This is i think crazy question but I decided to ask this one anyway. Shortly before you guys started studying bookkeeping or accountancy how did you know if you were suited for this kind of job? Is it possible to test yourself somehow to see if you are suited for this job ? Is this possible to predict somehow if a given person is likely to perform well as far as work in accountancy field is concerned? I ask because there is probably huge difference between studying bookkeeping in cozy atmosphere at home where there is no any kind of pressure and performing this job in real life situation. How do you know if you can handle accountancy job after your studies are finished?
Now this one's an interesting question that may end up getting a thesis as a response!
no time at the min as just about to take my boy out to see the 00:01 showing of the new Star Wars movie at the local Multiplex but very much looking forwards to answering this one some time tomorrow and also reading what others believe are the key ingredients of someone who works in this field.
p.s. the studies never finish. The exams are just the begining!
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Well, for starters I found out that I was an accountant by accident! (really!)
At school my intention had always been to become a lawyer. Even got as far as getting an offer from a good Uni to study law which I was unable to take.
Many years later following a long career in corporate I was asked to get a serious accountancy qualification in order to open up opportunities at the next level with the bank.
I chose ACCA and found (a) the management accounting side of things was relatively easy as it was basically the job that I had been doing for years without realising that I was an accountant(seems one persons business analyst is another's management accountant!), and (b) there was a lot of study of contract law which was an area of law that really interested me and got me back to where I wanted to be... If I took the long way around to get there.
I found that many parts of the brought forwards business and financial analysis skillset, plus corporate mindset (nine to five is an alien concept) lend themselves well to accountancy.
My entire division of the bank was outsourced quite early in my studies and I determined not to transfer over but rather went back freelancing to support my continued accountancy studies as when you find something that you feel that you were meant to be doing you will find a way to continue doing it.
What you feel, that gut instinct, that inner passion, is the real key. If one goes into this for the money then it may always elude you. If you go into it because you love it and if you lopped your head off you have Accountant running all the way through you like a stick of Blackpool rock then you know that you have made the right choice.
If I were to set a series of qualities that one needs I would say :
1) You can never ever be satisfied or complacent with your knowledge. Some people think that getting into this is all about passing exams and the ultimate end game is gaining a practicing certificate. So, they learn enough to get good results in their academic studies and think that's it. What you are actually signing up for is life long learning and all that the training really does is teach you where you need to look for answers.
If you find yourself doing old exam questions "for fun" in the odd five mins downtime, including questions from other professional bodies than your own, then you have the right mindset.
2) You cannot have a nine to five type of attitude. I'm maybe lucky in that I come from an industry (banking) where you continued to work until the work was done, not drop tools at 17:30 but continue until 03:00 in the morning if that was what is needed.
3) You need to develop an attitude of professional skepticism. You have to listen to what a client is actually saying which is often far more than just the words coming out of their mouth. A lot of this job is developing the skill of reading people and developing a gut instinct for when something feels wrong (then going out of your way to find that issue which you "know" exists).
4) You need a strong sense of right and wrong and to be true to that. The accountancy bodies impose ethical standards but the standards that they require are standards that a bodies members should possess anyway such as Integrity, Objectivity and independence of mind)
5) You need attention to detail but the ability to view the big picture. The old adage of a thousand mile journey starts with a single step, so even the largest sets of accounts start with the correct filing of a single transaction.
6) You need to be able to process through scenarios logically and sequentially in your mind and spot the flaws in them. Learn to structure chart processes and procedures. No professional body teaches that but its a key skill to spotting where clients are going wrong.
Maybe the ultimate test of whether you are suited to this life (its more than a job) is asking yourself, do you study because you feel you must and force yourself to complete the study. Or, do you study because you want to and go well beyond the study texts looking things up and even find yourself reading accounting standards and tax regulations?
If the latter then even if you are currently having issues with studies (we all have those on occassion) this is the business for you and you will make it.
If the former then you may make a living at this but you will never love what you do. Thats the time to question if you have made the right decision.
Couple of quotes for you :
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it, don't settle" Steve Jobs.
"If you do what you love, you'll never have to work a day in your life" Marc Anthony.
kindest regards,
Shaun.
p.s. you've not been around for a while, how's life been for you for the past couple of months?
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
thanks for reply Shaun and for interesting insight. I have to ' sleep' with all the things you said. My life has been ok for me for the past couple of months. I don't have reasons to complain.
