Anxious parents of school going children often wonder which career is the best for their children. When you consider various factors, it would appear like a career in accounting holds out the best promise. In the US, accounting jobs are likely to be more numerous, at least in the near future, compared to other jobs. According to a report done by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, accounting jobs are likely to experience robust growth of about 22% between the year 2008 and the year 2018. That is much higher than the growth expected for other jobs, which stands at just 17% for the same period. The percentage growth for accounting jobs translates to a healthy 280,000 new jobs in that period.There are several factors that can account for the higher-than-average growth expected for accounting jobs. In a world where financial systems are constantly evolving, both businesses and individuals alike are likely to require the services of accountants to keep track of their money and comply with government’s fiscal regulations. Accountants, however, do a lot more than just keep company books; they advise companies on various ways to deploy their cash too.In the modern globalization arena, accountants play a central role. A financially flatter and more intertwined world definitely means that there will be a greater demand for more expertise in international trade as well as other related aspects such as corporate mergers and acquisitions. That is one big reason the accounting jobs are enjoying boom time and large accounting firms are busy hiring more accountants.The accounting profession is highly flexible. Accountants can find work with both large multinational corporations and small bookkeeping operations alike. About 8% of accountants are self-employed. Lucrative accounting jobs such as public accounting require 4-year degrees and a CPA designation or advanced degree. This takes years of hard study.Switching CareersPerhaps one of the biggest factors that might favor a career in IT instead of one in accounting is ease of career change. Accounting is not suited for mid or late career changes. This is because a person with just a few working years left is not likely to recoup his or her investment if he or she decides to trade careers. For late to mid-late career changes, a person would be better off looking for IT jobs. The growth prospects for IT jobs are better than those of accounting jobs and stand at 30% from the year 2008 to 2018, according to the BLS. The field of IT is highly versatile and one can enter the field from different directions ranging from a help desk to a job in project management or analysts job. The IT space also better accommodates different levels of education compared to accounting.To make a career switch to IT from accounting, online training is usually enough. The person who makes such a switch can easily leverage this fact to his or her advantage. This is because employers are likely to view such a person as someone who can easily adapt to new environments. That is perhaps the most important skill an employee can have.