Accountant General Job Description Sample

Accountant General Job Responsibilities:This accountant sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.

Provides financial information to management by researching and analyzing accounting data; preparing reports.

Accountant General Job Duties:

• Prepares asset, liability, and capital account entries by compiling and analyzing account information.
• Documents financial transactions by entering account information.
• Recommends financial actions by analyzing accounting options.
• Summarizes current financial status by collecting information; preparing balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and other reports.
• Substantiates financial transactions by auditing documents.
• Maintains accounting controls by preparing and recommending policies and procedures.
• Guides accounting clerical staff by coordinating activities and answering questions.
• Reconciles financial discrepancies by collecting and analyzing account information.
• Secures financial information by completing data base backups.
• Maintains financial security by following internal controls.
• Prepares payments by verifying documentation, and requesting disbursements.
• Answers accounting procedure questions by researching and interpreting accounting policy and regulations.
• Complies with federal, state, and local financial legal requirements by studying existing and new legislation, enforcing adherence to requirements, and advising management on needed actions.
• Prepares special financial reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing account information and trends.
• Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by keeping financial information confidential.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Accomplishes the result by performing the duty.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Accountant General Skills and Qualifications:

Accounting, Corporate Finance, Reporting Skills, Attention to Detail, Deadline-Oriented, Reporting Research Results, SFAS Rules, Confidentiality, Time Management, Data Entry Management, General Math Skills.

Typical employers of accountants

• Private firms of accountants
• Professional services firms
• Industrial organisations
• Charities and not for profit organisations
• Commercial and corporate organisations
• Governmental bodies
• The public sector

Vacancies are advertised on TARGETjobs, by careers services, in TARGETjobs Finance, in national newspapers and on specialist websites such as Accountancy Age. The professional institutes regularly produce lists of training vacancies.

Qualifications and training required

There are routes into a career in accountancy for both university graduates and school leavers.

Graduates can have an honours degree in any discipline, though relevant subjects such as accounting, business or economics are advantageous as these can provide a faster route to the necessary qualification with a professional accounting body. Obtaining this qualification enables you to achieve chartered status, which demonstrates to employers, clients and the general public than you have the training and skills to do your job well. Graduates will also need five GCSEs (grades A* - C, including maths and English), and at least two good A levels. Recently some firms, in particular the Big 4, have relaxed their entry criteria, and it is now possible to enter the profession with a 2.2 degree or lower number of UCAS points. Prior legal knowledge, especially in relation to taxation, may be beneficial.

Qualification as a chartered accountant takes at least three years, and can be demanding; study for exams takes place alongside full-time employment and graduates should carefully consider the package offered in their training contract. While working toward chartered status, provisions for training and study leave play an important role in job satisfaction, as well as salary and the atmosphere of the firm where you work.

As part of the training, graduates must complete three years of relevant work experience. Prior experience gained through relevant internships may count toward this, but the work experience must always meet certain development objectives and be supervised by an employer approved by the qualification provider. Qualification is dependent on the fulfilment of these training objectives, professional exams, and a professional ethics assessment.

There are several separate institutes of chartered accountants (see links below) and entry requirements vary. Certain large firms have preferences for qualifications from specific institutes, although training generally covers the same topics and skills. In order to maintain chartered status, accountants are required to pursue objectives toward continuing professional development (CPD) each year.

To find out about how you can get into this career via a school leaver route (eg an apprenticeship or school leaver training programme) see the finance sector of TARGETcareers, our website aimed at school leavers.

Key skills for accountants

Accountants go through a rigorous recruitment and qualification process, and this is reflected in their high professional status. Employers look for graduates with the following skills:

• self-motivation
• integrity
• ability to reflect on one's own work as well as the wider consequences of financial decisions
• business acumen and interest
• organisational skills and ability to manage deadlines
• teamworking ability
• communication and interpersonal skills
• proficiency in IT
• analytical ability
• a methodical approach and problem-solving skills
• high level of numeracy