The root and foundation of being a successful accountant is in the strength of your technical skills. Obtain and refine your technical skills and worry about the rest later.
KNOW TECHNOLOGY
Most business functions today are computerized, especially in accounting. Technology has freed accounting firms from much of the computational drudgery that used to be such a part of the day-to-day routine in accounting. Accountants have since broadened the scope of their services to clients to do more analyzing and consulting.
When learning the technology of your particular firm, it is important to pay attention to the particular way they use their software—pay attention to any common shortcuts and tricks they use that can make your tasks easier and more efficient. Equally important is to stay conscious whenever there is any major software update or changing of software in your firm. Bottom line: stay on top of the latest.
NETWORK
It's that nobody gets to the top, or even near the top, without help from other people. Successful people know how to capitalize on the people they know. They are not "using people" in the way one normally interprets the phrase. They not only rely on others for help and favors, but they give a great deal of help and return favors. That is an important reason why they are successful.
Building contacts is crucial to career success— it should be systematic. Whenever you meet somebody new, you should write that person's name and business on a 3" X 5" file card or, better still, put it on your smart phone. If you both feel that you are in a position to help each other, try to meet socially. If you are in a position to help the person, try to do it early in the relationship. It will then be much easier for you to go to that person if you need a favor in the future. It is particularly important for you to build contacts in the company for which you work. It is not necessary to force yourself on anyone, but do not be timid about introducing yourself to top management in the appropriate situation.
This process is called networking. Networking is similar to investing in securities. If you keep taking from the principal investment, eventually there will nothing there to generate interest. So it is crucial that you don’t just take. You have to keep investing in the network, helping people. That being said, it is important not only to cultivate contacts, but also to make sure that you do not abuse the relationship by making it too one-sided. You have to keep in contact with people even when things are going well.
REMEMBER, YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL
Accounting, by its very nature, calls for confidentiality and integrity. Should the people you work with, or for, begin to doubt your ability to keep sensitive information confidential, you will find your horizons extremely limited. Whatever else you do in your job, you must earn and maintain the image of professionalism, honesty, and trustworthiness. You demonstrate these qualities in any number of ways. For instance, you should make it a cardinal rule never to gossip about either your clients or your firm, regardless of how interesting the information you have might be to other people and of how "harmless" you might think the information is. In all firms, there is a written or unwritten rule that you do not talk about company business outside the shop. Yes, you can discuss economics or taxes or any number of general topics, but, when it comes to inside information, the rule is very simple. You simply do not talk about it.
There is an even more practical reason for being careful about confidentiality. As an accountant, you come across a great deal of confidential information. If you can demonstrate early in your career that you can be trusted with that information, you will be entrusted with more; and the more confidential information you have in your mental bank, the stronger your position will be to come up with suggestions and recommendations.
Beyond confidentiality, there is the question of ethics. Ethical problems can arise in a number of ways. Accountants can find themselves in an ethical dilemma they did not even create. Emphasizing even more the importance of taking caution. As an accountant, you cannot afford even the slightest of indiscretions, for it takes very little in the way of loss of trust to shatter a career.
CONCLUSION
Remain technologically savvy, build a network of valuable contacts and always carry yourself professionally—master those skills and everything else is icing on the cake.
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