What do accountants do? : perceptions of secondary school students in a regional Queensland city

The role of the accountant and the work that accountants engage in has changed in recent times. The work has changed from accountants merely being ‘bean counters’ to accountants being ‘extreme’ and involved in all facets of business. This research asked secondary school students in a regional Queensland city the question: what do accountants do? The results show that the traditional perception of accounting work pervades. The paper is important as it argues that more must be done to show potential students of accountancy at secondary level (and future accountants) that the work of accountants entails more than just numbers.