Key skills for accountants

Accountants go through a rigorous recruitment and qualification process, and this is reflected in
their high professional status. Employers look for graduates with the following skills:

 self-motivation
 integrity (Sense of Wholeness: Honesty and Trustworthy)
 ability to reflect on one's own work as well as the wider consequences of financial decisions
 business acumen and interest
 organisational skills and ability to manage deadlines
 teamworking ability
 communication and interpersonal skills
 proficiency in IT
 analytical ability
 a methodical approach and problem-solving skills
 high level of numeracy

What Strengths Do You Need to Become an Accountant?

It goes without saying that an accountant needs impeccable organizational skills and a good head
for numbers, but these are not the only strengths that a great accountant possesses. As the
industry moves away from simple bookkeeping toward more strategic responsibilities,
accountants with commercial acumen and strong creative skills should find themselves in high
demand.
An Eagle Eye for Detail

Accountants must be precise (detail) and deadline-oriented. Even the smallest mistake in a
financial ledger or tax form can have catastrophic consequences for a company, leaving it
exposed to financial penalties and sanctions from regulators. For an accountant, excellent
organizational skills go hand-in-hand with precision, since you can't provide an accurate service
if your paperwork is in disarray. You'll need to implement a system for quickly finding, verifying
and cross-checking the information you need.
Commercial Acumen and a Strong Client Focus

Today, technology is automating many of the bread-and-butter bookkeeping tasks and

accountants can no longer compete on these services alone. Increasingly, there's an expectation
that accountants will act as a trusted financial adviser, implementing long-term financial
planning and helping the business to cut costs and boost profit. Accountants need a strong
commercial focus and a commitment to clients to succeed in this environment – you'll need to
understand the client's business, mission, industry and culture, and you'll need to be able to
work with senior executives so that you can achieve the company's financial goals.
Out-of-the-Box Thinking

Along with commercial skills, the current business environment demands a certain degree of
creativity from accounting professionals. Those who can think out of the box and come up with
fresh solutions to a client's financial challenges are particularly attractive hires. Flexibility is a
complementary skill. Accountants who can embrace and quickly respond to challenges make
valuable members of any organization; those who quickly adapt to new financial technologies
should be in especially high demand.
Trustworthiness

Accounting is a highly regulated profession, and rightly so, since you're dealing with confidential
and highly sensitive information. Employers will look for evidence that you are ethical and
trustworthy, and that you will never impart any confidential knowledge to third parties.
Integrity is critical. Accountants who are candid, transparent and forthright with a client's
financial information should win the respect of both regulators and stakeholders.
Teamwork and Collaboration

Many people still have the image in their minds of a lone-wolf accountant who sits an office,
crunching the numbers, but this image is inaccurate. The way we work now, you're more likely
to find an accountant working on teams and providing support across multiple departments.
Collaboration calls for abilities such as listening, empathy, communication, problem solving
and accountability. Developing these skills early in your career will support your development
as an accountant.
Business Acumen and Management Support

Whether you are employed by a public or private organization or working for an accounting
firm, you must understand what management needs from accountants in support of the
business. If employed by a company, your work contributes to the success of the organization.
Managers may use your financial reports to make decisions. Financial reports are also presented
to owners or shareholders. If you work for an accounting firm, or in self-employment, you must
show genuine interest in the welfare of the clients you represent. Care and accuracy in your
work is necessary to businesses.
Autonomy-Preference with Communication Abilities

The ideal accountant has a strong preference to work autonomously, but has a solid ability to
communicate with others as needed. Much of the typical day for an accountant is spent in
solitude, recording transactions and preparing financial reports. However, accountants need to
communicate with managers and clients about their work. Company managers may ask
accountants to prepare certain financial reports or data solely to use in management decision-
making. Managers and clients also rely on accountants to communicate the information
presented in financial reports.
Ethics and Details

Professional accountants have an ethical attitude and a closely related talent for details.
Financial record-keeping errors can lead to financial or legal problems for a company or client.
Accidental errors or oversights lead to misstated records and financial reports, which can cause
erroneous public reporting or tax filings. Intentionally misstated records or reports are even more
significant. They can lead to fraud and criminal charges. Ethical accountants adhere to
generally accepted accounting principles, legal standards and industry association ethical
codes.
Willingness to Learn and Computer Skills

Though the functional role of accounting may seem routine and unchanging, the nature of
accounting and record-keeping evolves over time. Accepted accounting principles and standards
evolve with new government regulations and ethical guidelines. Additionally, accounting has
evolved mightily due to advances in accounting software and the integration of accounting with
purchasing and other company departments. Accountants must be open to learning technology
and new processes, and willing to keep up with new regulations and principles.
Traits, Skills, and Personal Characteristics for an Accountant

Accountants are skilled financial professionals who may work in an accounting firm, a business
office or as CPAs and financial consultants. The profession demands an attention to detail,
exceptional math skills, organization and computation, as well as an understanding of
sometimes complex financial scenarios. It's also important for an accountant to have a working
knowledge of a variety of business types and structures to better tailor their services to the
unique needs of individual businesses.
Financial Skills

