discipline investigation interview research paper essay in accounting

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Order Instructions:
Purpose: To investigate a discourse community* (e.g. profession) you hope to join and to learn about the kinds of texts (genres) that community uses. This assignment will enable you to identify some of those rules or patterns by interviewing a professional in your field of study and by doing outside research

Audience: Your instructor, your classmates, and other faculty members on the 100A portfolio committee.

*Discourse Community: Any group of people who form a community€”a family, a neighborhood, colleagues, practitioners of a particular profession€”and establish informal and formal rules regarding who gets to join their community and how spoken and written interactions (i.e. discourse) occur within the community. Anyone who wants to join that community has to learn its discourse rules and patterns.

Writing Steps

Step 1: Interview
For this assignment, you will interview a professional in your field of study to gain insight into your future discourse community. Try to select someone at a senior level, with at least five years of experience working in this field, who can provide you with a broad view of the types of work and opportunities that are available to you. Your professors in your field of study may be able to give you advice on finding a suitable interviewee. Unless you hope eventually to become a faculty member at a research university, you should not interview one of your professors. It is preferable to interview the subject in person.

The interview should cover 1) your subject’s background and career path; 2) your subject’s current role and responsibilities; and 3) your subject’s insight on the types of communication skills required for your field.

In preparation for the interview, you will work in class to develop a set of questions for your particular interviewee. You will also discuss various interviewing strategies. Before the interview, you will need to discuss with your interviewee the confidentiality of the interview. Because people sometimes share sensitive information in an interview, you need to assure them that the information will be confidential and that you will not use their real name or the name of the company.

Step 2: Outside Research
Find a minimum of 2 outside sources (articles, journals) that give you additional information about your future discourse community €“ for example, what types of work or jobs someone in that field would have, or what the requirements will be for those jobs in the future. You might also research additional genres of writing that might be used in your field.

Step 3: Prepare Report
Your Discipline Investigation will report the information you learned during your interview and outside research, providing an introduction and conclusion to share how your own expectations about the field may have changed or broadened in doing this assignment.
Suggested Organization

INTRODUCTION
Your introduction should include a brief overview of the discourse community you investigated for this assignment and provide a short background on why you chose your field of study and what your expectations were before you conducted the interview and outside research.

INTERVIEW REPORT
Background & Career Path
Introduce your interview subject, giving details of the subject’s background and education to show why the subject chose that profession and how he/she got started in the field. You will also need to give some explanation of the subject’s career path so far, highlighting particular positions or stepping stones to the current role. Possible topics to discuss in this section include:

€¢ Why your subject was drawn to a particular career field
€¢ What requirements or skills were needed before entering the field
€¢ The expectations and surprises your subject had in entering that profession

Use outside sources (articles) to add additional or supporting information about the topics above.

Roles & Responsibilities
Provide an overview of your interview subject’s current role at his/her place of employment, explaining the responsibilities of that position and how it fits into the overall structure of the company or organization. Your subject should also give you a general sense of the types of jobs and career paths common in that field. Possible topics to discuss in this section include:

€¢ The subject’s job responsibilities in his/her place of employment
€¢ Where your subject’s job fits in terms of the overall structure of the profession
€¢ Types of jobs people in this profession have
€¢ The skills and qualifications your subject’s job requires
€¢ The biggest challenges the subject faces in this job

Use outside sources (articles) to add additional or supporting information about the topics above.

Communication Skills
Explain the types of reading and writing typically required in your field of interest. Provide an overview of the communication skills that are most important in your field. For example, some occupations demand the ability to work collaboratively on reports, while others may require an ability to respond clearly and concisely to time-sensitive email inquiries. Possible topics include:

€¢ The types of reading and writing required in your subject’s daily responsibilities
€¢ The typical audience for written communication (co-workers, clients, general public, etc.)
€¢ The communication skills your subject finds most important in his/her role

Use outside sources (articles) to add additional or supporting information about the topics above.
CONCLUSION
Share your thoughts on what most surprised or interested you about your interview and research. Did it change your expectations about your chosen field? For the remainder of your undergraduate studies, what further skills, knowledge, or experience (such as an internship) will you need to develop to help prepare you for the start of your career?

Format Guidelines

Your final draft should be approximately 1750 words, with 1-inch margins and 12 point font, Times New Roman, single-spaced with double spacing between paragraphs. The report should have headings (in capitals and bolded) to guide the reader. Please number your pages. This assignment requires a list of the outside references (include links) you used in your paper and your report should also include an appendix with a list of your interview questions.
Peer Review
All students must bring the following to the peer review:
€¢ A draft of the complete report; include links to the outside sources you used.
€¢ A copy of the interview questions you used
€¢ A copy of the peer review sheet; remember to include any questions which you would like your peer reviewer to answer about the content and organization of your draft.

