THE ACCOUNTANT'S CAREER

CAREER DESCRIPTION

An accountant is a person who practices accounting as a profession. Accountancy therefore is the process of communicating financial information about business organisation to users of such information in the form of financial statements.  An accountant has also been defined as a person who has undergone a formal or professional training in the process of accounting and belongs to at least one of the recognized professional accountancy bodies such as ACCA. The accountant that records the financial transactions of a business organisation is known as the Financial Accountant. He analyses financial information and presents reports to the users of the information such as shareholders, tax authorities and creditors. Other types of accountants include cost accountant, management accountant, tax accountant and auditors.

SKILLS REQUIREMENT

v  Numerical competency (comfort-ability with numbers)

v  Communication skills

v  Team player (Ability to work well with others)

v  Interpersonal skills

v  Problem solving skills

v  Computer skills

v  Commitment and motivation

v  Reporting skill

v  Attention to details

v  Business awareness (Ability to know what is happening in the business environment)

v  Professionalism

TRAINING REQUIREMENT

Educational training options include

v  Studying accounting in a polytechnic

v  Studying accounting in a university

Being a member of at least a recognized professional accountancy bodies is required. Examples include ACCA, ICAN, ICAEW etc.

 

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

There is practically no limit to the job openings for an accountant. Virtually all organisations need at least one accountant. Accountants work in a diverse roles and industries. Examples include but not limited to banks, insurance companies, manufacturing industries, firms of chartered accountants and government agencies. A qualified Accountant can also establish own accounting firm.
DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK ON ACCOUNTING BASICS HERE