Ruvalcaba 1

The Accounting Life

RWS 1301
Luis Ruvalcaba
Introduction
What is the discipline accounting and why is it important? Are all the stereotypes true? Is
it really just a boring job, isolated from everyone and everything while working with tedious
numbers? Im here to explain how accounting is one of the most important jobs these days,
especially with all these blooming business which are becoming more complex. The primary
task of accountants, is to prepare and examine financial records. They make sure that records
are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants and auditors perform
overviews of the financial operations of a business in order to help it run efficiently. So you see
it is a key role in keeping a business running, without this discipline no business would succeed,
it would just corrupt itself and become bankrupt. Accounting is studied in the college of business
which at my university, UTEP, it is right next to the library. In 2012, there was 1.275,400
accounting jobs here in the United States and it is projected to grow 13 percent from 2012 to
2022 according to the United States Department of Labor. There were 61,334 bachelors degrees
in accounting awarded last year and another 20,843 masters degrees were awarded in the year
2011-2012 Nationwide.
Math has always been my strength, numbers are my friends, unlike a lot of people
nowadays, that is the reason I decided to thrive for a discipline with numbers. Accounting caught
my attention with the job opportunities in our economy and how it keeps rising as a demanding
job. These are main reasons why I chose to pursue this research methodology for my inquiry and

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do some selective research on it before I dedicate my life to it. My primary question was, how
can I become a successful Accountant despite the fact of failing or living an unhappy life? This
was my main concern because Im paying the school to educate me on something I will do the
rest of my life, but I cant do something thats going to keep me constantly unhappy. With that
said, this career is crucial to our society in this point in time and I am proud to take this route in
becoming a part of this job demand.
Literature Review/Background
Accounting is used worldwide, jobs can be found anywhere because every organization
needs them. The fact that the demand for this discipline will continue to grow is great news for
me because that means pursuing this career will serve me with an opportunity that not a lot of
majors possess and that is acquiring a job straight out of college. The idea of this project is to
create our own first person research instead of just looking at the internet or a book for
information. The main focus was to answer our questions and become more familiar with what
we are planning for our lives because this could either help us want to keep pursuing this
discipline or it can help us realize its not the correct path.
Personally this just helped me figure out that this is in fact what I want to do. One of my
secondary questions that I wanted to answer for myself included, how do I know I will enjoy
doing this for the rest of my life? This research will help me determine that because I did a set of
methods like interviewing of a professional and observation of students which will widen my
thoughts on this career through a professional or a student working their way up like I am doing.
Even if my answer is that I will not enjoy this the rest of my life, I asked myself another question
which will ensure I can do something else if I become unhappy.

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The following question was, Can this degree ultimately lead to something else? How?
The answer to this is yes, I can do so many things with an accounting degree. For starters, if I
were to just earn business degree, all I could do is business, but with an accounting degree it
broadens up my options. For example, I cant be an accountant with a business degree but I can
be a business man with an accounting degree. There is much more opportunities other than being
an accountant with an accounting degree. I can even become an entrepreneur because in order to
run a business you need an accountant and that means I would know all the insides of the
business, therefore I could become my own boss. This is something that really gives me a sense
of relief because if Im not happy, I could always look for a different plan with the degree that I
would have.
Could I successfully complete all the courses needed for the next four years? This
question that I asked myself is none other than a question only I can determine for myself. This
will show how much I want this. That is the only way I could ever answer this question. If I want
it bad I will get through it through thick and thin. Some of the research I did will also help me
just with knowing what I will face but nothing in life is easy, therefore I dont believe I cant do
this because millions of other people have done it. So why not me?
Procedures/Methodology
In order for this research to be effective, I had to go out and personally research. The way
I did this was by conducting some useful research methods such as, interviews, surveys,
document analysis, and site observation.
For my interviews I only went on with one, in which I interviewed a business professor
which asked to be anonymous. I interviewed him during his office hours for about 21 minutes. I

