During my own career journey I’ve worked in private practice, the public sector, industry, academia and now have my own business, but I could never have predicted this when I was in school studying to reach this point.
One of the most pervasive concerns of the profession is attracting and retaining successful employees, with every individual having different abilities and a variety of strengths and weaknesses.
Something that defines the success of a firm is the people who work within it, especially based on if they have suitable attributes and are the best talent that can be found.
Certain skills are preferable, with employers looking for organised and professional workers with a strong knowledge base and intellectual ability, but it can be hard to know what this really means.
When coaching students on my Accounting Exam Accelerator Programme I cover all aspects of academic support to ensure you achieve the best grades, but I also help people market themselves as a person away from the industry, building their skill sets and making them stand out from the crowd.
What Makes Someone Stand Out In The Accounting Profession?
Knowing the indicators of high achievement can be difficult, particularly as a recently graduated student that is looking to enter into the real world of work.
Luckily, due to my experience in a variety of roles, I have seen firsthand what it takes to be shortlisted and even be the lucky person that is hired, so I can share everything I know with you to better your chances.
From keeping up to date with updates in accountancy to ensure your knowledge is more modern than a textbook to knowing how to appropriately communicate, there are lots of things employers can look for in future employers.
1. Knowledgeable About The Latest Rules And Theories
It’s imperative that you constantly stay up to date with the profession’s general accepted principles by attending refreshers, going to conferences and seminars or attending in-house training sessions.
Technological advancements are also evolving at a furious pace, so you will have to keep up to speed with these too – remember that continual personal development is a must, not an option.
2. Organised, Accurate And Detail Oriented
Staying on top of all the figures, paperwork, and data that an accountant deals with daily requires great organisational skills.
You should be able to organise work to maximise productivity and allow time for undisturbed research and analysis, or, at the very least, you must understand the numbers and where they come from.
3. Excellent Time Management Skills
Today, accountants play a fundamental role in contributing to strategic decision-making, whether that be internally in an organisation or as an advisor.
You will need to take care of lots of tasks beyond just accounting, so it’s crucial to know how to efficiently manage and prioritise your daily, weekly and monthly workload.
4. Accountable
Whatever the outcome of your work turns out to be, there is no finger-pointing allowed in the professional world so you need to be able to hold yourself accountable otherwise someone else will and you will look ten times worse.
There is no shame in making an honest mistake (that’s easily attributable to human error as long as the mistakes don’t happen too often or deliberately) but there is shame in blaming other people, so make every effort to do the right thing, both before and after a mistake is made.
5. Client Focused
Having a knack for numbers can be a big help in accounting, but you must also understand your client’s business or the industry you find yourself working in so that you can quickly frame a picture of the company and key attributes within it.
Producing a list of short, targeted questions that are specifically developed to aid both your and their understanding helps allow focus on the big picture – good accountants must develop an inquiring mind, professional scepticism and strive to learn from al experiences encountered in situations throughout their career.
6. Team Player
Accountants need to have exceptional people skills as you will typically work in teams and have face-to-face meetings with clients or other decision makers on a regular basis.
You will be required to be generous with what you know, remaining sensitive to others’ needs and being supportive of your team’s goals to ensure everyone succeeds through working together.
7. Decision Making, Critical Reasoning & Analytical Ability
Employers and clients want their accountant to be a strong and effective decision maker, however we all know that decision making can be hard.
There is often a tendency to put off decisions by procrastinating and concluding that you need more information before continuing, only to later realise that this isn’t the case, meaning it’s down to you to make the correct call when determining what is relevant and what isn’t.
8. Trustworthy & Trusting
Accountants work with highly confidential information and therefore trust and professionalism are important traits you must always abide by in the career.
As well as this being the ethical way to go about your business, having a reputation for trustworthiness will win plaudits in the long run as we trade on our knowledge and ability but are only given the opportunities through demonstrating our commitment to client confidentiality.
9. Leadership Skills
Great leaders have the desire to help others succeed and whilst leadership characteristics can be taught, leadership as a whole must be exhibited day in and day out.
Leadership skills become more important as you progress through the years as you may become responsible for working with and training others and it is also important to be looked upon as a leader by clients and peers who may see you as a trusted confidant.
10. Fantastic Communication
Good communication skills allow accountants to build a connection and rapport with others such as staff, managers, directors, partners or clients.
The technological world in which we live today can negatively impact people’s ability to become an effective communicator, especially when emails become a substitute for face-to-face communication – it is essential that all successful accountants work to make verbal, as well as succinct, understandable, written, communication a priority rather than a last resort.
Having the ability to interpret jargon or complicated accounting concepts and be able to interact easily to get your ideas across clearly to anyone is a major asset.
11. Ethics
A strong sense of integrity and honesty are traits that inspire confidence in an accountant’s work, particularly when preparing accounts.
Strong ethics should also extend into your personal life because the profession expects that all members must live as upstanding citizens.
12. Commitment
Employers are looking for motivated, dedicated individuals for long-term employment, so showing you are committed to the job early on can be incredibly rewarding.
Even achieving the qualification at the beginning of your career shows that you have carried out a substantial amount of work to pass and it’s desirable that you can demonstrate the appropriate level of willpower.
13. Pride
In the workplace, your work speaks for who you are, what value you bring to your company and to your team which in turn impacts people’s perception of you.
Being a proud person means you will always turn in your best work rather than letting yourself, or others, down, an important trait to carry through into your workplace.
Pride in your professional appearance is also important, as first impressions matter and the way you look or carry yourself can create an impact on the people around you.
14. Exam Success
If you are in college, university or studying as a trainee accountant you have to work and revise at the same time, making it difficult to know what to prioritise as both areas are important and require constant attention, but ignoring either is not something you would necessarily want to do.
However, exam failure is the major cause of young accountants quitting, so it is vitally important that you can maintain the right balance to thrive at work and pass those exams, using whatever methods and free time suit you best.
15. Just Have Fun
It’s imperative that you enjoy what you are doing, whether it’s work-related or outside of the office space, as our professional careers can take up so much time and the last thing you want to do is spend that time somewhere you dislike.
We can’t all expect to be smiling all day every day, but it’s important we have some fun along the way, whether that be by involving yourself in social committees and events in your office or clearing your head with a brief walk on your break each day.
The characteristics of a good accountant should start with the basics of a solid technical ability and sound ethical foundation, two things that are considered as baseline.
But ultimately you will need to work to grow beyond the typical ‘rules and regulations’ mind-set, something that can be achieved with a combination of the traits above to ensure you excel at work and boost your marketability as a candidate.