Good accountants have great skill sets that make them easy to work with and indefensible assets to any business. They not only possess the technical accounting skills to help business owners improve their companies, but they adhere to a strict ethical code that makes them reliable, honest, and trustworthy. Hence, this might be why the financial and business world depends on great accounting professionals.
Long gone are the days of the traditional, stereotypical accountant with a black suit and a black tie, pocket protector, and nerdy glasses sitting in a dark basement alone is looking at Excel spreadsheets and balance sheets.
Instead, modern Certified Public Accountants are more likely to be found in a high-rise or traveling meet with clients. Today’s accountants have great communication skills, work with others well, and are able to collaborate in almost any group.
Here is a list of the accounting principles and characteristics that make an accountant great:
- Math Skills
- Budgeting and financial management skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Ethical
- Well educated
- Business savvy
- Great communicator
- Great organizational Skills
Qualities of a Great Accountant
Here are some of the skills and qualities of a great accountant.
Basic Math Skills
As a future accountant, one of the first things to consider is that you’ll be working with numbers while performing data analysis.
While an accounting career is much more than crunching numbers, you need to be comfortable with this aspect of your profession.
Budgeting and Financial Management
As you’ll be managing people’s finances for a living, you should have some experience managing your own finances.
Furthermore, you need the analytical skills to be able to understand the link between financial information and the performance of a business.
Problem Solving
Problem-solving and an eye for detail are other prized soft skills of successful accountants. Therefore, you should enjoy solving mathematical puzzles, as well as know how to spot inconsistencies.
Logic and critical thinking should be among your strongest points, as you’ll be earning your living analyzing financial data and drawing conclusions based on it.
Strong Ethics
Don’t overlook the general perspective though – the main strength of accountancy is the ability to help a business owner turn their broad vision into reality.
There’s a reason why every accounting qualification includes an ethics component: your clients need to be able to trust you. Moral integrity is a must when handling other people’s finances.
Stay Up to Date on Laws
Know the rules and the legislative requirements, be on top of changing regulations and never advise clients to cut corners.
Being an ethical person at the start of your accounting job will matter more than you think.
Business Savvy
Keep in mind that in a modern business world, accounting does not just mean dealing with numbers. You’ll need to be well-versed in business in order to understand your clients and help them achieve their goals. Technology skills are also required in order to be up to date with the latest software programs that can aid your work.
Good Communication
You may often find yourself in the position of explaining complex accounting issues to professionals from other fields. Your spoken and written communication skills are thus extremely important.
In your daily work, you’ll also find that both your memory and research skills play their part – you will have to rely on your existing knowledge as well as find new solutions.
Staying Organized
When dealing with large amounts of data and complex problems to solve, often for various clients, being organized will make a big difference to your workday.
Being adaptable to change and good with people will also do wonders for your careers.
Remember that networking and good business relations are essential in attracting clients and job opportunities. You may act as an advisor to your clients on many occasions – and they need to be able to rely on you.