During the peer review session, you will provide written feedback on his/her paper.
Teacher Conference
Use the feedback from your peer to revise your writing in preparation for a mandatory conference with your instructor. Bring to the conference:
€¢ A draft of the final report (you will annotate both the document and your own report based on your instructor’s feedback); include links to the outside sources you used and a list of the interview questions you asked;
€¢ A copy of the peer review.
Important Dates
First draft due (1500 words min); Mandatory peer review March 14, 2013
Mandatory conference with instructor and bring a 2nd draft based on peer review (1600 words min) March 19-March 21
Final draft due on D2L or Turnitin (1750 words) April 4, 2013
Things to Keep for the Portfolio
€¢ A copy of this assignment sheet
€¢ A copy of the interview questions you used
€¢ All drafts produced for this assignment
€¢ A copy of your instructor’s comments and your peer’s comments on your earlier drafts
€¢ A clean (unmarked) copy of your final draft.
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An Overview of the Accounting Profession
During my college years, I have been faced with numerous important decisions pertaining to my career choice, for instance my career path has really been an issue of concern, as well as the kind of organization I would work for. I am an accounts student therefore I chose to interview an internal auditor working for the central government to gain insight in the field. This paper would strive to shed more light about the accounting field by analyzing data collected through interviewing a professional accountant.
Accounting is the process of recording, analyzing and discussing the financial data of a business. They maintain the company’s financial record and provide expert advice on contracts and business deals. Contrast to popular belief that one has to be a mathematician to practice accounting, one only need to be equipped with the basic components of math like addition and subtraction. There are four sub-fields in accounting: management accountants, public accountants, government accountants and internal accountants. I aspire to be a public accountant. Public accountants could be contracted to carry out various accounting tasks like: auditing, accounting and offering advice on tax. They could be contracted by NGOs, the government, corporations or even individual clients.
As mentioned earlier, my respondent is a government accountant. The sole responsibility is to examine and evaluate the government departmental records. Their secondary obligations include: performance evaluation, budgeting, asset management, and cost evaluation. They organize and evaluate the information that state secretaries should consider in the making of crucial decisions. My respondent informed me that it is the public accountants that make sure that the funds allocated to a government department is utilized according to the law.
My respondent was firmly rooted in the field, having attained a CPA, certificate, ACCA and a bachelor’s degree in commerce. He chose the career because of his great interests for arithmetic and evaluation. His favorite subject in high school was mathematics; nevertheless, he stated that as long as one is familiar with the fundamentals in math, then one could practice accounting. According to my respondent, a high proportion of accounting firms point to poor communication skill as a chief reason for job termination. Good communication strategies are important for communicating and writing accounting reports. Many employers are screening probable employees for written and oral communication techniques, besides the accounting qualifications, and how those skills would benefit the company. The field is a service field, and communication with a client enables one to understand where the client is coming from.
Some firms send their employees to training, and upon their return, they share a pool of knowledge on how to maximize a customer’s relationship with the rest of the organization. He advised me to make maximum use of such opportunities and volunteer my services. Majority of firms place a great premium on mentoring. My respondent advised me to seek more information on mentorship programs and get someone who would show him how the practice is conducted.
My respondent confessed to having rubber band shootouts all through the tax season to release a bit of tension and enjoy some free time. By the end of the tax period, a typical accountant could complete an average of 70 hours per week.(only if the accountant is organized). He continued that the tax seasons have been the major points of surprise in the course of his career. The busiest season falls in April, and he usually take an extension on any returns that are brought into the office as from April 1st. he states that this is a strategy he applies in order to get some relieve during the peak times.
My respondent provides main book keeping services like bank reconciliations, payroll financial statement compilations and general ledger posting. He also offers HR functions such as employee handbook assemblage and the management of benefits. Excellent client service is his aim. Y respondent focused his concentration on accounting while in high school and worked as a bookkeeper in lots of small organizations. He finally landed an offer as a CPA and absorbed the accounting spirit. He started at a local community college and attained his Associates in the field before enrolling for a degree in commerce. He plans to enroll for a master’s degree in Forensic Accounting once he secures a study leave from his employer. He confessed that the most one of the important stepping stone for a college student in the field is to seek as much transitional jobs on the field as possible. He stated that employers are seeking experienced candidates more than college graduates with only their academic qualifications to show.
Practical experience is highly valued in the field, particularly the sub-field of Forensic Accounting. They are on high demand in fraud cases, divorce proceedings and buy-outs. I a personality likes playing psychologist, detective, and enjoys accounting, then this is the path to take. A CAP could become a CFE; Certified Fraud Examiner. Accounting is a pretty established career. Audit, taxes and book keeping always need to be evaluated. It is quite demanding, but working for your own firm is could be the best option in terms of pay and benefits. If the option of owning your own firm is a dream, but resources are limited, one could start with a small CPA firm with the objective of getting into partnership and finally an owner.