Good math skills are a must for accountants, as is a comprehensive understanding of business
and personal financial management practices, accounting procedures and functions. Being able
to solve multi-faceted financial problems is essential, as is an understanding of financial
software. Accountants who work in specialized fields or focus in certain types of personal
accounting may require specialized knowledge of the industries and individuals they serve.
Attention to Detail

Whether dealing with simple or complex accounting procedures, it is critical for accountants to
have a great attention to detail. A misplaced decimal point or number can have devastating
consequences, so an eye for fine points is critical. Additionally, accountants are often called on
to troubleshoot messy financial situations, so being able to assess what is out of place or
inaccurate is just as important as original, accurate computations.
Ability to Communicate

Not everyone is well-versed in financial jargon, so good communication skills are vital to the
profession. Accountants must often distill complex data for laymen, so being able to accurately
deliver details in a way that makes sense for average people is important. This means exceptional
verbal as well as written communication skills, and an ability to translate spreadsheets and
financial projections into information others will find understandable.
Empathy

For accountants working in personal finance, empathy for the sometimes frustrating financial
pictures of individuals is critical. People often seek out the assistance of accountants when they
are struggling, attempting to financially plan for life’s big events or dig themselves out of debt.
Being understanding and empathetic to the highs and lows of personal finance is an important
characteristic to possess.
Best Practices 10 key Personality traits

A professional accountant has a solid working understanding. of best practices in the industry, as
well as an ability to stay abreast of pertinent trends, laws and approaches to evolving tax
regulations. Being adept at various types of accounting software programs is also a necessity.
Continuing education is a must for accountants who want to ensure they stay on the cutting edge
of an industry with frequently changing dynamics.

Clients expect accountants to have great organization skills and boast a high degree of precision,
but there is more to being an exceptional practitioner than these two traits.

Professional accountants are often thought of as extremely precise, with keen eye for detail and
vast amount of practical knowledge, and rightly so. If you make even a small mistake in this
environment, it can have a huge impact on a client’s business.

Certainly, accounting books provide a basis for business decisions and measure the financial
health of a company, so it's natural that accountants are expected to have great organization skills
and boast a high degree of precision.

Below is a list of what I believe are the 10 key personality traits for a great accountant:

1. Excellent organization. Accountants must keep up with all figures, data, and paperwork
in their daily jobs. They need a system for quickly finding information they need.
Accountants should be able to organize their work to maximize productivity and allow
time for undisturbed research and analysis.
2. Killer time management skills. Today, accountants are playing an increasingly
important role in contributing to strategic decision-making, so their schedules are full to
the brim. They need to take care of many tasks beyond financial management and should
be able to prioritize them to make the most from their time at work.
3. Attention to detail. These traits are obviously key in the daily reality of accountants who
need to make sure that numbers work and are correct. An eye for details and due
diligence for accuracy should be part of their modus operandi, not something they need to
be reminded of.
4. Focus on the client. Being an accountant means not only dealing with numbers, but with
clients as well. That's why accountants should have a strong orientation toward meeting
client requirements – they need to understand the industry, sector, and client in detail.
Only this helps them to decide which accounting rules or economic measures could fit the
business. An accountant's advice is always of value and knowing their way around a
sector is the best way to make it more relevant and actionable.
5. Creativity. That's right – great accountants have creative minds as well. They're the ones
who practice out-of-the-box thinking to come up with fresh solutions – some client
problems aren't textbook cases and require special attention and a degree of creativity.
6. Commitment to the sector. Accountants should commit themselves to a particular
industry and be passionate about it. This is what makes them attractive hires – companies
are looking for individuals for long-term employment and stop at nothing to motivate
such talented accountants to join in. That's probably because replacing an accountant
costs a lot of time and effort, seriously affecting the productivity of employees during the
dreadful transition period.
7. Extreme trustworthiness. The kind of information accountants deal with every day is
very confidential in nature. One of the most important features of great accountants is
that they're professional and never impart any knowledge to third parties. This is the
 ethical way to conduct an accounting business, and having a reputation for
trustworthiness can only help in scoring great jobs.
8. Great communication skills. Needless to say, accountants must be able to communicate
and collaborate with colleagues from different departments. They should also be able to
communicate key insights to nonfinance staff – accountants can use various data
visualizations form to aid their communication effort and ensure that their insights are
properly understood. Communication is also key to developing successful relationships
with clients.
9. Collaboration. This is something not many professionals expect. We've all cherished the
idea of a lonesome accountant busy number-crunching in a small cubicle – but this image
is completely inaccurate. In fact, accountants work in teams and provide support to
different departments – that's why they should be able to efficiently impart their expertise
to clients and decision-makers. They should feel what others need to know and support
the goals of the team, working with different kinds of professionals and personalities.
10. Flexibility. Accountants who are able to embrace challenges and effectively respond to
changes in working environments make up for very valuable members of any
organization. In the digital age, offices change at an accelerated pace and accountants
must be able to adapt and take advantage of those alterations. A high degree of agility is
also necessary for responding to regulatory changes in the industry – only then they can
provide quality service.

It's clear that being a great accountant requires a lot of effort, but also key personality traits that
make up for a level-headed, creative, and detail-oriented individual – the highly successful
accountant every company wants to hire.