The work in public accounting and the perceptions of the Generation Y

Abstract

The article presents the results a survey to a sample of students from Generation Y about their perceptions of the work in public accounting. The majority of the students will like to complete a graduate degree after finishing their undergraduate studies, not necessarily obtaining the certified public accountant certification (CPA). In addition, the principal factors that attracts students to select public accounting as a career are: opportunity to work with different clients and obtain better experience and incentives for professional certifications. The results can be of interest for recruiters in accountant firms because they provide additional information about the needs and perceptions of their prospective future employees. Finally, the results can be applied to other business areas.