Discover The Main Professional Skills of an Accountant
The obligation to act with more transparency and respect for government and market regulations makes companies have a greater interest in accountants. But what are the professional skills to have a successful career in this area?
The answer is in this post! We will also highlight what one should do before entering the job market.
The goal is to put together a small step-by-step guide for you to better understand the accounting area and be more prepared to be a good professional. Check out!
Understand how to qualify to be an accountant
The first measure to work with accounting is to seek information on how the sector works. Before choosing this career, talk to experienced professionals, learn about the necessary skills, analyze market requirements and see job offers.
If you have the profile indicated to be an accountant, take a higher education course at an institution recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEC). The graduation lasts 4 years on average and covers content related to different areas of knowledge, such as:
- Administration ;
- Balance Sheet Analysis;
- Economy;
- Statistic;
- Marketing;
- Math.
To develop professional skills, it is interesting to do an internship during college. This helps to better understand the dynamism of the corporate world, which increases employability. After obtaining the diploma, the accountant can work in several areas, for example:
- actuarial analysis (risk assessment, which is very common in insurance companies)
- accounting audit (verify whether the company or public body respects accounting principles);
- consulting (indicate to clients the best way to comply with tax obligations);
- compliance (verify that organizations are acting within certain rules and preventing cases of corruption);
- accounting expertise (analyzes financial data of people and companies to support court decisions);
- academic sector (the professional can teach at higher level institutions and technical courses).
It is easy to see that there are many options for accountants to specialize and be able to consolidate a prestigious position in the job market.
See the most in-demand professional skills
Undoubtedly, higher education is crucial for an accountant to be able to work in a company or on their own. But it is important that there is a focus on developing skills that will set you apart from other professionals.
With that in mind, let’s address characteristics that will help you start your career path in the best possible way. Follow!
Ethical posture
In any segment, ethics are highly valued. In the case of accountants, the professional needs to be very responsible for managing the financial and asset information of clients.
In addition, it is necessary to guide companies and individuals to provide the data requested by the Public Power with transparency and respect for the legislation. In this way, the accountant shows credibility and becomes better evaluated.
Focus on qualification
In order to fully exercise professional skills, accountants must follow the main trends in the market. After completing higher education, an interesting alternative is to invest in a postgraduate course. Depending on the area in which you want to specialize, the professional can opt for an MBA, master’s or doctorate.
Another very important measure to update is the participation in events, such as seminars and congresses. These initiatives contribute to the exchange of information and experiences (factors that allow achieving a more expressive performance in the labor market). They even help to escape accommodation, considered one of the great evils for career development.
Domain of technology
If you’re not connected to digital accounting , you’re in serious danger of falling behind. Today, it is essential for an accountant to know systems that help resolve customer issues.
Accounting professionals must also work with digital certificates so that online activities are carried out within the requirements of the law. It is also recommended to master communication tools that contribute to having a more direct contact with the target audience.
Through WhatsApp and Skype, it is possible to answer questions from customers and provide personalized service. If you adopt this procedure, the accountant will create an important differential for customer loyalty.
communication skill
Even if you have a great technical knowledge and mastery of technological tools, professional skills will only be perceived if the professional is easy to communicate.
When writing a report or talking personally with a company’s representatives, the accountant must be objective, didactic and clear. Thus, it shows that it works with great seriousness and focus on results.
Customers want to understand what is running. Otherwise, they will not be satisfied with the quality of services. This aspect should be carefully analyzed by accounting professionals.
Team work
It’s no use having several specializations and a good relationship with the target audience, if you have great difficulty working as a team. In any area, it is essential that an employee knows how to listen to those around him and live with differences in behavior.
Acting with professionalism and respect for the opinions of co-workers is an attitude that is highly valued by companies. This also helps you get along better with people, which favors developing leadership skills, that is, influencing other employees to follow a path to obtain good results.
Intelligent evaluation of information
To be successful, an accountant needs to collect, sort, and evaluate a company’s accounting data. This procedure is very relevant to assist clients in the decisions to be taken on how to invest financial resources and manage assets.
Today, accountants work with a focus on consulting to help companies better understand the economic and fiscal scenario. In this way, they can help organizations maintain good financial health, avoiding default and debt.
The more professional skills an accountant acquires, the greater the chances of building a solid career. Technical knowledge, mastery of technology and personal skills must be constantly worked on, so that the professional can offer high quality services.