What skills do you think you need to be a good accountant? It will be no surprise to hear that accountants must be confident with numbers and highly organized, detail-oriented people.
However, beyond the stereotypes, several traits and characteristics will help you stand up to the challenges of accountancy as a career and excel in this rewarding profession.
A Life in Accounting: Is It Right for You?
A career in accountancy is appealing to many. Accountants are respected, trusted professionals who enjoy:
- A stable career path with lifelong professional development opportunities
- An excellent salary and other benefits
- Working in almost any industry, for non-profits, or governmental offices
- A variety of paths and specializations
- Being part of a supportive network of like-minded professionals
Are you interested in a career in accountancy but need to know if you are the right fit? Read through this list of soft skills and character traits that training providers and employers seek.
- Problem Solvers
Excellent accountants have logical minds and are creative thinkers. They use these skills to make sense of complicated situations and develop innovative solutions. All good accountants are excellent problem-solvers.
Problem-solving skills are vital because accountants must help their clients overcome difficulties or problematic situations. They use their analytic skills to identify areas for improvement and suggest solutions that align with their client’s current needs and future goals.
If you enjoy a challenge and are drawn to puzzles like sudoku, crosswords and similar, you will enjoy the problem-solving aspect of a career in accountancy.
- Outstanding Communicators
Accountancy isn’t all about number crunching; the ability to use words is important, too. For example, you will regularly need to explain a complicated accounting concept to a colleague in a different department or to a junior team member. You will also need to communicate in a professional manner with clients.
All in all, accountants must be excellent oral and written communicators. You have this skill if you can explain yourself clearly and concisely and present your ideas logically so that others understand.
- Team Players
Accountants almost always work as part of a team. You will need to work cooperatively alongside other accountancy professionals. You will also collaborate with organization members from other departments and differing professional backgrounds.
Good team players have a positive attitude toward others and prioritize getting along with people to achieve a common goal. They are good listeners and value the insights their colleagues can give them. They can compromise when necessary. Team players value their professional relationships with others and put the team’s best interests before their own.
Suppose you enjoy collaborating with others in group projects, team sports, or other cooperative activities like playing in a band, and others value your input, too. In that case, you are likely to be a good team player.
- Lifelong Learners
Being eager to learn is an important characteristic for an accountant. Beyond initial training courses, there is still much to learn. For instance, you may wish to take additional training in specialisms or leadership at a later date.
Good accountants are interested in the developments and changes their profession goes through and update their skills as necessary. A solid work ethic is also a must in accountancy. You will need to stay focused on keeping up-to-date with changes in regulation and practice throughout your career.
If you enjoy challenging yourself to learn new skills and gain knowledge, you will enjoy the lifelong learning aspect of accountancy.
- Upstanding Citizens
Having a strong ethical code and high behavioral standards is critical in accountancy. Accountants are highly trusted professionals and must behave to the highest professional standards in all their work. Their tasks frequently involve handling confidential and sensitive information that could be vulnerable to illegal activities.
You will also be a trusted advisor. An accountant’s decisions can make or break a business, so following regulations and being transparent at all times is vital.
If you are open to scrutiny and able to demonstrate a consistent track record of high standards, you may be suited to a career in accounting.
- Forward Thinkers
Undoubtedly, further technological advancements will advance and improve the accounting and finance world. Therefore, the profession needs people who are willing to embrace new technologies and stay abreast of the latest trends.
Being outdated can impede your professional capabilities and make you less competitive in the job market. Therefore, you will need to demonstrate an interest in the future directions of the accounting profession and stay in the loop through networking and professional development opportunities.
- Flexible and Adaptable People
Flexibility and adaptability will ensure you have a fruitful and enjoyable career as an accountant. Being able to adapt your work to different industries and shifts with the accounting profession makes you an attractive candidate for accountancy roles.
Adaptability suggests you are able to shift your thinking and navigate a variety of situations, which is a skill that could help a business survive a crisis or grow in different directions.
There are personal rewards for being flexible and adaptable, too. Your career in accountancy could take you on many interesting pathways and even allow you to live and work overseas.
- Organized Minds
There are good reasons to be impeccably organized as an accountant. Good organizational skill lends itself towards optimal productivity and scrutability, and frees up time and headspace for more creative thinking and problem solving.
You must already have great organizational skills to be an effective accountant or be willing to work hard on them.
- Future Leaders
Leadership skills are critical for accountants. This is because they are often the personnel needed to lead a business or organization out of difficult situations and turbulent times.
Good leadership combines many of the traits already discussed: forward looking, people-oriented thinking, excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, being an excellent role model, and being flexible and creative. All good accountants demonstrate these characteristics; the very best use their skills to be leaders within their profession.
Do you think you have what it takes to become an excellent accountant? If so, why not consider taking accountancy courses and making accountancy your next career move?
