I’ve been in the accounting/finance-related field for over 15 years. Working 40 hours a week is not always easy. Daily pressures and demands often overtake our work, leaving limited time and energy to focus on developing important skills. Looking back, I can identify 3 major skills that help to succeed.
1. Attention to details I’ve seen a lot of smart employees that can learn quickly, are very active, and agree to stay late to finish the tasks. Nevertheless, they are not always those that we want to promote and have as a “right hand”. What is the reason? Attention to details! When we see quite a few minor mistakes, we get a feeling that we should always check this person’s work. Of course, everyone can make mistakes. The question is what type of mistakes are acceptable and how often. Accounting is the area where accuracy is very important.
2. Managing your time. Ability to plan your day, structure your thoughts, prioritize tasks can make you productive. Using a calendar is a basic, but very efficient approach. If you are working on a project with teamwork, a task management software might be the right tool to use. (Monday.com, Wrike, Smartsheet, Zenkit, etc) Finding the right job for your personality will play a great role. Very often 80% of the time we do what we have to do and 20% of what we like to you. Imagine you can find a job that you like and 80% of it is what you Like to do? We can easily plan the thing we like doing and be very efficient.
3. Active Listening Techniques. Active listening helps to establish trust between the parties and build professional relationships. Keep an eye contact. Checking your emails or texting during a conversation will not be appropriate. Clarifying some details will show that you are really listening. You can ask: “What do you think about …?” or “Tell me about …” or “Could you describe …?” Even when good listeners have strong views, they suspend judgment, hold any criticisms, and avoid interruptions like arguing or selling their point right away.
What other skills would you add to the list and why?
#softskills #hardskills #timemanagement #accounting #accountingcareers
