Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life
Accountants
Accountants analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization.
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Job Description
Accountants analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization. They also maintain or examine the records of government agencies.
Other tasks include:
- Develop, maintain, and analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs.
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
- Establish tables of accounts and assign entries to proper accounts.
- Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
We asked Accountants how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.
71%
38%
71% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 38% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.
Typical Day At Work
On a daily basis, Accountants analyze business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations to project future revenues and expenses or to provide advice. They review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
A typical day for an Accountant will also include:
- Prepare forms and manuals for accounting and bookkeeping personnel and direct their work activities.
- Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Maintain or examine the records of government agencies.
- Develop, implement, modify, and document recordkeeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.
- Prepare adjusting journal entries.
We asked some Accountants a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.
Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? | 81% said yes | |
How important is it to work in a team in this job? | 45% said very important | |
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? | 46% said yes | |
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? | 15% said yes | |
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? | 9% said yes | |
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? | 36% said yes |
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Accountants also develop, maintain, and analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs. They may also advise management about issues such as resource utilization, tax strategies, and the assumptions underlying budget forecasts.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Accountants Prepare adjusting journal entries. They might also Report to management regarding the finances of establishment.
In addition, they Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting, or other tax requirements.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
To some Accountants, it is also their responsibility to Review accounts for discrepancies and reconcile differences.
Working life
Standard 40 hour work week
Regular schedule like a 9 to 5
In a typical work week as an Accountant, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.
Is this right for me
The Organizers and The Entrepreneurs
People who are suitable for this job tends to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas..
They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
Learn more about Accountants
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