Accountants take on a huge amount of responsibility, advising individuals and businesses on the best way to manage their hard earned cash and make it work best for them.

They are problem solvers, financial experts, and possess a certain unique set of skills that allows them to do what they do.

If you are considering becoming an accountant yourself, maybe you are in college studying finance or have a mind for numbers and fancy a career change, or you are looking for an accountant to hire and are trying to work out what you should be looking for, you have come to the right place.

As an accounting firm who is renowned for their expertise and advice in areas ranging widely from R&D to Income Tax Scotland, we know exactly what a good accountant needs and what to look for in a trainee.

In this article, we are going to share some of this knowledge with you, looking at 5 of the skills that are possessed by all of the world’s great accountants.

Communication

It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable about finance you may be, if you cannot communicate with your clients, reassuring them about the decisions you are advising and getting your message across in a clear and concise way, being an accountant is not for you.

Identifying the best route forward for a client is one thing, but getting them to a stage where they are willing to trust you with their hard earned cash is quite another.

Understandably, most people are very cautious when taking financial advice and honing your people skills is certainly something that you should be focussing on if Accounting is a career you wish to pursue.

Imagination

When selecting your accountant, picking someone who is imaginative with their ideas probably isn’t your number one priority. After all, it is easy to be innovative when thinking of things to do with someone else’s money.

However, top accountants gain their reputation by thinking outside the box, helping their clients to make the most of their money through completely legal routes that others may not have considered. From R&D credits to cash flow forecasts that identify investment opportunities, the options out there are vast, and an accountant should be well aware of the lot.

Extensive Knowledge

There is no doubt that the knowledge base of the average accountant is extremely vast. Tax laws, account submissions, business planning, these are just a few of the things that all accountants must be experts in if they hope to thrive in the profession.

The more you know, the more you can be confident of doing the best possible job for your clients, and the more confidence your clients can have in you.

Ethusiasm

Enthusiasm is contagious and a real passion for helping other and for the world of accounting will help you to stand out in job interviews and to clients further down the line.

If you have a passion for finance and for helping people, accounting could be just the ticket.