Financial Accountant
On this page
- What's it like to be a Financial Accountant?
- How to become a Financial Accountant
- Latest Financial Accountant jobs
- Top skills and experience for Financial Accountants
What's it like to be a Financial Accountant?
Financial Accountants manage, monitor, and discuss a business's or individuals' financial status. They handle balance sheets and cash flow statements and produce other reports and must stay up to date with local tax rules and regulations. Financial Accountants may work in the finance team of an organisation or freelance, doing accounting work for individuals or small businesses.
Tasks and duties
- Completing monthly reports such as balance sheets, cash flow statements, and profit and loss statements.
- Monitoring the company’s expenditures.
- Helping advise senior leadership on controlling expenses and where to invest.
- Gathering and analysing data for cost projections.
- Helping the finance team prepare to close financials during a calendar year.
- Filing tax returns and financial reports before the end of an organisation’s fiscal year.
How to become a Financial Accountant
To become a Financial Accountant you will need a degree in accounting. Becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is an advantage.
Complete a bachelor degree in accounting. After graduating, take the licensure exam to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as most employers will look for this requirement.
Start in entry-level accounting jobs, and focus on the work that Financial Accountants perform such as creating reports and cost projections.
Consider investing in additional certifications or a postgraduate degree to boost your credentials and advance your career. You can consider taking the Chartered Financial Analyst exam or going to graduate school to take an MBA or a Master’s in Finance.
