Whether you are still at school and are considering what career pathway you would like to pursue later on, or you are currently working in another field entirely and want a change, accountancy is both lucrative and rewarding.
Read on to familiarize yourself with the top five most important skills required to become a chartered accountant.
1. Strong Time Management Skills
First of all, what is a chartered accountant? Naturally, the role is multi-faceted and involves a combination of management, matters pertaining to tax, and of course, a wide variety of financial matters, either for one business only, or else on more of a freelance, contractual basis.
Every single day, a chartered accountant needs to accurately and efficiently manage their time, prioritize their tasks, and always not just be on time for each and every appointment in their daily schedule but, ideally, early.
2. Sharp Critical Thinking Skills
Next, aside from the obvious natural aptitude for maths and numbers, it is essential for any accountant (chartered or otherwise) to be able to quickly and accurately assess risks and potential assets to every decision.
Fortunately, critical thinking is not so much a competence that a person is born with and is much more of a skill that can be built upon and improved, namely in the following ways:
- Consider the consequence of each option
- Break a decision down into different consequences
- Keep everything as simple as possible
- Make sure you conduct research at each step
3. An Aptitude for Computing
Specialized accounting software and more usual programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are all used by an accountant on a daily basis and as such, you need to be more than familiar with the majority of each program’s different functions.
Should you possess the other essential skills required for a long and successful career in the world of accountancy yet have little to no experience with computers and specifically, using such programs on a regular basis, then there is a plethora of online courses to choose from that can bring you up to speed.
4. Data Analysis Skills
Another necessary skill is the ability to efficiently collect, collate, and draw accurate conclusions (as well as future predictions) from data from a variety of different sources, which can be simply summarized as data analysis.
The stronger and more accurate your skills in data analysis are, the faster you will build your reputation as the more effective your work will be (both for businesses and for individuals).
5. The Ability to Adapt Effectively
Finally, accountants are regularly presented with a great deal of information, both financial and otherwise, and being able to shift and adapt in response to a whole range of different changes and variables (often at a moment’s notice) is an essential element of their work. Not only do the needs of the client change, often more than a few times within a particular project, but so too do the industry standards and regulations and it is crucial to be able to adapt to these dynamics as and when they happen.
Jump into: