Research on the reasons preventing accounting program graduates from continuing the accounting profession: Case of province of Balıkesir

It is known that accounting had emerged for dispelling the disorganization caused by the birth of commerce. Higher education plays a vital role in teaching this system which is necessary for humanity. Teaching an individual vocational knowledge and skills at school and preparing them to the business world in a fully equipped way will provide efficiency, appreciation, happiness and thus continuity in their job. However, it is observed that accounting program graduates take a part in the profession due to a variety of reasons after graduation. Considering the choice stage, education, working conditions and work-life balance of the profession, the question why individuals do not continue this profession became the problematic of this research. The research was conducted to examine the reasons preventing accounting graduates from continuing the accounting profession on the basis of the province of Balıkesir population. The method of the research was the profound interview technic, which is among qualitative research technics. The data acquired as a result of the profound interviews carried out using a semi-structured interview form with the participation of 21 accounting professions were analyzed and coded. As a result of the research, it was found that the accounting graduates did not continue the profession due to reasons like income, requirement of experienced personnel in job applications, family, failure of finding a job and unwillingness to work. Also, it was determined that work load of the profession psychologically scared the accounting graduates and they thought that they would not spend time with their families and have a private life. It was found that the accounting graduates needed the support of school, employer and government from the stage of choosing the university until job placement after graduation. In this context, it is believed that the obstacles for accounting graduates to work in this area could be significantly prevented by bringing an arrangement in most issues such as conscious university choice, applied vocational courses, increasing the internship time and competence, government support in their employment, alleviation of work load by sharing the work intensity in workplaces and increasing the number of personnel, and work hours.