Help! Need advice

[Caleb Scott]

Hello all, my name is Caleb. I graduated high school about 8 months ago. I started my full time job right out of school and will not be going to college. To be honest my high school career was not what I wanted it to be. I did not get as much accounting knowledge as I wanted to(mainly due to an insufficient teacher). I would like some advice on how to go about gaining a deeper knowledge in accounting. I have been looking into online courses but I don't know much about them. Can anyone give me recommendations on courses(the time it will take and the price)? I would like to work towards a Bachelor's Degree in accounting but would appreciate any help getting my head around online courses and the best one for me.

Thanks for the help!
Caleb

 

[Steve-LevelUp]

Aside from your degree, which will give you the best understanding of accounting, I recommend you research the following topics. Others, please add in any areas I have missed.

1. Double entry accounting
2. trial balance
3. accounts receivable
4. accounts payable
5. Income Statement
6. Balance Sheet
7. Cash Flow
8. Financial Ratios

Youtube can provide some good visuals as to how accounting works and might help give you a head start before starting school. However, you MUST still go to school. You will not be able to secure an accounting role without a proper education. Although I understand that education can be expensive (very expensive) it is a worth while investment. Some online schools are also more prolific. My school, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia is a great school and also have a strong online program. This can allow you to study at a university level, and give you the flexibility to take the courses one at a time.

 

[Caleb Scott]

Aside from your degree, which will give you the best understanding of accounting, I recommend you research the following topics. Others, please add in any areas I have missed.

1. Double entry accounting
2. trial balance
3. accounts receivable
4. accounts payable
5. Income Statement
6. Balance Sheet
7. Cash Flow
8. Financial Ratios

Youtube can provide some good visuals as to how accounting works and might help give you a head start before starting school. However, you MUST still go to school. You will not be able to secure an accounting role without a proper education. Although I understand that education can be expensive (very expensive) it is a worth while investment. Some online schools are also more prolific. My school, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia is a great school and also have a strong online program. This can allow you to study at a university level, and give you the flexibility to take the courses one at a time.

Thank you very much for the advice. This will be a big help. Is an online degree something that is attainable while working a full time job? How long on average would that take?(and how many hours per week would need to be set aside for the course?)
Sorry for all the questions. I am just trying to get my head around it all. Thanks again!

 

[Steve-LevelUp]

Without college, you will need to complete 36 courses for full credit (don't quote me on that, I could be wrong). This particular university follows a self paced mechanism. You have 30 weeks to complete each course. You can complete them faster if you wish, but cannot take longer than 30 weeks. It would be reasonable to allocate 13 week to each course, or about 5-10 hours a day, depending on how quickly you are able to learn the material.

This method takes a great deal of self discipline as you are essentially learning yourself, but you are provided the materials and the lectures to guide your learning. the tests and exams themselves are administered at a local facility and are there to ensure that you have actually learned the material at a university level.

Yes, this can be done while working a full time job, it is designed as such.

Be careful when looking at online institutions. Some are bogus facilities giving fake degrees, so do make sure that they are fully accredited institutions.

 

[Drmdcpa]

The degree is not so much the objective as getting the education.

I worked full time through both my undergrad and graduate degrees. It took no longer than otherwise but required a great deal of time management and little to none social life.

 

[Caleb Scott]

The degree is not so much the objective as getting the education.

I worked full time through both my undergrad and graduate degrees. It took no longer than otherwise but required a great deal of time management and little to none social life.

Would I have to complete college courses/get a degree in order to get the education? What I am saying is, knowing the information is more important than being able to say, "I have a degree." Basically if I had the knowledge of someone with a degree without actually having a degree I would be okay with that. Is there a way to gain all of that knowledge without actually spending the money for a degree?

Thanks

 

[Steve-LevelUp]

Although what you say is logical, it will not help on your job searches. Hiring managers when reviewing dozens of resumes are looking for ways to filter very quickly. Typically a degree is one way to easily filter the resume. So, regardless of what experience you have or unaccredited education you have, without actually having degree, you will be overlooked for someone who does have a degree. This is a simple reality. Not having a degree will limit your ability to even get an interview.

 

[Caleb Scott]

Although what you say is logical, it will not help on your job searches. Hiring managers when reviewing dozens of resumes are looking for ways to filter very quickly. Typically a degree is one way to easily filter the resume. So, regardless of what experience you have or unaccredited education you have, without actually having degree, you will be overlooked for someone who does have a degree. This is a simple reality. Not having a degree will limit your ability to even get an interview.

I agree with you. I have a stable job currently that may not see the need for a degree, but if something ever were to happen and I needed to find a new job, a degree would be a good thing to have. I appreciate the responses and the help. Thanks!

 

[Drmdcpa]

A degree helps open doors but does not keep you employed. I have an assistant with no credentials that can spin circles around many with credentials. She will have work with me as long as she wants it.

Do not look for another job. Start your own business now, part time. Eventually it will take more of your time then you only have time for a part time job. Eventually you will have no time nor concern for a job.