That's food for thought. I'll look into that now, and see what prerequisites I need.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004