When you picture an accountant the first thing that comes to my mind is an old man sitting in white shirt, bow tie, and suspenders. He leans over his work squinting through his thick-lensed glasses as he types on his printing calculator with a dim desk light overhead filtering through his green visor onto the mass of paper. Chances are this is what you pictured to and I am here to tell you accounting certainly does not have to be that way. Yes, there will always be records, debits, and credits involved but a career in accounting can actually lead you down interesting roads. Here are some of the different off-the-beaten-path jobs that you can take as you pursue an accounting career.

Sports Accountant

Your professors are an amazing contact to make. They have experience in your chosen field and can offer you great advice as you leave school. They also have a powerful professional network of their own and can give you access to this if you prove yourself in and out of class. Stop by their office after class and chat with them, ask them advice, and look for leads. Your professors want to help you and will often give you time outside of class to do so. Surprisingly many students never speak with their professors outside of the classroom.

Find valuable students, like minded Make friends at college. They may not have large networks but your friends and fellow students represent and investment that you can draw into later in your career. Make sure to sustain these contacts over the decades as they can prove to be very valuable. Go to special events like meet the dean

2. Set Your Schedule

International Accountant

If traveling the world is your taste becoming an international accountant could be the ticket. Business is becoming increasingly global and firms need individuals to manage and protect their influences throughout the world. Trade treaties, varying taxes, currency exchanges, import taxes, all need to be taken into account in order to give your company the advantage over its competitors. You will probably end up learning different languages and become familiar with many cultures in order to succeed. This job requires a skilled individual who can manage not only different accounting rules, but entirely different systems.

Forensic Accountant

LinkedIn is the big one but there are other social media outlets to do this. The important concept is to make connections online. It can be very difficult to keep your phone numbers up to date and keep in contact. Social media sites allow you to do this easily.

Make connections at work and in internships This is the direct source. Go to work and learn at internships and jobs but make sure that you leave with more than a paycheck. Develop personal relationships with these individuals and become friends. Go to work activities afterhours. This will help them remember you as an individual instead of a position. Be memorable.