糖心vlog官网观看

How to Get a Job as an Accountant | 10 Tips

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

Accountants handle bookkeeping and maintain financial records. If you鈥檙e organised and enjoy working with numbers, a career in accounting could be a good fit. Find out how to get started.

[Featured image] An accountant works at her laptop computer in a brightly lit office.

Accountants are professionals who manage financial records for businesses and individuals. If you enjoy working with numbers and have an eye for detail, this may be your field. Let鈥檚 look at what they do and how you can set yourself up for success in the field.

What does an accountant do?

Accountants have numerous duties and can choose many specialties, but they all have one thing in common: money. Whether you work for private individuals, big corporations, small businesses, government agencies, or nonprofits, you鈥檒l manage finances and offer advice on making the best monetary decisions. You鈥檒l keep records and make sure they鈥檙e accurate and up-to-date.聽

Depending on your specialty or the needs of your clients, other duties may include:聽

  • Examining financial statements for accuracy聽

  • Preparing, filing, and paying taxes聽

  • Ensuring compliance with all financial laws聽聽聽

  • Analysing trends and financial data

  • Making budget recommendations聽

  • Advising on ways to cut costs and raise profits

  • Keeping records and books organised and up to date聽

  • Providing auditing services or working together with an auditor聽

  • Identifying risks and recommending solutions聽

10 tips for getting a job as an accountant

If this sounds like the field for you, these steps will help prepare you to find a job and advance through your career.聽

1. Make sure you enjoy working with numbers.

You鈥檒l spend your days analysing, calculating, presenting, and proofreading numbers. Above everything else, you should enjoy this type of work. You don't have to be a maths expert. You can do the job as long as you can do the basics鈥攁dding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.聽

2. Build workplace skills.

There's more to this role than basic number skills. You'll also need to be:聽

  • Detail-oriented鈥攐ne small mistake can have a significant impact

  • Business savvy聽

  • An analytical thinker聽

  • 翱谤驳补苍颈蝉别诲听

  • A good verbal and written communicator聽

  • A problem solver聽

  • Literate in general computer skills and accounting software聽

  • Ethical鈥攚hen you have access to financial information, confidentiality is a must, as is your willingness to do what's best for your client while following all laws and regulations聽聽聽

3. Take maths, finance, and business classes.聽

If you're in school or college and know you want to enter this field, take as many maths, computer science, economics, statistics, and business courses as possible. Consider taking online courses to help prepare you for your career and future education. Explore whether accounting is right for you with a Course like from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.聽

4. Earn your bachelor's degree.

While a bachelor's degree is not necessary鈥攕ome people enter the field with only an apprenticeship or on-the-job training鈥攎any experts strongly encourage it.聽

Many entry-level positions require a candidate to have a bachelor's degree. Aim for a degree in accounting or a related field, where you'll study basic financial accounting, business law, statistics, economics, auditing, managerial accounting, accounting entities, income tax accounting, and more.聽

5. Gain experience through an internship or entry-level job.

Once you graduate with your bachelor's degree鈥攁nd maybe even before鈥攊t's time to gain some experience. You can do this through an internship or with an entry-level position. Not only will it look great on your CV and help you land a better job in the future, but it will help you understand the field better and maybe even lead you to a specialty.

Some entry-level jobs in accounting include:

  • Bookkeeper

  • Accounts payable specialist

  • Payroll administrator

  • Accounts receivable clerk聽聽

6. Consider what kind of career you want.

Not all accountants do the same thing. While gaining experience, consider the direction you鈥檇 like to take your career and the specialty that can help set you on the path. For example, if you like solving problems and getting to the bottom of a situation, forensics may be for you. If you enjoy paying close attention to details, you may want to become an auditor.聽

Explore specialisations from some of the world鈥檚 top universities through courses like , , , or .

