Crunching numbers and dealing with excel sheets are the go-to tasks everyone seems to think about when it comes to accounting. But, if you want to become an accountant, there are some things you should know. 

More than just filling out a company’s tax returns, accountants are the engine of every business. Giving you the opportunity to work within the realm of cybersecurity, forensic investigation, compliance, internal and external audit, problem solving, risk analysis and so much more, being an accountant is an exciting job that opens an array of doors. 

Let’s have a look at the top five things aspiring accountants didn’t know were part of the job. 

1. You need great social skills 

Dealing with clients across various industries, you need to be quite a people person. Knowing how to handle, and work alongside different characters is a quality that will keep your clients happy and make your day job more enjoyable. The stereotypical image of a lonely accountant, staring at a screen all day long, is just a myth. Having good presentation skills and knowing how to pitch an idea are valuable qualities in today’s accounting world.

2. Specialisation opportunities

The fact is, everyone deals with money. Whether they’re social media influencers, giant retail chains or food trucks, financial transactions keep businesses afloat. Helping businesses manage and optimize their critical business functions means getting exposed to a wide range of industries and specialising in an area that interests you. Nothing beats having a passion for your job and doing something you love, day in, day out.

3. You never stop learning 

Obtaining your accounting warrant is great, but you need to stay on top of things and continuously live up to the CPE standards. 

Each year, accountants have to undergo a minimum of 25 hours of structured Continuing Professional Education (CPE), ten of which must deal with the Core competencies. This means you remain updated with all the business trends and developments and are part of the progress moving the industry forward.

4. You get to be a part of great projects

Computers can do wonderful things, including most of the number crunching that would historically take accountants hours to do. This automation means your hands are free and a lot of your everyday tasks are more likely to revolve around giving advice, identifying financial efficiencies, and consultancy advisory work. Helping clients develop a solid business plan and achieve their business goals, tax management and forecasting cash flow are just some of the things on your daily to do list.

There is also the opportunity to work on one-off projects that don’t fall within the regular day to day. These projects can appear challenging and often outside your comfort zone, but it is here you realise that with a great team you can move mountains. These jobs encourage you to learn, problem solve and fulfil your potential.

5. You’re always in demand

Money makes the world go around and having a career that deals with accounting, audit, tax and advisory means that you are guaranteed employment. Accountants have endless possibilities when it comes to creating the work-life balance that’s perfect for them. With tax, advisory and audit firms offering attractive contracts that support your life both in and out of the office you can study while you work, explore the industry through an internship or gain valuable work experience through international secondment opportunities.

To help kickstart this journey, Mazars in Malta is opening its doors to students and graduates alike, to see how you could fit into their team. Offering both career opportunities and internships, Mazars is a gateway to a wealth of opportunity.

Mazars believe that learning is best achieved through experience, and that’s why a job at Mazars means you get your hands dirty from the get-go. Being exposed to different fields of the industry and working on various tasks means you will gain invaluable experience from day one.

Building the company ethos on four pillars, Mazars in Malta has a solid structure in place to give you the tools you need to succeed.

The school of excellence pillar focuses on giving you the opportunity to grow and refine your skills through exposure to high profile clients in a variety of sectors. Career paths are designed according to people’s interests and needs.

Aiming to keep you around for as long as possible, your future of work is always on the management’s mind at Mazars in Malta, pioneering new ways of working. Constantly seeing how you can grow within the team, the future is always on the horizon whilst fostering innovation and creativity. And what’s great is that we have just recently moved to the new offices in Central Business District in Birkirkara.

Entrepreneurial spirit is something which each and every Mazars employee has. It’s this burning passion to add value, innovate and create that keeps the ball rolling at Mazars in Malta.

Finally, friends for life is a commitment to building strong relationships within the team, from senior management to the newbies. Mazars in Malta has a community that extends beyond our shores growing your connections globally. The management style is extremely accessible whilst nurturing a coaching culture. Lots of social activities are planned throughout the year.

Present in over 90 countries worldwide with over 44,000 employees, the Mazars workforce is made up of 54% women, with an average age of 28 and a 50% growth in the last five years.

Opportunity, learning and community are the secrets to Mazars success and you could be part of that too.

Tag someone who wants to become an account!