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recorded the whole interview, but with my bad luck I went in with low battery, as I was just
about to save the recording my phone decided to die at ten percent, I guess thats an iPhone
thing, but thats besides the fact. Throughout the interview I decided just to jog down some
vague notes because I wanted to listen and understand what he was saying rather than asking him
to repeat what he said because I was barely half way done writing his response. Although my
plan was not all that great because I didnt have my back up which was the recording, what he
would respond to my questions was really impacting me and making me really think, therefore I
remembered most of his responses. Some of the questions I asked were, why did you decide to
pursue this career? Was this your first option? Is this what you want to do for the rest of your
life? Why or why not? And if your work were suddenly eliminated, what do you think you would
go on to do with the skills you have? (See appendix A for the rest of the interview questions).
My survey was filled with about ten easy to answer questions for students, which I
distributed to business class which only had a population of 32 students that day. I received all of
them back however not all of them were answered completely. It was just a few that I received
with this problem, but it didnt necessarily throw off my research or anything.
In my document analysis I learned a lot through another persons perspective through the
internet. I collected a lot of data and information which I then used to widen my knowledge on
this subject. For a more detailed report on the document I read (See appendix B). The purpose of
this assignment was to determine how and for who the document was written fore, and of course
to give useful information about accounting in todays society.
For my site observation, I went to the same professor I interviewed to observe his class
and mainly his students. I sat where I believed I had a clear view of almost everyone in the class,
I sat two rows from the very back in the middle of the class. My focus was to watch a front

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student, a middle student, and a student in the back (See appendix C for the detailed pre plan)
The students I was observing all seemed to know the material because they were all contributing
to the lesson. I wanted to also focus on the professor in a way of how he would present to the
class; boring, exciting, or even timid. I thought this was important because that reflects on the
kind of attention the students give him. I noticed a lot of effort and desire, and in business thats
what you need. I was content with the type of things I saw during this observation.
Results/Discussion
Personally my plan after this research is in fact not to work as an accountant all my life. I
want to do it for about three years or until I become financially stable, then I plan on buying
some type of franchise to become a boss. Therefore with this idea that I now have, I have
answered my ultimate primary research question. How can I become a successful Accountant
despite the fact of failing or living an unhappy life? If I do become unhappy with the way the
accounting life goes I can always go to different side of business whether it be management like
I plan or even marketing. Business is all about who and what you know, therefore if I become
familiar with the right people in my accounting career, I can definitely find comfort through
them to help me advance in a different discipline.
Conclusion
This might seem like a long dream and process but I must start somewhere, and that
somewhere started with this research project which has helped me familiarize myself with the
career I plan to pursue. I believe there is still much more to learn, for starters, I need to learn how
to even be an accountant, but everything is taken one step at a time year by year. It wont be easy
but I believe I have a sure knowledge of what I want and what I will do to get it.

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I believe a younger audience who already has an idea of what they want to pursue, would
benefit from a project like this because they can help themselves save their time and money by
knowing more information about the discipline they are going into. If their question is similar to
mine they should not let that question make themselves wonder if this is the right career to
pursue.

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Appendices
(Appendix A)
Interview Questions
1.

Describe a typical workweek.

2.

What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

3.

Why did you decide to pursue this career? Was this your first option?

4.

How did you get your job?

5.

If you could start all over again, would you change your career path in any way? Why?

6.

Who was your main influence when choosing your career today?

7.

What can you tell me about accounting?

8.

Is accounting a job you once considered? Why or why not?

9.

Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life? Why or why not?

10.

What are some major frustrations of this job?

11.

What classes from which you had to take were most challenging?

12.

Do you love your job? Why?

13.

If your work were suddenly eliminated, what do you think you would go on to do with

the skills you have?

14.

Has your job affected the way you live your everyday life? In what ways?

15.

What were your occupations before you got this job?

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16.

How long did it take you to find a job in this field after graduation?

17.

Can you tell me the type of jobs and how many youve had in your lifetime?

18.

How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this field?

19.

