Engineers and Accountants

[johnnymk]

I was thinking about an incident around twenty years ago at the job I retired from. I was talking with a couple of my co-workers about the degree of difficulty of the engineering profession relative to the accounting profession.
I remarked that engineers could easily become accountants, while accountants would have a difficult time in the engineering world.
Well, did that ever create a lot of friction with one of the guys who did not have an engineering degree. He claimed that the IQ level of accountants was BLAH BLAH, and I should never feel that they were incapable of becoming engineers.
I told him that an example of this was how students in the Engineering school at Drexel who didn't do very well would go into the Business Administration side of the college and do extremely well.
I really didn't want to get into the subject any deeper, but it did create ill feelings for some time.
I know that the accountants that I have met are very smart, but like most engineers are very dry and analytical and seem to prefer predictable isolated environments.
I have always liked exploring new territory. In this technological age we live in, there is so much to explore .
But accounting...how boring!!
What is the point of this post? I don't have the slightest clue.
:D :D

[bachviet]

Everybody is different in term of analytical levels but it doesn't mean that accountants are not smart. But I agree that it's harder to switch from accounting major to engineering major than the other way around.

[gear02]

yay engineers!


What is the point of this post? I don't have the slightest clue.

Isn't that what engineers do best? :D

[WhiskeyPapa]

For the last 9 years, I have been working as a software developer writing accounting software. Whenever we have an opening for a programmer we have two choices - we can hire an accounting-type person and train them to program, or we can hire a programmer and teach them accounting.

It is ALWAYS easier to teach a programmer accounting than it is to teach an accountant programming.

[attgig]

I agree.

engineers require that specialized education to do their job function, while accountants...well, everyone does accounting at home to a certain extent


the accountants in my company work the most hours.....but analyzing their work over the past few months... (part of my job...programming stuff for them), it's just tedious work...not hard stuff.

[mcs328]

I used to major in Mechanical Engineering but switched to Business. Not as an accountant but they offered Information systems. Now I'm a database/application developer. The business classes were a breeze b/c it's just like engineering. You get a formula and you plug an chug just like engineering except engineering you have to solve a few other things first. And a programmer has to have some creativity I think while accountants with creativity become like Arthur Anderson or do an Enron. Not a good thing.

In the defense to the accounting community I guess they do have to keep up with different accounting practices and laws. Engineers I think have a set of unchanging formula to work with. Programmers always have new software to work with and changing business requirements to adapt to.

[Grimm]

Originally posted by mcs328
...

In the defense to the accounting community I guess they do have to keep up with different accounting practices and laws. Engineers I think have a set of unchanging formula to work with. Programmers always have new software to work with and changing business requirements to adapt to. While engineers have to deal with new materials, or regulations themselves. Or software engineers have to deal with new and everchanging requirements, new development software, new opperating systems, new hardware, and new programing languages.

Yes, accountants are intelegent people, they are good at what they do. I don't think they are as adaptable as engineers. Their strength lies in consistancy. An engineers strength lies in adaptability. An Engineer can do an accountants job, but not with any real endurance. An engineer couldn't keep it up for as long as long.

[mcs328]

Originally posted by Grimm
While engineers have to deal with new materials, or regulations themselves. Or software engineers have to deal with new and everchanging requirements, new development software, new opperating systems, new hardware, and new programing languages.

Yes, accountants are intelegent people, they are good at what they do. I don't think they are as adaptable as engineers. Their strength lies in consistancy. An engineers strength lies in adaptability. An Engineer can do an accountants job, but not with any real endurance. An engineer couldn't keep it up for as long as long.

That last line sounds like it came off a T-shirt I wouldn't want to buy for myself. :heh:

I think some engineers can go on for days or hours working on whatever they do. And I believe accountants do too with all the corprate crap they have to verify like make sure the shredder isn't too full. *zing* I'm kidding!! :) Accountants work like 60+ hour work weeks according to my accounting friends. Some even 80+.

[Merlin]

I think it is wrong to generally compare the intelligence of the two. There are very smart people in each field, smart as people anywhere. Be very careful drawing conclusions based on what field someone feels more comfortable in.

Moreover, someone could have made a great engineer but decided to go into accounting because the money is just as good, if not better, and there is significantly better job security as accounting is much less cyclical in nature.

[brainsmile]

Originally posted by DarkFury

This is why some of us branch out into "Systems Accountants" where you get to work with accounting systems and related technology versus just plain everyday debit/credit accounting.

BTW... since engineers use more advanced math (i.e. calculus, E-math, trigonometry, geometry, and algebra) versus accountants which use mostly algebra, it's not really fair to compare the two.

Personally, I didn't really want to use all of the higher math that was required by Engineering...however I don't feel that I am "less smart" than they are, I just had a different motivation back when I chose my educational/career path.

What's systems accountants? DF you can just PM or email me with an explanation. Seriously I'm curious.

[brainsmile]

do you like accounting in general and what took you towards systems accounting? I was wondering how hard a transition like that is.

[Showtime]

A good accountant is not going to replaced by a failed engineer.
Anyone can crunch numbers, but to have some passion for finding loopholes and to know tax laws inside and out is rare.

I work with one of the top electrical engineers in the business, seems there isnt anything this guy cant solve. From military to automotive to heavy machinery and appliances he has a knack for finding the solution. Those skills can command a lot of money. His college degree is in physics, btw.

The engineers I've met have this superiority thing going. They say things to the effect that other people couldnt do what they do and they believe it. A lot of them tend to be quiet or talk way too much, which gets them in situations with fellow employees. Both signs of spending too much time in their own solder filled worlds. Very competitive which can be good and bad. I could care less as long as they keep producing and the companies doing well. A good engineer is worth his weight in gold and than some IMO.

-jel:halo:
ps: He keeps telling me he can teach me engineering basics if I get bored with the business side (yeah right).