Accounting will be valuable to you no matter what career you choose. All managers have to deal with budgets and if you work in museums, this becomes a particularily sensitive issue as you don't have any money to waste. PLus it also helps when you are looking to get more funding or trying to increase your own budget.

For example, my bf has an MBA and owns his own small company. He's currently taking a business accounting certification course not so much to be an accountant but to be able to better understand what his accountants do. It will also help him make budget projections, understand the business taxes and better manage finances.

Plus it makes you look much more in control over your work esp. when talking to potenial donors or investors. If you can give people hard numbers about what you have and what you need, they will have more confidence in you and give you more money. If you go out with an attitude of "we're poor, we need money because we're a museum," people aren't going to have confidence that you know what you are doing with your money and be less likely to give it to you.

I wish I'd taken an account class, as much as I would have utterly hated it but it would have been very beneficial in the long run.

deb

In a message dated Thu, 14 Sep 2000  8:26:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Jennifer Lynn <[log in to unmask]> writes:

<< I am hoping to one day work in an education department of a children's or sc=
ience museum, and I have a question for all those who work in education depa=
rtments. I am a college student currently taking an accounting class and I w=
as wondering, what use will this particular class be to me in my chosen care=
er path?  I don't understand why I have to take it, because I am going into=20=
museum education, not any type of management. Could someone please enlighten=
 me?

Jennifer Lynn
Tusculum College
Class of 2001
Go Pioneers!

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