Skills for a Successful Accounting Career

• Accountants must be skilled with numbers and be team players to succeed. Accounting image by Guitar75 from Fotolia.com

  Accountants help businesses by managing and checking their financial records, performing audits, and evaluating the cost of business developments and decisions. Typically working as part of a team in a large company, accountants rely on a range of skills to succeed. Accountancy is a competitive field, and individuals who don't possess and utilize these skills will be outperformed and even replaced by stronger colleagues.

People Skills

• Accountants regularly meet with people, whether it's clients or colleagues within their own organization. The ability to interact successfully and efficiently with these various people is paramount to achieving in the accountancy profession. Accountants with effective people skills will not only be able to get along with others, but also gain the support and cooperation of colleagues. When it comes to clients, accountants must be able to put across an image of being trustworthy and approachable, so that the client feels comfortable with the individual and the firm she represents.

Teamwork

• Accountants must possess the ability to cooperate in a team environment. This can be particularly important at entry level, since, as the Careers In Accounting website points out, individuals are likely to be grouped into teams while they learn about the job and the company. Junior accountants must illustrate that they can fit into the firm's culture and work with their colleagues effectively, so that they can gain promotion in the company.

Leadership Skills

• As part of their daily role, more senior accountants will often have other more junior colleagues on their team. The successful accountant will be able to manage these team members and be able to elicit their support on tasks. The field of accountancy works to tight deadlines, and part of successful leadership involves making sure that other accountants are on target to complete all of the required work in time. This can involve the team leader finding ways to motivate and encourage his juniors.

Math Skills

• Accountants will struggle in the field unless they have a solid grasp of mathematics. A head for numbers is essential in accountancy, since accountants balance books, work out costs, and check budgets on a daily basis. The accountant must analyze and make reports based on available figures efficiently and to deadline.

Result Communication

• Accountants have to deliver reports to clients and colleagues on a regular basis, and the ability to both assemble and clearly communicate these results is essential to being a successful accountant. Effective communication skills are important here, since others must understand the reports and the implications of the work. Choosing the right method of communication is also a consideration; for example, sometimes a written report is appropriate, while at other points a face-to-face meeting will be most effective, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics website points out.