The scope of the role played by an accountant in an organisation has grown in both its width and depth that the students aspiring to become accountants especially professional accountants need to equip themselves with knowledge in various areas hitherto thought of as unrelated to the field.
From using computers for accounting, the organisations are moving towards computerising their total operations and processes using the popularly called ERP packages.
Computerisation eliminated the chore of manual work that used to be performed by accountants and at the same time has created innumerable possibilities for collection of additional data as well as analysis of existing and the additional data.
Opening up local markets (which were shielded from competition and were allowed to stay inefficient) to global organisations has compelled even the local organisations to realise the need for efficiency.
As markets opened up and investments started flowing across boundaries, the reporting needs of the organisation also grew. Globalisation has brought in the need for standardisation (in accounting even). Compliance to a number of standards with regard to capital market needs as well as corporate and taxation needs in both maintaining the accounting system and producing the various reports is required by almost all organisations with a global presence.
All these make it imminent for the accounting students to prepare themselves for these wide range of functions they may be required to perform in the future. It also throws up an opportunity to specialise in these fields. Get prepared to have a choice of wide range of careers by the time you complete your academics.