Accountants have to change at the speed of business-and in today's business environment, the pace of change can be staggering. General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), SEC Rules and Regulations, and IRS regulations are constantly being revised. All accountants must be knowledgeable about these changes as they occur. And aside from all of the accounting regulations, you must be aware of national business trends, and any industry news that can help you serve a client better.

Many firms offer seminars that help their employees stay knowledgeable about the evolving accounting environment. When considering a prospective employer, be sure to ask what continuing education options they have. Here at KPMG, we are especially proud of our ongoing, real-time training.

Each KPMG employee has a specific training strategy-which they develop with advice from their performance manager. KPMG puts a strong emphasis on professional development, and has allied with a world-class long distance learning network, The Knowledge Channel. In addition, each KPMG employee receives a firm-wide newsletter each week, as well as a weekly newsletter segmented to their service line.

But don't depend solely on your employer for education-you are ultimately responsible for the work that you do. Subscribe to technical and business updates. Web sites designed for the accounting profession, industry trades, and daily newspapers assist you in staying abreast of changes as they occur. In this ever-shrinking world, accounting is fast becoming a global profession. It is simply not acceptable to lose track of domestic or international regulation changes.

Diligence in professional education will reap many rewards-clients will forge ongoing relationships with accounting professionals that are knowledgeable, thoughtful, and leaders in their field.