Open any Fortune 500 magazine and take a look at the most important chief financial heads -- they will be CPAs. This is indeed one the most coveted professions. These people are trusted to see to the financial doings of all kinds of businesses and operations, public and private.

To become a certified public accountant, you need to pass the Uniform CPA exam, developed and maintained by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This makes you professionally licensed to provide public services like attestation and auditing. You can also provide opinions on publicly distributed financial statements. In some states, you cannot call yourself a CPA until you have a license. To take the exam you must have 150 hours of semester time or a 4-year university degree. Some states even require work experience before you can take the test.

Do note that once you are a CPA, some require that you continue taking professional education courses every year, so that you can maintain your professional license to practice. To be a successful CPA you should have strong mathematical and analysis abilities. You will have to evaluate, and understand facts and figures swiftly to make accurate judgments. Good spoken and written communication abilities, with a high level of interpersonal skills and the capacity to work in several types of environment and teams is a definite career advantage. In todays changing world it is essential to be computer and business savvy. Once you have become a licensed CPA you can choose from a range of career paths.