accountant

Here are examples of common things you will do during the average workday.

• maintain accurate financial records

Keeping track of the financial health of a department, business or other organization is central to an accountant’s job. This task will involve performing or overseeing data entry. In businesses that use integrated software that automatically enters transactions, the accountant will still need to make certain that everything is working properly.

• reconcile accounts

An accountant must confirm that the numbers on reports match the actual assets held by the company. If a bank statement does not indicate the same value as the in-house report, the accountant needs to track down the source of the discrepancy.

• tax preparation

Businesses file taxes every year. It will fall on the accounting department to prepare the forms and submit the tax return properly while taking advantage of tax laws. Failure to perform this duty well can trigger a federal audit and result in expensive fines.

• audit preparation

An audit is an investigation into a company’s financial practices. In nonprofit organizations, an annual external audit may be a requirement. Other businesses choose to perform audits as a way to follow the best financial practices. Government agencies like the IRS may also perform a tax audit if there are issues with a company’s tax filing. An accountant will play a central role in this event. This professional will need to make records available and explain financial decisions.

• prepare financial reports

One of the tasks of an accountant is sharing financial information. You'll prepare financial reports on things like month-end closings. An accountant must take the information from the financial records and turn it into a clear report. The employee may submit a report for review, or company leadership may ask a senior accountant to make a formal presentation of the report.

If you enjoy peacefully sitting at a desk in an air-conditioned environment, this is a great job for you. The typical accountant works indoors in an office. The time of the written ledger has faded away, so accountants can expect to spend many of their hours in front of a computer screen. Cost accountants will periodically go to warehouses to verify material and product inventories. You also end up leaving the office regularly if you are a forensic accountant who visits other businesses or individuals to check their finances.

Many accountants end up working in a financial department. You'll have fellow team members like financial analysts, bookkeepers, and payroll coordinators. You should also expect to spend a lot of time with office support staff. People like receptionists, accounts-receivable clerks, and administrative assistants all assist you. If you're a higher-level accountant, you also end up spending time with managers and executives who need your input on financial matters.

In most cases, accountants work a regular daily schedule as full-time employees. The accounting department must be available to consult with management for decision-making purposes. Therefore, night shifts or weekend jobs are rare. If you work a typical job, you'll usually be in the office between Monday and Friday. Accountants often work a standard workday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour-long lunch break. Just keep in mind that some extra effort is required during certain times of the year. At the end of the month, quarter, or year, it's common for accountants to have some overtime. In manufacturing settings, this might include overtime to assess inventory outside of normal workday hours.

Choosing to be an accountant gives you access to a very stable career field. Accountants are a necessity in just about every industry. Any business or person that makes money needs accountants to help them manage their funds. BLS statistics report that the accounting field is projected to grow by 6% in the next 10 years. On average, roughly 136,000 new jobs are projected for each year. This means you are likely to find listings for accountants and related jobs like tax accountants, collections specialists, financial analysts, bookkeepers and auditors. Unlike many other fields, the development of new technology has not reduced accounting jobs. Even with automation software and artificial intelligence, human accountants are still a necessity. Though new software helps you be more efficient, it cannot replace your ability to oversee a company's finances and turn vast amounts of records into easily analyzed reports.

Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:

• being paid weekly
• flexibility
• always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
• many training opportunities
• a range of jobs in your area

Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as an accountant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

To succeed as an accountant, you need to be intelligent, motivated, and driven. Employers prefer accountants who have these skills.

People who enjoy a career in accounting often have a natural affinity for mathematics. You need to be able to manipulate numbers quickly and correctly, but the good news is that you don't need complex, abstract math skills. Most accounting math is a matter of basic addition and subtraction. Accountants should be comfortable with the language of statistics to create and interpret reports.

•  attention to detail

If you can pay attention to detail, you are a strong asset to your company. Part of a cost accountant’s job is to look for ways to lower costs and increase profits. Small things like saving a few cents on a manufacturing process can add up to big savings for a company’s bottom line.

• computer skills

Accountants do most of their work on computers. They must be able to create spreadsheets and work with accounting software programs. You should also be comfortable with online communication methods like email and video conferencing tools.

• organizational skills

The record-keeping aspect of an accountant’s job requires a high level of organization. For tracking purposes, the accountant must maintain digital files so that an outside auditor can quickly find necessary data.

•  communication skills

You need to be able to translate complex financial information into easily-understood summaries. Company managers depend on clear communication for making decisions. Your communication skills help leaders understand the financial health of their organization.

Many employers prefer to hire accountants with advanced certifications. However, there are plenty of accountants who have excellent careers without becoming CPAs. Receiving your CPA can open up new career opportunities, but it's not required for every job in the accounting field.

Switching to an accounting career is simple, but you usually need some extra education. People who did not major in finance or accounting in college often choose to either get a master's in accounting or get another bachelor's degree in accounting. There are a growing number of online programs available for this degree.

People who are just starting their accounting careers often begin with a bookkeeping or junior accounting position at a large company. This type of job will give you the experience you need to take the next career step. Other new accountants find it easier to start out as private consultants offering affordable accounting to individuals and small businesses.

Yes, accountants make a fairly high salary for the amount of education they need to have. You usually only need a bachelor's degree yet make upwards of $80,000 per year. If you have experience or work in high-paying industries, you can even make over six figures as an accountant.

Both of these jobs handle finances for organizations, but accounting is more complex. While bookkeepers spend their time keeping track of day-to-day transactions, accountants look at the big picture. If you enjoy analyzing finances and providing opinions on how to manage money, being an accountant is the better choice for you.

Applying for an accountant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our accountant jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!