Accounting for Taste

Lately, a lot of people have been asking me what I think of the accounting profession and tips on what makes a good accountant. I've created a collection of skillsets that are important and thought I'd share.

The field is definitely dynamic, and there is a lot of information to keep up on... there are different areas to go into...compliance & corporate governance, public accounting/audit, tax, corporate accounting, treasury. I think the skills for good accountants to have:

(1) intense attention to detail
(2) tolerance of difficult work schedules, especially during the end of the year, and the end of quarters -- meaning long hours, sporadic timings (ie.. coming into work at 5am a day or two a month), the waiting game while your work is reviewed, and constant revisions.
(3) strong understanding of systems (computer systems, work flow charts, etc).
(4) innovative and resourceful
(5) great people skills -- ability to know when someone is being truthful and creating meaningful relationships with your business partners.
(6) ability to see big picture

If you are looking for the following things in a profession, accounting may not be for you:

(1) creativity --- while there is room for it, you have to seek out the opportunities, and many of them are in very niche, specialized areas.
(2) direct involvement in increasing the top line --- accountants and finance in a corporation are bottom line people... we create profits. Sales are what they are, and most times, it is difficult to increase them directly from our function.
(3) appreciated and well liked --- while accountancts and finance professionals do great things for companies, we are very often seen as the police, and regulators of an organization. We are can be the last to get information, and the first to be blamed if numbers aren't the way they should be. Many times our input and analysis is after the fact (this relates back to point #2). We are the bearers of bad news just as much as good news.