The entry-level jobs in the field vary as per the level of one’s education. For instance, the positions of a bookkeeper and an accounting clerk require a high school certificate and maybe a two-year associate degree in the field. The position requires that one should show an in-depth understanding of the concepts thus a minimum of a four-year degree in accounting. Some accountants opt to become certified Public Accountants in order to widen the scope of their opportunities. A CPA requires only a college credit over and above the accounting major, reflect some work experience, and finally, one needs to excel in the CPA exams to be on the safe side.
Te field offers collegial working environment in terms of being surrounded by numerous people with similar concerns and interests. Many accounting firms usually hire large classes of fresh college graduates resulting to an enhanced acclimation to the job as well as the firm. It also offers fertile ground for networking. My respondent stated that he started off alongside 100 other college graduates, and their bonding was rapid in the course of training. While most of his former college mates have long left the firm, he still maintains contact with most of them which is exciting, since they’ve all spread out to different companies.
The accounting knowledge is also applicable to various functions. A great deal of the accounting knowledge can be applied in many management functions, including manufacturing and purchasing, retailing and wholesaling, finance and marketing. It offers a basis on which to establish broad knowledge on typically all industries and business functions. As the gatherers and collectors of financial data, accountants acquire substantive knowledge on what is taking place and close relationships with chief decision makers. They are growingly being called upon to provide strategic advice. That is why senior controllers and accountants are selected for appointment as marketing or production executives since they have attained deep general managerial skills.
Another reason that informed my respondent’s choice of the career is the better hours and much less stress than management consulting and investment banking. The hours and mobility required by a professional accountant are more predictable and less stressful than that for investment bankers. In the case of public accountants, one expects to be busy during the tax periods and then settle to a manageable 40-46 hours per week. On the other hand, investment bankers and financial consultants are reputable for their regular pull of 60-80 hours every week.
The profession greatly favors women. Women represent around 60% of the total number of accountants in the United States. The field has taken proactive measures in the implementation of flexible work organizations and other ventures to provide favorable lifestyles for women. His 17 years of experience have worked to reveal that women make better accountants than men because women give enough attention even to small details, as opposed to men who tend to focus the whole of their attention only on the big picture. It is common knowledge that the field requires a detail-oriented approach more than any other profession.
One of the major cons of the profession is its lower pay as compared to consulting investment banking. The more convenient lifestyle has its substitution, and it is lower pay. On average, the starting basic salary of a professional accountant is lower to investment banking and consulting by 15-20%, excluding the significant bonus incentives that would raise the bankers’ and consultants’ pay. However, my respondent reiterated that he makes a the same money as compared to an investment banker with the same level of qualifications because of his posting with the government- the government offers many benefits and allowances.
Another reason that makes the profession a little less desirable is the multiple projects that a public accountant could be subjected to. They are assigned numerous projects at the same time and should organize themselves by prioritizing the tasks. According to my respondent, juggling through projects has proved to be a hard nut to crack. He confessed to having mixed up some tasks out of the pressure of multiple projects and really got into trouble with his seniors because of a perceived lack of attention.
Lastly, the profession forces one to become chargeable through billing a high proportion of your of your hours to work performed for paying clients, and not to a non-billable projects. This is one of the single-most subtler, yet greatly sensitive periods of being a professional accountant. Just like lawyers, public accountants usually work under billable hour organizations. This insinuates that they should account for every single minute spent on work and accurately allocate enough time to each project, whether it is client related or otherwise. This arrangement, while usually tedious, is absolutely sensitive to the profession. It provides the basis for how the public accountants evaluate revenues, profitability, expenses, efficiency, performance and a host of other parameters. With such practical items in jeopardy, chargeability and timesheets are mainly the subject of much consternation and stress.
The profession is wide and interesting to explore. My respondent was categorical to state that in all his 17 years in the field, he has never made a token of regret. He confessed that the challenges offer a new way of appreciating the profession every time.
Interview questions
1. What is your occupation and what does it entail?
2. What are the pros and cons of the accounting profession?
3. What education qualifications are required in the field, does it require additional qualifications?
4. For how long have you been in the field? How could you describe your experience?
5. Do you have any regrets/ surprises concerning the field?
6. How has the accounting profession helped change your perspective about the field?

Reference List

Irvin, G. (2006). Internal audit role in governance, risk, and control. Gainesville: Fla Gleim.
Needle, B., Powers, M., & Croson, S. (2011). special journal. Cliff’s notes , 2.