Choosing a college major was once largely guided by such metrics as personal interest, strong skill sets, family work history and scores on career aptitude tests. But for Gen Z, the advent of transformative new technologies — most prominently artificial intelligence — is now often at the top of that list and is having a significant impact. The
As part of a tax practice that hired more than 2,200 new professionals and interns in the U.S. alone last year — still on par with most recent years — I'm always interested in the factors shaping students' decisions about college majors and ultimately career choices. I want to see more smart, motivated Gen Z and Gen Alpha students choose careers in accounting. So, it is important to me to get the word out that, while the accounting profession has always been a great choice, it now has entered a particularly exciting period of revolutionary — and positive — change largely driven by AI.
Here's why this is a strong moment for accounting:
- Because AI feeds on data and, in most organizations, there is no greater storehouse of diverse, highly valued and granular information about a business than the departments most involved in various accounting-related activities — tax, finance, audit, risk management, etc. Virtually every decision-maker in an organization will confirm that important decision-making often depends on how quickly and reliably data can be mined and converted into strategically relevant information.
- As a result, accountants are adopting new AI capabilities to retool outdated manual processes and redesign workflows for greater efficiency and quality. For those choosing a career in accounting, this means more interesting, critical-thinking work, more time for client interactions and teaming with colleagues, and more opportunities to make significant contributions to the organization.
- Adding to the boost provided by AI, other major economic developments also need accounting expertise. As the number and complexity of U.S. and global regulations continue to change and expand — including in relatively recent areas such as environmental, social and governance standards reporting, digital finance, and cybersecurity — organizations are in greater need of professionals who can interpret and help comply with the new rules. Compliance and regulatory capabilities are increasingly valued as a strategic differentiator.
Admittedly, I am biased, but I am not alone in believing that accounting — as a major, as a skill set, as a career or the basis of a career — is an excellent choice. In its
In addition to the options and versatility attributes of accounting studies, a recent
Their focus on security and development makes accounting a career choice that addresses both their values and their aspirations. And the March 2026 issue of the
Showing students where accounting can take them
Not surprisingly, changing perceptions and enhanced appreciation of accounting skills are also favorite topics of Brad Badertscher, chair of accountancy at Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.
"We need to do a better job of marketing what accounting is really all about and be able to put that in perspective with what today's university students are looking for in their work lives," he says. "All you have to do is look at a list of our accounting major alumni and you see huge levels of flexibility about what an accounting major can do for a career."
Brad also recognizes that unless a freshman has been influenced by a parent or other family member who went into accounting, it can be hard to see the long-term advantages. But he likes to stress what he calls the "optionality" provided by an accounting degree.
"No other course of study provides more options, including basic business operations, data analytics, computer skills, Python, Power BI and now AI, among others," he says. "And once in a role using those skills, you also right away learn about being part of a team as well as working with internal leaders or outside clients across a range of industries."
An 'optionality' sampler: real careers, genuine flexibility
When I visit university campuses and meet with business students, I focus on this diversity of opportunities and share stories of the varied career paths taken by business executives I personally know — stories that bring to life real choices and highlight the sometimes-circuitous routes that led to their ultimate roles. While their paths may not have been shaped by today's newest technologies like AI, they show the same enduring point: Accounting skills create flexibility across industries and roles.
One such example is Ann Mennel, who now serves as CFO of Merit Energy Company, one of the largest privately held U.S.-based oil and gas companies. She says she got both undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting because she was uncertain of exactly what she wanted to do in business but believed accounting would provide a solid foundation. She started out in investment banking, then joined a Big Four accounting firm and then transitioned to private equity, joining Merit's treasury and risk management division 22 years ago.
"On any given day," she says, "I can discuss general partnership taxation matters, review and understand a GAAP financial statement, and talk to a financial reporting manager about gain/loss, to name just a few. Call me dorky if you want to, but all that background has given me the knowledge and understanding I needed to move from a risk role to investor relations and then to treasury before being named CFO at Merit five years ago."
Matt Zimmer, global head of investment banking at William Blair, offers still more wisdom. He says he came to understand the superpower of an accounting background when he first began dealing with investment banking clients.
"We were doing a lot of M&A advisory, divestitures and carve-outs, and I had the ability to speak the same language as our investment banking clients, who often are CFOs and CPAs. Having a fluency in discussing financials and income statements gave me a special way to connect with them and that helped me to continue to advance." Advance he did: Matt now manages a $1 billion business at William Blair and 700 finance professionals.
Matt met his wife, Marny, in an accounting class and notes that she also got her undergraduate degree in accounting but then went on to law school. She had a passion for social justice and became a prosecutor. In that legal role, she employed her accounting skills to "follow the money" as she investigated and argued corruption cases, capably tracing paper trails and analyzing banking records and the flow of funds tied to crimes.
Sharda Cherwoo provides yet another great example. Sharda, a Fortune 100 board director, advisor to AI companies, executive in residence at Columbia University and former Big Four accounting firm partner, says she was inspired by her father, a chartered accountant who "built a remarkable career from humble beginnings." She studied accounting, got her CPA and has since built many successful roles on that foundation.
"I believe an accounting education trains you to be a structured problem solver and critical thinker," she says, "and those skills translate to important contributions everywhere — from the startup table to the boardroom. It provides a window into how different organizations create and sustain value." She says the discipline of accounting enables one to improve risk evaluation, ask better questions and "see around corners" in ways that are more important today than ever.
Source of a broader world view
As with my friends mentioned here, I also have enjoyed a variety of roles stemming from my accounting degree. I started out in audit, then focused on international tax, then M&A and, most recently, on market-based leadership — in the U.S. East Coast and Americas tax practices. Along the way, I had the opportunity to lead the talent program for Americas Tax, which centered me on the needs and aspirations of our people — our greatest asset!
From these experiences I came to understand and appreciate more fully what was happening in our global economy, developments in new technologies and socioeconomic shifts in generational characteristics and workforce needs. As with the others featured here, it has been an interesting, expansive and rewarding journey.
Today, accounting professionals are at the center of using their knowledge of business, their imagination and their enterprising nature to engineer more efficient and effective tools and processes driven by AI — and soon other new technologies. And they possess presentation and communication skills that convincingly convey the value of their ideas and solutions.
Wherever they go, accounting graduates bring with them the innate capabilities and skills that support solid financial planning, help ensure fiscal health and ultimately keep our capital markets strong. In today's environment, it also helps to bring a healthy dose of "trust-but-verify" skepticism that comes with attesting to accuracy — including AI work products.
I hope increasing numbers of today's students come to appreciate the benefits of the study of accounting … of not having to depend on someone else to do what you already understand and know how to do yourself. It's today's way of working successfully and of confidently building a better career, life and future.
