An accountant is responsible for maintaining accurate financial records and preparing associated reporting. Accountancy is a nuanced profession which has many specialisms, such as management accounting, fund accounting or financial accounting.
Accountant responsibilities
An accountant’s role is to support the organisation by ensuring that all financial records and reporting are up to standard, updated and maintained regularly. In some cases, they are responsible for working with third parties, like banks or auditors, to keep business finances on track.Accountant duties include:Preparing monthly and annual accountsCorporate document maintenanceProjecting cost calculationsLiaising with auditorsProcessing employee expensesCosting for projectsData gatheringReceiving and storing invoicesUsing digital systems to keep records and create paymentsPreparing and posting journalsLogging daily entries in accordance with accounting policy
Accountant skills, qualifications, and experience
To become an accountant, professionals should have a degree-level education in a finance subject (accounting, mathematics etc.) and an accounting qualification or part-qualification in ACA, CIMA or ACCA.Accountant skills and experience can include:3-5 years accounting experience ERP knowledgeExcellent MS Excel capabilitiesRegional experienceSoft skills needed for the role are as follows:Excellent attention to detailGood time managementStrong commercial acumenGood problem solving skillsAnalytical thinkingRelationship building skillsIn some cases, fund and investment experience is needed, especially for fund accounting work.
