Top-9 US Job: Accountant
Now, if you got this silly joke, and you like it, your calling is 90% an accountant. No doubt, nothing is impossible without the knowledge of accounting today. It is important to keep company’s budget in balance, but it’s not that easy as it requires a high organization. So, what are the principle professional attributes and personal qualities of the accountant or financial counselor?
What does CPA stand for? Can’t Pass Again.
Accountants operate a range of numbers and have to be attentive to details. That is the bad thing. The good thing is that they are actually well-paid and organized. In addition, they act as controllers, making everyone fear around. These people are, as a rule, stable and VERY hard to fire. A lot depends on accounting office so many employers depend on the qualified accountants and auditors. However, as you may guess, turning a professional accountant requires a lot of nerves and patience as you can spend days on carrying out a single project. Just as a financial manager, you have not just to control all financial operations, but recommend on further decisions.
I. Related Positions
There is no wonder accounting & finances go hand in hand. These two disciplines deal with company budget and, what is more important, its planning and forecasting.
Creativity is something we do not associate with this position, but it is wrong. Not only product or service, but budget planning can be turned for a better. Employers appreciate those CPAs who can come up with a tax return for free if the customer cooperates with him for tax planning task. You are supposed to state that you are aware that when you think about a tax return for the particular business what that business can reach. You have to share that value with the manager, boss, business owner, whoever is in the head. If you have a look at your typical service deliverables, is there something you can do to add more value for the client/customer?
Accountants rarely operate independently from any organization. Pure accounting agencies possess only around five people on the team. If to consider accounting companies by the headcount, we’ll see that small firms dominate. Accountants are nor afraid of risks, so whenever you need some advice regarding risk management, you know whom to talk to.
How can you tell if the head of the accounting team is getting soft? In case he/she actually listens to the marketing department before saying “no.”
And that is true so far. Accountants are all as stubborn as a mule. They are sure in their point of view, so it’s sometimes impossible to persuade them. That is a bad trait as far as they often rely on blind facts and data instead of trying to forecast and analyze other potential outcomes.
Accountants are present in a range of areas: at the federal, banking, production, academic, and other levels. Do not pay attention to the type or activities of the organization as an accountant’s required personal features, experience, traits, and skill/ability sets are the same everywhere.
III. Honesty and Integrity
Professional accountants must oversee and manage all financial records. Analysts then have to come up with certain conclusions based on the historical records. They may also possess access to a company’s insignificant cash, investments, and bank accounts. Therefore, an accountant must be reliable and honest. To defend the company from theft or fraud, they have to obey the standard accounting methods and organizational policies.
IV. Professional Skills and Expertise
To practice/intern/train for this financially meaningful position, one should possess professional approach to managing budget and expertise based on at least 2 years of experience in the corresponding field. Except for the knowledge of basic accounting skills, accountants must be IT-literate, have a general understanding of spreadsheet apps and be able to accomplish multiple tasks at a time.
V. Leadership/Management Skills
Accountants may be asked to lead entire teams, forecast project results, and enforce some of the company policies.
In the end, powerful communication and conflict resolution skills are crucial to succeed in the field. It all involves speaking in public, persuading in one’s truth, and the ability to write persuasive letters, reports, and other documents.
VI. Attention to Detail!
Handling lots of numbers and tricky formulas (that drives me personally mad) is impossible for accountants without remaining attentive to details. Even when drunk, you have to notice every number and comma.
They must be able to spot any mistakes quickly (even insignificant ones) and threats, define the core of the problems, and even determine where the cause may potentially come from.
10 Tips for Successful Accountant Resume:
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is nice, but they are looking for Master (MBA)
- You should present high scores in audit and finances too
- Clarity and accuracy mean increased efficiency
- Computer literacy is also a point
- You must notice that you interpret financial information in a way it sounds reasonable for the rest of co-workers (even for office managers or copywriters)
- Recent results are not enough. Say that you can make forecasts as well
- Skip jokes about economists
- Forget about the word “flexible.” For this position, you have to be stable
- Collaborating with IS stands for another advantage inserted in your resume
- Attach a couple of self-completed balance sheets or income statements