Careers Artciles - Accounting for Every Penny

Accountants work in either financial accounting or management accounting. Some do both but the majority specialise. Financial accounting involves bookkeeping maintaining accurate records, then interpreting them – using them to draw up annual profit and loss accounts and annual balance sheets- which show a company’s or a person’s results or financial position.

An individual or self-employed person needs this information for his or her own purposes and also for the Inland Revenue whose staff decide how much tax must be paid. Management accounting is done for a company’s own purposes.


	Accountants are employed in industry, commerce, in the public and private sectors, in accountancy practices’ in large and small organisations and some work for themselves. They do financial work for multi-national companies; for private organisations and for a wide variety of clients if they so choose.

Just think of all organisations in the world that need financial advice and money management services; governments, businesses, manufacturers, retailers, airlines, theatres, football clubs, charities and people – millionaires, small trades, pop stars. Accountants can and do work for all of them.

There are two levels of accountancy work. Professionally qualified accountants have studied for several years and usually belong to one of the major professional bodies. The qualification awarded by such a body gives them the right to practise the profession.

Accountancy technicians are less highly qualified but nevertheless do responsible work. They assist qualified accountants and work under their direction. They do much of the work required in preparing financial statements for clients and may conduct their own correspondence.

Visiting a client to discuss the company accounts.

Accountancy is a "people" business requiring good communicators – in speech and in writing; the ability to listen, discuss, understand, argue and persuade – all logically; take the initiative and demonstrate real leadership skills.

A sense of humour is important, as is the ability to work hard and often for long hours. Feeling comfortable with figures as tools is also an important commodity. Given that you are to have a lot of exams to pass – you must be intelligent and academically capable.

Checking figures on printouts from the computer.

You will need the qualifications specified by the professional body whose training route you decide to follow. Although people enter training with different levels of qualification, there are minimum requirements. These vary slightly with the different associations and institutes but as a general rule you will need qualifications equal to ‘A’ Levels to train as an accountant and GCSEs to become an accounting technician.

Pitmans is one association where there is no formal entry requirement for Book-keeping and Accounts level 1, other than an interest in learning financial record keeping.

After successfully completing Accounting NVQ level 2 you may then choose to sit the Developed and Central Assessment examinations of the Association Accounting Technicians (AAT). AAT is recognised by all the Accounting Bodies and on successful completion may be used as an entry qualification to full training as an Accountant.

For further information on courses, please contact your local college or careers service.

This article appears with thanks to Calderdale College and first appeared in the Halifax Courier.

For further information please see:

	Accountant: Industry and Commerce
	Accountant: Private Practice
	Accountant: Public Finance
	Accounting Technician
	Accounts Clerk