Skills Necessary for Accounting Success

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Before I started this research, I thought of an accountant as someone who punched numbers every day and had great book-keeping skills but I have now learned that the accountant has to possess certain other skills often referred to as “soft skills” in order to be competitive and successful in this ever-changing business economy. Some of these “soft skills” are, but not limited to, excellent written and oral communication skills, the ability to work well with other people, work ethic, honesty, empathy, and problem-solving. Superior technical skills, though very important for an accountant, are no longer sufficient as employers are demanding that graduates have both technical and soft skills. If this is the case, are accounting majors adequately prepared and equipped with the requisite skills necessary to succeed in the accounting field? Researchers agree that there is a gap between the skill set of graduates and the expectation of the employer and that the accounting curriculum should be restructured in order to provide the accounting field with well-prepared, well-rounded, and suitably skilled graduates.

In “Professional Knowledge and Skills Required for Accounting Majors Who Intend to Become Auditors: Perceptions of External Auditors” by Ali Uyar and Ali Haydar Gungormus, the authors reason that in order for universities and colleges offering accounting education to “survive” in this ever-changing, cutting-edge global market, they have to acknowledge the requirements of the “business world” and to meet such requirements by preparing graduates who have the knowledge as well as the skills necessary to perform their jobs well and to be successful (33). In a survey conducted by the authors regarding the importance of certain ...

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... Gail Lynn et al. “Emotional Intelligence: The Role of Accounting Education and Work Experience.” Issues in Accounting Education 26.2 (2011): 267-286. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.

Daud, Salina et al. “Do Business Graduates’ Attributes Fulfill Industry Requirements and Expectations?” Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 5.9 (2011): 68-74. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.

Kermis, George and Marguerite Kermis. “Professional presence and soft skills: a role for accounting education”. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies. (2011): 1-10. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.

Uyar, Ali and Ali Haydar Gungormus. “Professional Knowledge and Skills Required for Accounting Majors Who Intend to Become Auditors: Perceptions of External Auditors.” Business and Economics Research Journal 2.3 (2011): 33-49. Business Source Complete. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.

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