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4 Skills Needed to Succeed as an Accountant

Nearly every company relies on an accountant to keep its finances in order. In fact, employment of accountants is expected to rise 11 percent through 2024 — compared with seven percent for all occupations — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you’re thinking of getting into this profession, having the right skills will increase your job satisfaction and make it easier to advance in the field. Find out what you’ll need to succeed as an accountant.

Highly Organized

Accountants have a lot of important documents at their fingertips, so maintaining a logical system of order is a must. Since many financial forms must be stored physically or electronically for a certain period of time, they need to be arranged in a manner that makes them easy to retrieve.

Holding this type of job also requires the need to adhere to many important deadlines. You’ll need to maintain an organized calendar to keep track of these dates, as missing them could mean strict penalties for your employer.

Excellent Time Management

The job of an accountant is multifaceted. Your workday will be filled with a variety of tasks, such as finding ways to reduce costs and boost profits, preparing financial documents and preparing tax returns.

Completing everything on your to-do list will only be possible if you’re able to allocate your time properly. You’ll need to set aside a certain amount of time to complete each task and stay focused to ensure your day remains on track.

Easily Adaptable

Change happens quickly and frequently in business, so you must be able to adjust accordingly. This involves keeping up with the latest updates to general accounting processes and procedures impacting the entire industry, as well as internal shifts within your company. An inability to accept change will hold you back, and could cause your skills to become obsolete.

Effective Communicator

The ability to excel at both oral and written communication is a must for an accountant because a failure to do so can be costly. Not only will you be interacting with your accounting peers, you’ll also need to communicate with colleagues outside your department — and likely clients. This means you’ll need to know how to identify your audience and adjust your dialogue accordingly because those not adept at accounting lingo won’t understand complex terms and expressions.

Ready to find work as an accountant? PrideStaff North Dallas is here to help you find a temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire job with an outstanding local employer. Let’s get started today!

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