What kind of experience would you recommend for me to pursue a career in this field?

20.

I assume you consider yourself quite successful. What advice can you give me to become

successful as well?
(Appendix B)
Document Analysis
Careers-in-Accounting, http://www.careers-in-accounting.com/
1.

Purpose

The purpose of this article was to inform people of what is possible with an accounting degree
besides being an accountant and what accounting is. The primary audience is someone who is
not fully educated about the degree in accounting and what you could do with it, perhaps a high
school student. The secondary audience is to a person who might be a bit familiar about
accounting although not fully, in that case maybe an underclassmen college student. The writer
did a pretty good job of explain what accounting is and how it is being used now a days, but
perhaps he could have possibly maybe added a little bit more information.
2.

Writing roles

The writers role in this document emphasized in teaching and educating us about accounting in
our nation. For example he explain what it is, Accounting is the study of how businesses track

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their income and assets over time There's a lot to get out of a job in accounting. Perhaps most
important: you will learn how business works. He informs the reader about what hes talking
about. I believe maybe he could have included information such as what you must do to become
an accountant, and classes, etc.
3.

Types of arguments

The argument intended is simply just giving the reader facts about his topic. Heres an example
of a fact he gives us, Accounting jobs are plentiful even in the current weak economy and the
money for well-trained accountants is good. All the writer is doing is explaining how
accounting is working in this given point in time. He gives us facts about how it is being used,
how it is doing in our society, and most importantly why it is such a successful profession right
now. The writer made effective arguments for the most part, although he did not support most of
his arguments/facts with sufficient evidence, but I still believe the audience would find this
document compelling and effective.
4.

Structure/Organization

The information is structured in grouping. First he begins with what accounting is, then what can
be done with an accountant degree, followed by how people are using it and how effective it has
been. All of these groups have good facts that will pull the reader in. Even though it is in groups,
there is no subtitles to each of its paragraphs, the reader can distinguish the differences in context
but it is not structured effectively.
5.

Function

All the writer wanted to do is for the reader to learn something and educate ourselves on a career
that is excelling at its best in our society right now.

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6.

Document design

The writer did a good job of explain what he wanted to cover, and not making it look difficult or
boring to read. I like how I only had to read it one time to understand the message and the topics
he wanted to get through to us. The reader will not be stressed if they receive this document, it is
a document which can be read just before going to bed, or while sitting down eating their
breakfast. It will not take up much time reading this document but it is still filled with important
information the reader might be interested in. This document Is appropriate for its intended
audience because it is filled with facts and information which is easily grasped.
(Appendix C)
Site Observation Pre-Plan
Address the following considerations:
1.

What are your objectives for the observation or what do you want to learn?

My objective for this observation is to watch the behaviors of students in an Accounting

class. Such as, the type of work they are doing, the environment in the class, and the tone
presented in each person who speaks. This will help me understand what I will be up against in a
few years and throughout my career.

2.

How do your objectives correspond to your secondary research questions?

The objectives I listed correspond to my secondary research question by helping me

answer my secondary question, ultimately giving me a perspective from other peoples views.

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3.

What are your targeted sites and why have you chosen them?

My targeted site is an accounting class, or an upper level business class.

4.

What populations inhabit your targeted sites?

For the classes, the population I will target is about 40 to 50 students.

5.

Is there a clear connection between your objectives and your choice of sites and

populations?
-

Yes there is a clear connection between my objectives and the sites I targeted because

they are dependent on one another.

6.

When do you plan to conduct the site observations?

I plan on conducting the site observation, no later than October 20th.

7.

What is your plan for recording your observations? (We recommend the two column

method.)
-

My plan for recording my observations is in fact using the two column method because it

is just what I need to record my information and it is seams as it will be very effective.

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8.

From what physical position within the site will you make your observations?

-I will sit in a far back middle corner of a classroom, that way I can see most of the students, and
the professor of course.
9.

What permissions do you need to conduct the site observations?

The only permission I would need for this site observation is the permission of the

professor.