Government Accounting - OMD, GAO, CAO - Let's Talk

Want to become an accountant? Well you must consider first if you wish to work in the private sector, for the government, or even in the nonprofit sector. You might even work for a wealthy family handling their needs. In business you might work with small businesses, tax returns, or large corporations. But just for kicks let's say you wish to work with the government. If you do you should have job security because the government has a budget of over $1.5 trillion of taxpayer's money. The interesting thing about government accounting is if you happen to work in the forecasting and budgetary offices.

Why is this interesting you ask? Well, because often enough it seems as if the forecasting is more like wishful thinking, and offices like the OMD, CAO, and GAO work hard to come up with the desired answer, almost like working backwards from the problem. Recently, the OMD (not OMG) and Congressional Accounting Office has come under fire for the accounting work they did on Obama Care, and whereas I am sure the individuals who did that accounting will be able to keep their jobs, there are a lot of people who are very unhappy with what had transpired.

Because those reports were publicized in the national media, many congressmen and women who were concerned with Obama Care could not vote against the bill without upsetting their constituency. In some regards one could say that these government accounting officials caused this legislation to happen, and they were very much pawns in a much bigger scheme. And you thought government accounting was going to be easy? Just as if you are in a large Corporation, or you are asked to compromise the books and numbers by perhaps a business client, your integrity will determine the outcome of future events.

Now if you are a lower level accountant, this isn't such a big deal, as you will just be recording what happened in the various agencies that you might choose to work in. However, if you work at a higher level in one of the larger government accounting agencies, you may find yourself in a position you may not wish to be in. And this is definitely something to think about if you are considering working in the public sector as an accountant in Washington DC. Sure, it's a great job with great benefits, but there are other things you need to consider, and know how far you are willing to push the limits. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.