While the fallout of the pandemic continues to affect large portions of the world’s population and economy, accountants should still be able to find open opportunities for remote and virtual work. Remote accounting jobs are out there for new graduates, those with their CPAs, and people returning to the workforce. Finding those jobs, though, may take some additional digging to understand which professions and industries are best situated to hire remote workers.
Cloud Accounting Firms
With many office environments transitioning to remote work for the foreseeable future, cloud accounting firms are finding ways to reach new clients and expand their employee-base. These firms can hire from across the country, as they serve clients through cloud-based apps or other software. This means they don’t need a central office for their employees.
While not an accounting firm, eXp Realty is an agent-owned, cloud-operated real estate brokerage that is currently hiring accountants for remote roles. These types of cloud-based companies were seeing growth before the pandemic hit, making it likely they will continue to see growth once the pandemic begins to even out.
E-commerce
Many e-commerce companies have grown exponentially during the pandemic as buyers have shifted to ordering online while sheltering in place. Instead of going to a physical store location and dealing with reduced capacities, empty shelves, or the general anxiety that can arise from being out and about in the time of COVID-19, shoppers have embraced online shopping.
E-commerce companies often have a distributed workforce. This allows their accountants to work from any location and to connect virtually through meeting software. Accountants working for e-commerce companies will likely need to develop some technical skills, especially for companies like Shopify, Stripe, and TaxJar, who are software-based.
Financial Institutions
When most people think of a bank, credit union, or other financial institution, they likely think of their physical location with ATMs, tellers, and loan officers. While it’s true that most of these locations have stayed open for customers in order to handle their day-to-day tasks, most of the back-office needs of financial institutions have shifted to remote work. This makes them both an obvious and not-so-obvious choice for those in the accounting profession looking for remote opportunities.
Some popular financial institutions hiring remotely are:
These financial institutions often look to accountants for a variety of roles. Audit managers, home lending specialists, and loan underwriters are positions which all require the financial know-how that accountants can provide.
Recruiting Firms
Numerous recruiting, hiring, and job-placement firms can help accountants find remote work that fits their job needs and skillsets. Many of these firms focus on accountants, financial experts, and other specialized roles. This helps avoid a one-size-fits-all recruiting partner that can sometimes feel like they’re looking for a sale and not the right fit.
Some recruiting firms that help place remote workers are:
Even if a recruiting firm is unable to find the right remote opportunity for an accountant, they can still offer many job-seeking benefits. For instance, these types of recruiting firms can help align accountants with the type of work that is available and also help match up knowledge and experience level with the best type of job. This allows the job seeker the ability to make an informed decision about their next place of employment.
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Startups
The term “startup” describes the state of the company more than the type of industry in which the company resides. However, startups are often great places to consider when looking for remote work simply because most startups forgo the traditional office setting for a more distributed team.
Many startups also need financial help to better understand where they are and how much of a runway they have. As startups seek IPOs, they’ll need help ensuring their financials pass the audit test, too.
The Bottom Line
Numerous companies are finding out that they don’t need an actual office to continue running and growing their companies. They also still need accountants to manage the financial aspects of their company. So, now is the time for job seekers to embrace the new norm and realize that remote accounting jobs are out there, it’s just a matter of finding the right fit.
Source: https://www.accountantlist.com/ultimate-guide-to-remote-accounting-jobs