Robert Half Examines Accounting Opportunities

A recent survey of chief financial officers conducted by Robert Half International Inc. urged soon-to-be business graduates to take note of four of the hottest specialties in accounting.

There are about 1,200 students enrolled in accounting classes at the University of Arkansas. Accounting majors make up a large percentage of that number.

RHI, a 50-year-old specialized staffing agency in Menlo Park, Calif., has offices in Fayetteville. Its study showed that 23 percent of the chief financial officers who were surveyed recommended that graduates pursue personal financial planning, while 21 percent recommended tax accounting, 17 percent e-commerce strategy and 12 percent assurance services/auditing.

International Communications Research, an independent research firm in Media, Penn., conducted the survey as part of the Next Generation Accountant project. The survey included responses from more than 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample taken from U.S. companies with more than 20 employees.

A year in the making, the project was designed to determine how current business trends will affect the future of accounting and finance professions, said Reesa Staten, vice president and director of research at RHI.

“Students planning a career in accounting can see what’s hot in the field, so they can plan accordingly. And those already in an accounting career can see how they should be building their career,” Staten said.

Chairman and CEO Max Messmer said specialties such as financial planning and tax accounting would see an increase as more people seek advice on “investing wisely, reducing debt and minimizing tax burdens.”