WHAT IS AN ACCOUNTING MAJOR EXPECTED TO BE GOOD AT?

Your employer, clients, and professional colleagues are going to expect you to be able to do certain things well because you are an accountant. These core skills should help you focus your course work and learning as you progress toward your degree. Take the time to not just learn these skills but to excel at them. Practice, practice, practice! Show the world that Accounting majors are the best!

Technical Competency

Accountants are expected to know most, if not all, of the technical areas of the profession. This does not mean that you should know every little detail immediately, but that you should possess an understanding of the area and where to look for further guidance. Employers assume that you have a basic fundamental foundation of accounting when you graduate from college. However, this is only the starting point. Throughout your career in accounting, you will continue to learn and expand your accounting and business knowledge base in a life-long learning experience.

Oral/Written Communication

Accountants must not only know correct grammar and punctuation, but also how to express themselves in all manners of circumstances. You must be able to clearly explain financial requirements and procedures to managers, clients, and others who are interested in such information. You need to know how to evaluate and respond to many different circumstances, both individually and in group settings. Accountants are expected to be able to think on their feet and express those thoughts in a clear and easily understandable manner. Critical business decisions involving millions of dollars frequently hinge on the accountant's ability to think and respond quickly with accurate answers.

Critical Thinking Skills

In accounting, critical thinking refers to your ability to relate items, knowledge, and insight together so that you may provide valuable and quality advice to strategic decision makers. Critical thinking requires strong problem-solving skills with the ability to look beyond the mere surface and to evaluate a variety of strategies. It often involves taking a murky negative and turning it into a sharp clear, crisp picture.

Leadership Skills

Accountants must be able to motivate others to achieve results. This requires the accountant to combine excellent people skills with technical ability to inspire and influence the decision making process.

Technology Skills

In today's computer-oriented world, the accountant must understand computers including knowledge of accounting systems and accounting software packages. Accountants work with computers of all shapes and sizes from the stand-alone PC to networks of hundreds of computers located across the country. Much of the work that accountants do uses the computer from entering financial data into an accounting system or a computer spreadsheet to preparing tax returns and other financial reports using an accounting or tax software package.