Hello Class, my name is Roxann and I am currently pursuing my Associate degree in Business Administration. I live in Davenport, IA, and I have worked for Amazon for almost 5 years. I'm interested in operations and supply chain jobs where I can use managerial accounting skills, even though I don’t have an accounting degree.

Question

One job I found interesting is the Area Manager position at an Amazon fulfillment center, where I currently work. It involves budgeting, scheduling, cost control, and keeping track of team performance. I like that it includes leadership responsibilities and offers a chance to make operations run more smoothly.

In your responses to two peers, compare and contrast the career opportunities they found with your own selections. Consider the following questions to help guide your response:

Was what your peers found interesting about their chosen positions similar to or different from what you highlighted in your initial post?
Do you agree with their comparison of jobs that require a background in managerial accounting versus those that require a background in financial accounting?

Answer 1

Hello Roxann,

It's great to hear about your background and current pursuit in Business Administration! Your interest in the Area Manager position at Amazon really highlights your hands-on experience with the company and your desire to leverage your skills in operations and supply chain management.

When responding to your peers, you might find the following points helpful for constructing your feedback:

1. Similarities and Differences: Pay attention to what your peers find interesting about their job selections. If one peer has chosen a role that is heavily focused on data analysis in finance, you can compare that to your interest in budgeting and cost control. Highlight how both roles require analytical skills, but yours also involves a strong leadership component within a team-based environment.

2. Job Comparisons: Consider what each of you sees as essential for their chosen roles. For example, if a peer discusses a job requiring extensive financial forecasting skills, you can acknowledge the importance of financial accounting but emphasize how operations management often leans on managerial accounting for decision-making related to day-to-day activities, performance metrics, and efficiency improvements.

3. Expertise Perspective: If one of your peers emphasizes that jobs in their field require deep financial accounting knowledge for roles focused primarily on external reporting, share your perspective that managerial accounting involves more internal processes that could align well with operational efficiency, like in your Area Manager role.

By drawing out these comparisons, you can engage thoughtfully with your peers' insights while reinforcing your own career aspirations within business operations. I look forward to seeing how your discussions grow!