Working in accounting field seems promising. A wide array of occupations are available, most of which offer a good salary and above average job satisfaction.
Accountant is among accounting job that is suitable for fresh graduates. If you are taking accounting major and is preparing for the future job, it is necessary to get to know more about accountant.
Publics usually see accountants as a frustrating job for an accountant has to deal with numbers, financial statements, taxes, and the like. But this perception should not discourage you to pursue your dream as an accountant.
There are some good things that you cannot get in other jobs. Find more information about accountants including the job description, salary, and requirement.
Accounting Job Descriptions: Duties and Responsibilities
In general, accountants ensure that the financial statements of companies, organizations, or individuals are accurate.
Accountants also deal with taxes, ensuring that the institutions where they work or individuals as their clients pay the taxes correctly and on time.
The job descriptions of accountants actually depend on their type. There are some types of accountants, such as management accountants who prepare financial information used internally by the institution.
There is also public accountants who perform audits and prepare tax forms as well as financial documentation for their clients.
Meanwhile, government accountants work with financial records of government agencies. They also perform audit for business, individuals, or organizations which are subject to government taxation and regulation.
After all, there are typical duties and responsibilities each accountant needs to be able to perform. The duties and responsibilities include:
Reconcile account balances
Accountants who work with companies or organization must be able to enter transactions and reconcile account balances.
This duty can be accomplished with the help of accounting programs or software, thus familiarity with those programs are also required.
Examine statements
It is the duty of accountants to examine financial statements. The examination is performed to make sure that the statement is accurate and complies with government laws and regulations.
Stay up to date on local tax laws
As taxes become one of accountant’s responsibility, it is necessary to stay up to date on local tax laws. This helps the accountant to ensure the company financial statement complies with the regulations.
Prepare budget recommendation
Another accountant duty is to prepare budget recommendation. This recommendation should help the company to reduce cost. The accountant can use previous budget as references with adjustment.
Accounting Definition Wikipedia
Accountant Salary
When it comes to accountant salary, it can vary widely depending on several factors including the employer and area where the accountant works.
Large companies may be able to pay higher salaries. Meanwhile, self-employed accountant with a long list of clients can earn more. It also depends on your occupations. The higher your position, the more salary you can earn.
Based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2017, average accountants are paid $69.350 per year which means $33.34 per hour.
Meanwhile, top accountants can earn up to $122.20 per year or equal to $58.75 per hour. Some accountants can only earn $43.020 per year or equal to $20.68 per hour.
Requirements to Be Accountants
There are several requirements that need to be fulfilled to become an accountant. Those requirements include education, training and certification as well skill and competencies. Prior to pursuing your dream as accountant, make sure you have the needed requirements as follows.
1. Education
Bachelor degree is the minimum education requirement to become an accountant. Many accountants pursue a higher degree to make them desirable and more marketable.
It is necessary to take bachelor degree in accounting or other related field of study to get started. However, some employers are looking for candidates with master’s degree in taxation or accounting.
2. Certification
Holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting is not enough to pursue your dream as an accountant. You are required to have certain a certification in order that you are able to do the job properly. In the US, accountant must be a certified public accountant.
Having this certification allows you to file documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. To earn the certification, you need to take the Uniform CPA Examination and pass it. Also, make sure to check more about dissertation consulting if necessary.
3. Skills and competencies
Formal education and certification do not guarantee that you can be successful in this field. Skills and competencies are the essential key to win the competition and be succeeded.
There are some soft skills required to be an accountant. The skills and competencies are as follows:
Analytical thinking
Accountants must be able to identify problems or trends when examining or reviewing finances, be it for businesses, companies, or individuals. To accomplish this duty, high analytical thinking skill is required.
Customer service
Working as an accountant means you will spend a lot of time with clients. It is your responsibility to assess their needs and assist them with taxes and finances. This explains why customer service skill is highly demanded.
Problem solving
Some of your clients may have problems with finances or taxes. As an accountant, it is your duty to help them solve the problem.
You may also need to identify and discover the problem by yourself, and then recommend solution to the problems.
MS Office proficiency
Being an accountant, chances are that you will spend a lot of time in front of the computer. Most accountants spend their time working with accounting programs or software to help them with their jobs.
In order that you don’t find difficulties, MS Office proficiency becomes one of required competencies before pursuing a dream in accounting field.
Well organized
Most accountants work in an organized manner. Since their job is to track and analyze financial statement, organized thinking skill is highly demanded.
In conclusion, accounting job becomes one of dream jobs to pursue. Accountants have a wide array of duties and responsibilities depending on which position and where they work.
To be able to accomplish the duties, accountants are required to meet several requirements including education, certification, and skill and competences. If you are interested to pursue this career, it is never too early to prepare yourself.
