What Are the Duties for an Accounting Assistant Work Study?

Work-study programs are federally funded and awarded under the Federal Work Study (FWS) program. Community colleges and universities usually offer positions to students who are working on specific majors, such as accounting, to work within their field; these schools pay them using these federal funds. To be eligible for an accounting work-study program, you must demonstrate financial need..

1. General Office
   • Accounting assistants in work-study programs will perform many office duties including filing, preparing documents; operate standard office equipment and enter information into a database. Assignments will become increasingly more detailed as an accounting assistant gains experience in the field.
   Money Management
   • Part of the job duties for an accounting assistant work-study student may include processing payments, updating account finance and managing bills. Other monetary duties, such as preparing and depositing currency, are likely to be part of a work-study program job description.
   Computer and Data Entry
   • Entering information into a computer spreadsheet program and using computer software to create reports may be part of an accounting assistant work-study position. It might be necessary to have some basic mathematical knowledge as well as word processing skills to perform necessary accounting assistant job-related activities.

What Is Intermediate Accounting?

Accounting students usually take three years of accounting courses to complete a bachelor’s degree at most educational institutions. One year of an accounting degree includes intermediate accounting, a second-level accounting class.

Features
Intermediate accounting introduces students to a deeper and broader level of accounting theory. The typical intermediate accounting format requires two semesters of intense conceptual course work.

Topics
Topics found in intermediate accounting include the conceptual framework of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), financial ratios analysis, equity accounting, investment strategies and financial statement preparation.

ignificance
Because intermediate accounting courses represent the beginning of major accounting theory concepts, students who fail to complete the course often change their majors because they are unable to finish the degree in four years.

Considerations
Students looking to begin a career in public accounting should carefully choose the colleges where they earn their accounting degrees. Certain colleges and universities have better accounting programs, equipping their students with the education needed to pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

Expert Insight
Several accounting websites, such as AccountingCoach.com or CliffsNotes.com, offer students various resources on learning intermediate accounting concepts. These resources are useful because traditional textbooks may be difficult for students to use during the accounting course.

How to Write a CV for an Accounting Assistant

An accounting assistant might want to write a curriculum vitae for several reasons, whether it's to provide biographical material for a news article, submit information for a service award or to supply information for a job application. A CV differs from a resume in that a CV is a more complete account of a person's history, especially as it relates to his career. For example, while a resume would not list every article published in trade journals, a CV would list them, including the dates they were published and the names of the journals. A resume is generally limited to two pages, but a CV can be as long as necessary to list a person's publishing credits.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Create a digital text document with Microsoft Word or another word processing application. Open a new file and begin writing your CV by typing in "Curriculum Vitae" at the top. Center "Curriculum Vitae" on the page. Continue by typing your contact information in the upper left corner of your document. Include your name, address, phone number and email address.
     
   • 2
     Create a work history section of your CV by typing in "Work History" on a single line in bold letters. List your work history in reverse chronological order. Include the positions you held, the companies you worked for and the dates of employment. Focus on work that is related to accounting or related fields, list the names of past supervisors and be as detailed as possible in your descriptions. Curriculum vitae roughly translates to "course of life" in Latin, so you want each entry to be as complete as it can be.
     
   • 3
     Add a "Qualifications" section to your CV. You'll want to refer to the employment history you listed in the "Work History" section in this area, but focus on skills and training here. Note any specific job responsibilities or skill sets developed during your employment. While a resume might not list every training course that you took while employed in a particular position, a CV will. Remember that a CV has no length limit.
     
   • 4
     Write a section that outlines your educational background. Include dates of school attendance and degrees earned. Note any special coursework in math and accounting. List names of specific courses that are related to accounting, which will present a more complete picture of your educational background than a resume would.
     
   • 5
     Follow with a CV section entitled "Honors and Associations." Here, you'll list any honors you received from any of the clubs in which you are a member. Even if you have no awards, list the organizations. While a resume might limit entries to those related to accounting, a CV will list them all.
     
   • 6
     Read over your CV to catch any typographical errors.
     

How to Study for an Accounting Exam

Accounting can be an easy subject but it takes practice and studying to pass an Accounting exam. Working steadily throughout the course will prepare you for the exam. If you try to cram at the end you won't do as well. You need your books and all the practice materials to study for the exam. Preparation is the key to passing.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Find out what the exam will be on. Your professor can enlighten you but you should know from the subject material that you have been covering. Some teachers give a test preparation class; make sure you attend.
     
   • 2
     Review all the material that you have covered in the course. This can be lengthy but if you have been working with the material it shouldn't take that long. Sometimes your instructor will pass out information sheets which include specific areas for you to concentrate on.
     
   • 3
     Set up a study team. If you work with other members of your class to review the material you will be better prepared for any questions that may be asked.
     
   • 4
     Ask questions if there is any material that you are not sure of. Approach your professor or ask another student in the class.
     
   • 5
     Answer questions the of others who are having difficulty. The best part about this is while you are answering questions you are learning too so this is a great tool to use as often as possible.
     
   • 6
     Make sure you are prepared the day of the exam. If you need to bring certain items to the exam make sure you do. Some accounting exams are open book; make sure you have your text if you are allowed to use it.