How useful is a double major in Accounting and Marketing?

Question

How useful is a double major in Accounting and Marketing?

Answer 1

Wow... it's a major left brain AND right brain decision.

Depends on what you want to do.  Personally, I can't see the Accounting and Marketing thing doing anything for you beyond making you better at budgeting.  

Accounting is the process of recording the transactions of the company for purposes of regulatory filing, reporting, auditing, and measure.

Marketing is the process of creating and satisfying demand for a company's goods and services.

To me... the twain just don't meet.

That said, you don't have to give either side of your brain a rest.  My suggestion is to double major in FINANCE and MARKETING.

Finance you say?  Why.. isn't that like accounting.  Nay, my friend, nay.

Finance is the process by which we analyze value, understand the flow of cash and capital in a company, and develop scenarios by which we can operate the business over the mid to long term.

The hook of finance and marketing to me is much clearer:

.  If you go left brain and become the head of Finance in a company... being able to understand the marketing strategy and the 5 "p's" will be invaluable as you plan budgets and scenarios and look at efficient capital allocation.

. If the right brain prevails and you become a Chief Marketing Officer, then a) you can go toe to toe with the head of finance over how to best manage the capital of the business to do your product development, marketing programs etc.  PLUS, you'll probably be able to actually read their complex financial models that tell suggest you have to figure out how to double sales next year!  

Finally, you can have fun like me.  I run a function called corporate development.  I do long term strategy and acquisitions.  Therefore, I have to understand (and sometimes challenge) the product and marketing strategy, and I have to work closely with Finance to do the right models and valuations (especially when I'm buying a company).

Finance and Marketing.... it's like "peas and carrots"!

Sorry.. stole that from Forrest Gump.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Accounting is very useful when you want to help out in companies accounts, when the economy is doing very well, there will be many new companies hiring accountants, but getting a job is tough unless you have a few years of experience, so if you have an accounting diploma with some years of experience, go ahead. Get a CPA at the end for a much brighter prospect.

Marketing is more of a common sense thing, so you don't need this to get a job in marketing anyway, so study something that is technical, like computing instead, or engineering, as this world is in need of new technologies...