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By becoming a better accountant, you’ll be able to:

• Get more clients
• Progress your career further
• Boost your earning potential

These are some exciting benefits, which is why you should be focused on improving your accountancy skills and knowledge over the coming years. After all, let’s not forget that Accounting is a very competitive field, so separating yourself from the rest is incredibly important.

Where should you begin? Use this complete guide on how to become a better accountant to start progressing your career even further.

Get APA Certified

Many Accountants work in the lucrative oil and gas Industry.

If this applies to you, then you should get APA certified through https://www.copas.org/apa-program/. By doing this, you can grow your knowledge of the industry and provide accounting services to a much higher standard. Not to mention, many accountancy firms in the industry look for accountants who are APA certified, so this is a great way to boost your job prospects, whether you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for several years.

To get APA certified, you’ll need to pass the exam. Once you’ve done this, it’ll open up a new world of accounting opportunities for you to enjoy.

Know the Latest Technology

Accounting has changed a lot over the past decade or so. Now, technology and cloud software are at the core. The best accountants out there are familiar with this technology and know how to use it to their advantage, whether to automate tasks or cut costs.

Here are some examples that you should be looking to master:

• Advanced Excel
• QuickBooks
• NetSuite

These cloud platforms are used by both freelance accountants and those who work for accounting firms. For instance, you might find in the future that you apply for a job with an accounting firm whose main requirement is that you can competently use QuickBooks. This is why QuickBooks training courses are so popular on the internet — it’s one of the most popular accounting software applications used today.

It’s also worth mentioning that Artificial Intelligence is slowly starting to have a big impact on the accounting world. By now, you’ve probably seen and heard about AI a million times on the news. It’s no secret that AI is the future of most industries, including accounting. This is why you should optimize AI to your advantage now so that you can stay ahead of the curve.

What you’re currently seeing is thousands of accountants using AI programs to analyze and interpret company data so that audit quality can be increased. In a nutshell, AI is going to reduce the workload for accountants while also enabling them to provide clients with better services. This is why AI is something that you should embrace and not run away from. Don’t worry, as it’s not going to take away your accounting job — instead, it’s going to improve how good you are at your job!

Start Networking

Platforms like the highly popular LinkedIn are great for accountants.

Here, you can network with big figures in your industry and potentially open up some exciting career opportunities for yourself further down the line. Also, LinkedIn is a great platform for advertising your services and driving new clients – from small to big organizations – in your direction.

Enhance Your People Skills

There’s a misconception that accounting is exclusively about numbers and data. However, this simply isn’t true. In an industry like accounting, you need to have excellent people skills. Without them, you won’t be able to attract new clients, improve current client relationships, and so much more.

While working as an accountant, you’re going to communicate with hundreds of clients throughout the year from different industries. The common thread amongst most of them will be that they don’t understand complex financial issues, which is completely natural. After all, it’s why they hired an accountant in the first place!

Therefore, you need to be capable of communicating and explaining complex financial issues to them in simplistic terms so that they understand what’s going on. If not, they’ll assume that you’re not up to the job.

Here are the keys to good people skills in accounting:

• Listen well
• Be an excellent communicator
• Be friendly but professional
• Have good emotional intelligence
• Don’t be afraid to use humor

Humor is very underrated in accounting, as it’s a great way to relax clients and put them at ease when complicated financial topics are being discussed, such as revenue loss.

Go Where the Money Is

As mentioned earlier, the oil and gas industry is extremely lucrative for accountants and is generally where you can make the most money. On top of this, you can also boost your accounting career and skills by entering industries such as:

• Insurance
• Government
• Sustainability

Remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one particular industry. Some accountants have many clients that span across various sectors, from oil and gas to insurance.

Stay On Top of Industry Regulations

The IRS regulates accountants. Knowing this, it’s vital that you stay on top of current industry regulations so that you stay on the right side of the law and don’t get into any sticky situations. All you have to do is join an organization that’ll keep you up-to-date on regulation changes, such as the PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board). This way, you can receive helpful audit reports with all of the relevant information that you need.

Find a Mentor

Mentors are a common thing when it comes to accounting.

If you work for an organization, you should be able to find a mentor within that organization if you don’t have one already. The more experienced the mentor is, the better. You’ll be able to learn from them and absorb a boatload of knowledge that you wouldn’t be able to get from any accounting textbook or printed manual. Instead, everything will be very much hands-on and practical, which is exactly what you need.

Have Core Values That You Always Follow

These days, it seems like every company on the planet has a list of core values, right? As an accountant, you should have some, too. The reason for this is that core values help to guide you on your mission to provide the best possible service to clients and customers.

One of the most common core values in accounting is trust. Once you show a client that you can be trusted, half of the battle is won. You’ll also see values such as teamwork and respect being used as well, which are also great values to have in accounting.

The key is to settle on the values that are important to you and can ultimately guide you throughout your career as an accountant, whether you plan on doing it for ten years or 40 years.

Summary — Here’s What to Do Next

You’ve now reached the end of this guide.

Moving forward, it’s highly recommended that you follow all of the tips and advice provided to you above, starting with getting your APA certificate.

From 2022 to 2023, the global accounting services market experienced significant growth, going from $650.7 billion to $675.14 billion. This is an industry that’s always going to be competitive and in demand, which is why you can’t afford to take your foot off the gas.

Continuously improving as an accountant will serve you well and ensure you get to experience a fulfilling career.