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?

II. The Way They Work

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.”

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.