When looking for career advancement in the accounting field, it can be difficult to know what the best methods to climb the career ladder in the accounting field are. Plenty of certifications exist, but it's hard to know which ones provide the best bang for your buck. However, there are some certifications accountants should strive to earn to progress their career, some of which are more valuable than others.

"The premier title every accountant should work toward is that of a CPA, or Certified Public Accountant," says Samantha Parris, CPA, Senior Managing Director of The Execu|Search Group's Accounting/Finance division. "As a jobseeker in this competitive market, you need to be the most marketable candidate you can be, and in the end, having those three letters next to your name can make all the difference. Because acquiring your CPA by attaining the required hours and passing the four-part exam can be a long and challenging process, the CPA certification will allow you to climb the career ranks much faster, while informing employers and accounting recruitment professionals of your wide range of specialized skills."

If you are looking for a way to set yourself apart as a Tax or Compliance professional, an alternate path you can take is to become a Certified Management Accountant.  While similar to the CPA, this certification provides more preparation for jobs in compliance such as auditing as well as tax and transaction work.

Specific qualifications

Many additional qualifications can provide accountants with highly specified skills, giving them the opportunity to excel in an individual industry. Options include becoming a certified internal auditor, fraud examiner, bank auditor or enrolled agent. For those who know what field they want to specialize in, without taking the large amount of time necessary for a CPA, these certifications can provide a fine-tuned expertise for a specific role – and if you already have a CPA, extra specialization can help you go the extra mile when you're applying for jobs.

These certifications can help you stand out in and take advantage of the rising demand for accounting professionals in the current job market.. In New Jersey, for instance, the accounting industry is expected to make significant strides leading into 2014, with 87 percent of all CPAs expecting their businesses to grow, according to Accounting Web. Not only does this mean qualified candidates are in high demand, but recruiters can also take advantage, helping connect the best candidates (with the best qualifications) to the businesses in need of their services.