Stereotypes of accountants being boring but wealthy have not changed over the years as 44% of people consider accountancy to be the most boring career while over a quarter (27%) believe that it is the best paid profession
Kaplan, accountancy and tax training provider, surveyed 2,000 people to highlight public perceptions of professions that offer some of the best opportunities for employment.
Two fifths chose accountancy as the most boring professions, which was five times more than a human resource manager which was voted second (12%).
Despite being viewed as boring, only 3% saw accountancy as a stressful career which ranked it far behind a nurse (37%), teacher (28%) and chef (11%).
Accountancy is still deemed to be one of the best paying professions, losing out on top spot to business consultants (32%).
Regarding career progression, 12% believe that accountancy provides the best opportunities, behind only engineering (15%), with 11% saying that accountants receives some of the best employee benefits. It is also rated as one of the top professions for work/life balance.
Zoe Robinson, Kaplan’s director of programmes, says: ‘In the same way that nursing and engineering can be rich and rewarding professions, accountancy isn’t just about filing tax returns.
‘What’s also clear is that the majority of people prioritise pay and work/life balance over the level of ‘interest’ they place in a job. Previously, our student surveys have told us that the most common reasons for undertaking a career change into accountancy are career progression, financial benefit and personal development. These are the truly important factors that people should consider when planning the next step in their career.’
However, having what is deemed a boring job does not seem to put people off as 59% said they would apply for a job they thought was boring for higher pay and a better work/life balance, with this trend being more common among millennials.
Corinne Mills, managing director of personal career management, adds: ‘It’s always useful to talk to people who work in the type of roles you may be exploring to find out what the day-to-day reality is like.
‘You’re likely to find that although there will be elements in common, there will be a huge variation depending on the organisation, sector and even the type of boss you have. For instance, working as an accountant in a bank will be very different from working in a tech start-up, for a consultancy or a media agency. Job satisfaction is about finding a role that plays to your skills and then finding an organisation that fits your personality.’
