Career Guide: Accountant

An accountant is one of the main players in any business that he or she works for, whether it is a large corporation or a small business. The accountant monitors and records the flow of money through a business or organization. It is the responsibility of the accountant to verify the accuracy of all money transactions and to make sure that all these transactions are legal and follow current guidelines. It may be that the accountant works for a company on a contractual basis to do the books or tax returns. They may also choose to work for private individuals and help them with their financial decisions, tax returns, or other money-related issues. Some accountants are directly involved in preparing an organization’s financial statements. This is likely to include maintaining the general ledger and supervising some employees. Other accountants work with a corporation’s management in analyzing costs of operations, products, and special projects. Usually this will also involve budgeting and preparing reports which highlight any variances. Some accountants work as a corporation’s internal auditor while many accountants are independent certified public accountants (CPAs) who audit the financial statements of many corporations and other organizations. Using numbers and financial statements, an accountant describes the health of a company, organization or individual, by using their skills in math, accounting, law and finance. They analyze profits and losses, providing information that investors and business owners need in order to evaluate how a company is doing over a period of time. This information forms the basis of a company’s report and legal filing reports.

About the Guide

This Career Guide provides guidance to people facing a variety of career challenges. These challenges may include dealing with redundancy, seeking a new job, changing careers, returning to work after a career break, building new skills, personal and professional development, going for promotion, and setting up a business. The common aim of the career guide, whatever the particular situation of the individual being guided, is normally to help that individual gain control of their career and, to some extent, their life. This comprehensive resource has been developed to provide you with a road map for your particular area of interest to shape the career as an Accountant. Whether you are looking for that entry-level position, growing in your respective field, or making a career transition, the means to accomplish your goals are within this resource. The Career Guide looks at what an accountant is, the roles and responsibilities they carry out and the essential qualities needed to succeed.