I enjoyed reading your article. I agree with you that accounting is a necessary skill for analysts, which is why my first profession was in accounting even though I wanted to be an equity analyst. However, after spending 5 years in accounting, getting a CFA and an MBA, I found that I was pigeon-holed to always be an accountant. I found this has also be true for other accountant I met as well. Thus, when college students ask me whether they should go into accounting for a couple of years before jumping over to finance, I always say no.