Several accounting firms exist in North Atlanta in the state of Georgia, USA. These offer both reliable services in a range of sectors, including but not limited to real estate, IT, law and healthcare, and great employment opportunities to new CPAs willing to begin or continue their careers. Some well-known accounting firms in the area are Paychex, Masters John, Becker and Delaplaine.

Certified Public Accountants, more commonly known as CPAs, are accountants who possess the qualifications to legally practice their profession within a given area, be it a state or a country. This is often in reference to the CPAs who have been certified in the USA, though other countries such as Ireland and Australia also use the term to define their professional and certified accountants. It takes a significant degree of work experience and training to become a CPA, and successful accountants have a range of skills that help them in their career and ensure that their services are appreciated by their clients.

If you are considering this profession, it is important that you know the demands of the job and how to meet them. Interpersonal skills are of high importance when it comes to a variety of careers, and accountancy is no different. CPAs have to interact with their clients and team members on a regular basis and must therefore be comfortable not only with speaking and listening to them but also with expressing their own ideas and opinions. With this comes a degree of trust that you should respect and maintain with your peers. In fact, an additional requirement of some states is the completion of an ethics exam to ensure the applicant’s judgment. CPAs should also develop a logical and analytical mind, as their line of work requires much planning and evaluation. They should also be skilled in Math and a good level of computer literacy is a must in the 21st century.

Where the actual education is concerned, you must have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination that is offered in every state at given periods during the year. One is also required to fulfill other state-specific work experience and learning to obtain this qualification; for example, you will need to complete a university degree to sit for the Uniform CPA exam. According to the State of Georgia (including the vicinity of North Atlanta), “A CPA certificate (license or permit to practice public accounting) shall be granted to a person who is at least 18 years of age; is of good moral character; meets the specified educational and experience requirements; and passes the Uniform CPA Examination. In Georgia, the terms certificate, license, and permit are synonymous.” The exam consists of both multiple choice questions and simulation problem solving. Help is available to those who must sit the exam in the form of seminars and forums, and a CPA exam review can be a useful learning tool.

CPAs provide a range of services to a variety of clientele. They can be employed by individuals, private corporations, educational boards or government agencies and offer their skills in public accountancy, consultancy and auditing. Activities such as tax work, financial planning and consulting all fall under public accountancy. Self employment is also an option as many go on to start their own firms after they obtain enough experience working under others. The salary depends mainly on the size of the firm you work for, as larger firms offer significantly higher salaries than smaller ones. Government jobs naturally tend to pay less still.