Accountancy Jobs

By: EconomyWatch   Date: 1 October 2009

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Accountancy jobs cover an array of responsibilities associated with the financial aspects of an organization. The scope and reach of accountancy jobs is primarily dependant on the size of an organization. In smaller organization, an accountant’s job is restricted to book keeping, whereas in a large organization the duties and responsibilities of an accountant are much greater.

Accountancy Jobs: Basics

Besides recording business transactions and preparing financial statements, an accountant is also responsible for:

  • Calculating costs through cost analysis and contracts analysis.
  • Computing efficiency gains to control expenses and acquire new technologies.
  • Participate in setting up mergers and acquisitions.
  • Develop IT systems and software solutions for tracking financial performance more effectively.
  • Planning tax strategy, by preparing personal income and corporate tax statements.
  • Employee benefits management, which involves accommodating rewards and performance bonuses in the accounts.

Types of Accountancy Jobs

Accountancy jobs can be broadly categorized into the following types:

·        Public Accountant: Usually a self-employed professional, a public accountant prepares tax returns for individuals and small businesses. Although public accounting offers great flexibility, this accountancy job is extremely seasonal in nature, the peak period being March and April, and requires public accountants to take on another job to supplement their income.

·        Private Accountant: Generally a well paying job, private accounting involves working for a company full-time. The job of a private accountant is very dynamic, requiring the individual to cater to all the accounting and financial aspects of the company, from budget preparation to tax planning.

·        Government Accountant: Accountancy jobs can be found at all levels of the government, from townships to cities and counties. A government accountant’s main job is to oversee allocation of public funds. Government positions usually offer a high level of security, retirement benefits and a very competitive pay. This makes the competition level for government accounting jobs very high.

·        Internal Audit: Internal Auditors are responsible for implementing a corporation’s financial strategy by using elements of general accounting and conducting special audits. Internal auditors have the maximum scope for getting promoted to the upper management.

Most accountancy jobs and accounting practices are governed by at least one national body, such as

·        The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in the UK

·        The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in the US

·        The CPA in Australia

Individuals must have strong quantitative skills to succeed in accountancy jobs, although good people skills are also necessary, especially for the higher level positions.


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