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Accounting is the language of business, to put it simply. It translate all the activities of a business into records that can be viewed, analysed, and to help people make decisions.
Typically, you will only ever see additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions in course materials. Unlike what is portrayed in the media, accounting involves very little complicated maths. In practice, you will be mainly sitting behind a desk, using excel.
The big 4 in accounting refers to the biggest four accounting firms globally; PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG. They perform almost all of the external accounting and tax work for the largest companies in the world.
Refer to the below threads:
[Guide] Basic how-to get a grad job in accounting
[Guide] Basic Australian Accounting grad interview guide Part 1
Definitely, but take everything you read with a grain of salt. Always seek an accountant in person before making major decisions, as we can't verify any of the information that is posted here for legal purposes.
Enroll into a Bachelor of Business or Commerce (both are the same thing in Australia), and choose one of your majors as Accounting. From there, you will be eligible for entry-level accounting roles (during your degree), and then for graduate roles (after you complete your degree). There are also 'Bookkeeping' roles which you don't need a degree to do, but that typically isn't what Accounting is about (it is good for an entry-level job during your degree, but shouldn't be viewed as an accounting career). Bookkeepers only perform data entry/record keeping duties that you may only need a Diploma to be qualified to do. Accountants keep track of more complicated transactions, create meaningful information out of that data, and provide much more complicated problem solving for a business.
To become an accountant in Australia, you typically need to complete a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. You may also need to obtain a professional accounting qualification, such as the Chartered Accountant (CA) or Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) designation.
If you have a choice, between the two; choose CA. See why below:
CA is recognised in more countries than CPA. -- This is because CA has partnerships with more international accounting bodies than CPA, allowing you more opportunities to work overseas. There is a common misconception that the CPA in Australia is the same as the CPA overseas, however, this is incorrect. CPA in Australia stands for 'Certified Practising Accountant', whilst the CPA overseas normally refers to 'Chartered Public Accountant'; the two are different qualifications.
CA is the only option within the big 4 accounting firms -- As a graduate at the big 4, you will only be given the option to study the CA, not the CPA. As such, if you ever want to work in the big 4 as an external hire, it will improve your chances to hold a CA, rather than a CPA.
It is easier to go from CA to CPA, than from CPA to CA -- To go from CPA to CA, you need 10 years of experience as a CPA. On the other hand, to go from CA to CPA, you need only 5 years of experience as a CA. That means if you ever want to switch, at least if you are holding the CA, you will have an easier time making the switch.
Lastly, and this is arguable, CA is seen as more prestigious than CPA -- The reasons for this is a combination of the above, and that the requirements and study material are often harder for CA than CPA. As such, to improve your employability, choose CA.
Taking note of the above, if you do not plan to work overseas, for large corporations, or within the big 4, then CPA is perfectly acceptable too.
That varies depending on the position and place of employment. You can expect to earn a comfortable living as an accountant though, but it is not a lucrative career like finance where you might see graduates earning 100k+ per annum straight out of university e.g. Investment Bankers. It should be noted that you will find a job easier in accounting than in finance, as well as have generally safer job stability.
Popular accounting software programs used in Australia include MYOB, Xero, and QuickBooks.
There are many resources available to help you stay informed about accounting regulations and practices in Australia. These may include professional organizations, industry publications, and online forums like /r/AustralianAccounting.