The Freelance Life

The accounting shortage is giving CPAs who'd rather not settle down a chance to pursue their trade without giving up their independence. Writing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, Neal St. Anthony looks at the freelance accounting life through the eyes of "veteran accountants and financial analysts" Emmy Perrizo and Debra Deanovic. "No longer are they hostage to reorganizations, a new manager's whims and extra work on nights and weekends just to hang on to their rungs of the corporate ladder," he writes.

"I can count on myself and I don't have to worry about doing some work or some job that I don't want to do," Perrizo said. "In a permanent position, there are fewer options. I had more seniority in some of these consulting positions than anybody on the staff."

These two women work through placement agencies to choose tax, merger, foreign or other projects of their liking, lasting for several months to more than a year. Demand has never been higher in the Twin Cities and nationally for veteran financial analysts, accountants and even information technology professionals at some companies, according to a study released Friday by Robert Half, the placement and recruiting firm.

And, the kicker, to me:

And Salo, another Twin Cities firm that places financial professionals, last month commissioned research with the Minnesota Society of CPAs that revealed that there will be a shortage of about 7,300 accountants in the Twin Cities within several years.

Carrying CPA credentials, these bounty hunters in demand [Star-Tribune]