7. Earn a postgraduate degree.聽

Postgraduate degrees are optional, although if you want to study toward advanced qualifications, it can help. For example, if you earn the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) professional qualification, you will need at least a postgraduate CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting. Postgraduate degrees and experience may offer exemptions to help you obtain the credential faster.聽

8. Become a chartered accountant.聽聽

You can choose from various routes to become a chartered accountant. You can study accountancy and finance from an institute of chartered accountancy such as the Association of International Accountants (AIA), The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), or The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).聽

Completing one of these courses can exempt you from taking specific exams necessary for becoming a chartered accountant because the courses include the same assessments []. Next, you must pass a series of exams covering business strategy and taxation, auditing, and financial management, as well as gaining relevant work experience [].

9. Get certified.

If you don't want to become a chartered accountant, you may consider other available certifications:聽

  • The (AAT) is the minimal level that many accountants achieve. AAT accounting courses span three levels and four qualifications, combining hands-on skills and industry expertise.

  • The (ACCA) include two levels for accountants who are just starting out and accountants who are already working professionals. Course topics include everything from accounting fundamentals to data analytics, corporate and business law, financial reporting, and auditing.聽

  • The (AIA) offers a professional qualification for every stage of an accounting career, with three qualification levels available to global learners.聽

10. Start your career.聽

You can start online when you're ready to apply for a job. Job boards across the internet have thousands of openings for various organisations. Understanding what's out there and where you want to work is also an effective strategy.

You'll also want to find out if anyone within your network鈥攆ormer classmates, professors, co-workers, and others鈥攃an make any recommendations. Once you have some experience, you may consider starting your own firm and becoming your own boss.聽

Types of accountants

Several types of accountants exist, allowing you to specialise in areas that best meet your interests and skill set. Some of the most common are:

Types of accountantsWhat they do
Public accountant鈥 Works for an accounting firm or has their own practice
鈥 Variety of duties may include taxes, financial planning, auditing, and consulting
Auditor鈥 Hired by organisations to make sure financial records are precise and accurate
鈥 May work internally or externally
Forensic accountant鈥 Reviews records and looks for fraud and other wrongdoing
鈥 May be called into court as an expert witness from time to time
Tax accountant鈥 Expert in tax laws
鈥 Prepares tax returns, makes tax payments, and helps individuals and organisations minimise their tax burden
Fiduciary accountant鈥 Deals mostly with trusts and estates
鈥 Usually works with individuals to help them find what's in their best interest rather than organisations
Cost accountant鈥 Analyses an organisation's expenses to see where its money is going
鈥 May offer the organisation advice on how to create a more effective budget
Investment accountant鈥 Specialises in stocks, bonds, ETFs, precious metals, and other investments
鈥 Typically hired by brokerage firms and asset management firms
Government accountant鈥 May work for the government
鈥 Ensures taxpayer money gets wisely spent and that agencies are meeting financial goals
Staff accountant鈥 General accountant who works in almost every field
鈥 Handles basic accounting needs
Project accountant鈥 Typically works with a project manager on a case-by-case basis to oversee the financial aspects of a particular project
鈥 Examples include launching a new marketing campaign, manufacturing a new project, or constructing a new building
Management accountant鈥 Helps organisation leaders make sound financial decisions
鈥 Duties may include budgeting, planning, risk assessment, and financial reporting
Consultant鈥 Has the highest expertise in a particular subject matter
鈥 May be hired by an organisation to offer advice or prepare reports and documents

Next steps

Start building job-ready skills for a role in accounting with the . Practice interpreting and analysing financial statements as you work through the phases of the accounting cycle. Upon completion, you'll have a credential from a top industry leader for your CV.

Frequently asked questions

Article sources

1. Career Boss. 鈥, https://careerboss.co.uk/business/how-to-become-a-chartered-accountant.鈥 Accessed June 10, 2024.

2. City University of London. 鈥, https://www.city.ac.uk/prospective-students/career-development/pathways/how-to-become-a-chartered-accountant.鈥 Accessed June 10, 2024.

3. National Careers Service. 鈥, https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/public-finance-accountant.鈥 Accessed June 10, 2024.

4. OnRec. 鈥, https://www.onrec.com/news/statistics-and-trends/uk-needs-another-80000-accountants-by-2050.鈥 Accessed June 10, 2024.

Updated on
Written by:

Editorial Team

糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.