Five skills to take your career to the next level

Accountancy has been indispensable in business since Tutankhamun realised he could get a better tax rebate on his pyramid schemes by hiring a professional number cruncher.

Accountancy_2_SmallThese days any business venture, from making paper aeroplane kits to funding satellite launches, can’t get off the ground without first creating a robust financial strategy then keeping a tight control of it.

This is where you come in. Recognising and using your top five accountancy skills to the max will not only boost your job satisfaction, it will make it easier for you to build long-term career goals.

So here are the five skills to help you to stand out as an accountant as you go for those top roles on s1jobs.  

1. Leadership Accountants who rise to the top are both logical and creative. Logic comes to the fore in analysis and advice, while creativity builds scenarios that enable clients to improve their business model. In all of this, however, there is another balancing act in play: being simultaneously a working part of the entire team yet able to take the lead in strategy and confident enough to delegate duties.  

2. Organisation As you know, accountants are very busy and important people, what with all the portfolios, payrolls, planners and programmes. If you can demonstrate a natural talent for managing time to a T and remembering the finest of details, you’re sure to shine at your interview.  

3. Flexibility A square peg doesn’t fit in a round hole but the accounting industry is a wide sector so being able to adapt to new and evolving situations is a much sought-after quality. Being comfortable with changes in work practices and proactive about learning new financial legislation or accounting software makes you a shoo-in for promotion.  

4. Integrity Every calculation made is going to directly affect a client and their short and long-term business. If you aim only for the very highest ethical standards, you’re much more likely to be infuriatingly methodical in your work – and that’s good news for your clients, your company and your career.  

5. Resilience Hard work and staying the course can never be underestimated. In accountancy you’ll often have to manage near impossible client expectations against the tightest of deadlines. The ability to remain calm and focused marks you out as a top accountant.   For all the latest vacancies in Accountancy visit s1jobs.com