Career Choice among Accounting’s Undergraduates

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that influence accounting undergraduates' decision to pursue a career in a Big 4 accounting firm. Career decisions require students to consider their interests, talents, abilities, and values, which is critical for students wishing to succeed in highly competitive graduate labour markets. Making informed and proper job choices has been shown to improve one's well-being, academic performance, and professional success. This study gathered quantitative data from 288 Accounting undergraduates in a Malaysian private university. Using multiple regression analysis in Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 22.0, the findings suggest that salary benefit, employer reputation and personal values have largely influenced their career choices. From an academic point of view, this study makes a significant effort by elucidating the role of career growth, employer reputation, personality, and compensation in deciding undergraduate career choice.