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Do you have what it takes to be a successful accountant? For a rewarding accounting career, possessing certain qualities and personality traits is a must. These accountant qualities and traits can help you thrive while earning your bachelor's degree in accounting and when you're on the job after graduation.
1. You Shine Behind the Scenes.
Accountants are at their best staying behind the scenes rather than being in the spotlight at work. If you enjoy doing your part from the sidelines instead of on the playing field, accounting could be the right career path for you. Accountants perform their work quietly without a lot of recognition, but they play a crucial role in helping businesses maintain good financial health.
2. You’re Detail-Oriented.
Working as an accountant involves paying close attention to detail. Even the smallest error can result in major money problems for businesses or individuals. If you’re the type of person who has an eye for detail and the ability to quickly find information you need, being an accountant could be your calling.
3. You Can Think of Money as Numbers.
Money can have an emotional value, often influencing whether people tend to save or splurge. For the ideal accountant, though, money represents numbers or figures to manage. Regarding money this way helps accountants take the emotion out of managing finances. Being able to think of money in terms of numbers only is among the most important qualities of an accountant.
4. You’re Tech-Savvy.
An accounting career involves doing a lot of calculations, but it’s not just about math. Accountants need to be comfortable working with software and other tech tools that handle these calculations. Being a pro at creating and updating spreadsheets and being a quick learner when it comes to technology can give you a definite advantage in the accounting field.
5. You Have a Strong Work Ethic.
To succeed in accounting, you’ll need to have a solid work ethic. Accountants sometimes work long hours, or they’re expected to be available more often during certain periods, such as during tax season. If you have a strong commitment to finishing projects, even when they take much longer than usual or require extra effort, this is an essential quality to have as an accountant.
6. You Value Personal and Professional Integrity.
Having integrity both personally and professionally is highly important in accounting. Whether you work for a business or run your own accounting firm, your employers or clients need to be able to trust you with their financial information. If other people in your life know that you’re honest and that they can trust you with sensitive information, you might consider becoming an accountant.
7. You Have Great Communication Skills.
Communication is one of the soft skills that might not seem all that important for accountants. However, being an accountant means having to explain finances and financial information to clients or co-workers who aren’t familiar with accounting terms. If you’re good at explaining difficult or complicated concepts in simple, easy-to-understand terms, this is an excellent quality to have as an accountant.
8. You’re a Team Player.
Being able to work well with others can help you thrive in accounting. Accountants often have to work as part of a team with other accounting employees as well as employees in other departments. If you manage an accounting team or department, having leadership skills is also crucial. Your leadership skills can make it easier to train and mentor others and manage your team effectively and efficiently.
9. You Have a Passion for Problem-Solving.
If you love figuring out puzzles and challenging your brain in other ways, accounting is a great fit for you. Accountants should have a strong desire to learn and excel at solving problems. As an accountant, you might face complex problems that need to be carefully sorted out. You’ll also need to learn new information, such as updated financial guidelines.
10. You’re Trustworthy and Reliable.
Employers and clients should know that they can count on you to complete work or handle financial data carefully. Being reliable and trustworthy are important personality traits to have if you plan on working as an accountant. If your friends and family know that they can depend on you, these traits should carry over into your professional life in accounting.
11. You’re Creative.
Creativity seems to be more of a personality trait for artists, but it’s one of the accountant personality traits you should have. Do you enjoy taking a creative approach to understanding issues or tackling problems in your personal life? Being creative can give you insight into issues and problems and allow you to handle them with ease during your accounting career.
12. You Have a Sense of Accountability.
Accountability means you’re willing to take responsibility when you make errors or mistakes. Accountants need to have a sense of accountability when these kinds of issues come up, such as during an audit. Being an accountant involves making judgment calls from time to time. If you’re willing to accept responsibility when things go wrong and take steps to correct your mistakes, you have yet another quality that makes a good accountant.
13. You’re Well-Organized.
Having good organizational skills is a big advantage if you plan on pursuing a career in accounting. Accountants need to keep financial information and other data as organized as possible, since this helps reduce the risk of errors and ensures that they’re able to find what they need promptly. You might make a successful accountant if you’re good at staying organized.
14. You Persevere.
If you’re the type who keeps going no matter how challenging or tough certain situations get, accounting might be the right field for you. Accountants must have perseverance in order to thrive in their work. Being in accounting means facing difficulties and challenges from time to time. You’ll need to be willing to see these challenges through in order to succeed in this field.
15. You’re Efficient.
Being efficient as an accountant involves finding ways to stay productive or boost productivity, as needed. When you’re efficient, you might also be able to help your company improve its efficiency overall. You can look forward to being a good accountant if you enjoy finding ways to meet goals as efficiently as possible.
16. You’re Adaptable.
How do you normally handle stressful situations or changes in your life? If you’re able to easily adapt, this is a great accountant quality. Accountants must stay up to date on changing guidelines, quickly learn to use new tech tools, and keep up with other changes that affect their job. When you’re already adaptable, you’ll be able to handle these challenges more readily.
17. You Take a Proactive Approach.
Being proactive means being able to anticipate problems beforehand and take steps to prevent them rather than reacting to them after they occur. If you tend to do this in your personal life, your proactive qualities can make you a highly successful accountant. Being a proactive accountant can help you avert financial disasters and lower the risk of facing these kinds of problems on the job, making you a more valuable employee.
18. You’re Good at Math.
It’s probably not surprising to learn that accountants need to have a good understanding of basic math. If you can do basic math problems, including adding and subtracting, you’ll have an easy time doing these calculations as an accountant. Keep in mind that you’ll have tech tools to help you handle more complex math calculations, and you won’t need to have an in-depth understanding of trigonometry, algebra, or other advanced mathematical concepts to excel in accounting.
19. You’re Good at Budgeting and Finances.
If you’re used to managing your personal budget and finances, you’re on your way to becoming a good accountant. Accounting involves managing budgets and finances for companies or clients. When you have practice doing this in your everyday life, you’ll have an easier time learning to handle much bigger or more complex finances and budgets.
20. You’re Good at Time Management.
Accounting schedules can fluctuate throughout the year. During tax season, for example, you can expect to be much busier than normal. If you’re good at managing your time, this is an essential skill to have as an accountant. You’ll need time management skills to make sure you’re able to complete your work on time without feeling overwhelmed.
If you are interested in learning more about the accounting degree offered at Wilmington College, request information today!
