Financial Accounting Careers Roles

Financial accounting careers involve public reporting of a company for the purpose of various stakeholders who need information on the company’s financial status. These stakeholders could be internal management and leaders or external shareholders, creditors, debt holders, government agencies, etc.

Apart from basic accountingBasic AccountingAccounting is the formal process through which a company attempts to present its financial information in a way that is both auditable and usable by the general public. read more knowledge, financial accounting professionals should possess strong numerical, analytical, communication, and presentation skills with attention to detail. They need to be conversant with the economy’s accepted accounting standards like GAAPGAAPGAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) are standardized guidelines for accounting and financial reporting.read more, IFRS, etc. This is necessary to maintain consistency in reporting so that comparison is feasible across peer companies.

Financial Accounting professionals may be engaged as Financial Accountants, Auditors, Financial Managers, ComptrollersComptrollersComptroller is the person in charge of the company’s accounting and financial records, and he or she is usually at a senior-level position, preferably the company’s CFO. The main responsibility is to manage the Accounting staff and to oversee the general administration of the office.read more, Management Accountants, and Financial Analysts.

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Top 6 Financial Accounting Careers List

#1 – Financial Accountants Career

Financial Accountants Financial Accountants Financial accounting refers to bookkeeping, i.e., identifying, classifying, summarizing and recording all the financial transactions in the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. It even includes the analysis of these financial statements.read more are responsible for detailed record keepingDetailed Record KeepingRecordkeeping is a basic accounting stage that teaches us how to keep track of monetary business transactions with the goal of keeping a permanent record of all transactions, knowing the correct picture of assets-liabilities, profits and losses, etc., keeping control of expenses with the goal of minimizing expenses, and having important information for legal and tax purposes.read more and preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statementsQuarterly, And Annual Financial StatementsAnnual Financial Statements refers to the annual presentation of the entity’s financial performance comprising a Balance Sheet, statement of profit and loss, statement of changes in equity, cash flow statement, and notes to the financial statements. It provides information to the stakeholders for making financial decisions about the business.read more. These records and statements help in budgeting of future sales and expenses, internal and external auditingExternal AuditingExternal Audit is defined as the audit of the financial records of the company in which independent auditors perform the task of examining validity of financial records of the company carefully in order to find out if there is any misstatement in the records due to fraud, error or embezzlement and then reporting the same to the stakeholders of the company.read more for maintenance of good financial practices, data analysis for management action, and preparation of final accounts for reporting to external stakeholders.

  • Financial Accountant

0

  • Auditor

=3

  • Financial Manager

5-10

  • Controller

=5

  • Management Accountant

  • Financial Analyst

Financial Accountants need to possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, finance, business, economics, statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the science behind identifying, collecting, organizing and summarizing, analyzing, interpreting, and finally, presenting such data, either qualitative or quantitative, which helps make better and effective decisions with relevance.read more, or other related fields. Big companies usually recruit chartered accountants for this role.

#2 – Auditors Career

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This career in financial accounting examines the financial statements of a company to ensure its fairness and materiality as per relevant financial reporting standards. Auditors may be independent firms rendering the independent opinion of the accuracy of financial statements for infusing confidence in the financial statements among lenders and investors of the company. Auditors may also work within a company acting as internal control agents to maintain the fairness of the accounting proceduresAccounting ProceduresThe accounting procedure is the process of standardized nature that performs a specific accounting function designed to incorporate better risk management policies to complete these functions efficiently. It includes billings, invoices to suppliers, bank reconciliation, requiring comprehensive and streamlined procedures.read more. Auditors may also be employed by government bodies to audit books of government agencies as well as private sectorPrivate SectorThe private sector is a section of the national economy that the government does not own. The business conducted under this sector is carried out by companies or entrepreneurs who focus on profit maximization and customer satisfaction.read more businesses and individuals who need to conform to government regulations for paying tax. The latter is termed as Tax Examiners.

Apart from bachelors’ degrees in accounting, finance, or related fields, auditorsAuditorsAn auditor is a professional appointed by an enterprise for an independent analysis of their accounting records and financial statements. An auditor issues a report about the accuracy and reliability of financial statements based on the country’s local operating laws.read more need to have accounting certification like Chartered Accountants in India, or Chartered Public Accountants in the USA, etc. At least three years of professional work experience in an accounting role is needed to gain certification in India.

#3 – Financial Manager

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This financial accounting career organizes the various financial functions within an organization. This may encompass accounting and involve meeting the financing needs of the organization, overseeing short-term and long-term investments, negotiating financial terms with other institutions, planning securities issues, mergers, and acquisitions, etc. The financial managers manage the team of accountants and assistants and administer the creation of financial reports, statements, and projections. They communicate the financial analysis and projections to the top management and external stakeholders and provide valuable advice for finalizing the company’s financial goals.

Financial managers usually need to have five to ten years of experience as financial accountants to enter management roles apart from technical qualifications with the preference for CAs or MBAsCAs Or MBAsChartered Accountancy is a well-known professional qualification. A CA can work in audits, asset management, taxation, and other fields. A master’s degree in business administration (MBA) can be undertaken in marketing, human resources, or finance. An MBA graduate can work as a team leader or in human resources management in a company.read more in finance.

#4 – Controller

This financial accounting career oversees the operations of the accounting department. They make sure that the general ledgers of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities, and the financial statements, are maintained in conformance with laws and regulations. Controllers maintain a comprehensive set of controls and budgets to minimize risk and enhance the accuracy of reported financial results of the companies. Controllers also manage the accounting operations of a company’s subsidiaries, especially their control system, policies and procedures, and transactional processes. In a small company, the controller is also responsible for managing the cash and risk in operations. Controllers in senior positions are usually referred to as Comptrollers.

These positions are usually filled by financial accountants who have more than five years of experience with preference being given to CAs or MBAs in finance.

While financial managers are involved with the management of the company’s finances, controllers are more focused on accounting functionsAccounting FunctionsAccounting functions are financial systems that help in the bookkeeping of financial information in an organization, financial analysis, summary creation, reporting of transactions and act as the backbone for almost any business. Accounting as a system tries to identify, assess and record the transactions of financial nature in a very systematic approach.read more of internal control, supervising data gathering, and reporting.

#5 – Management Accountants

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This financial accounting career analyzes company financial information to prepare and present reports that aid in management decision making to achieve strategic goals. They play crucial roles in budgeting sales and expenses, handling taxes, managing assets, and in preparation of strategic plans for the future. The work may involve cost-reduction analysis, competitor analysis, variance analysisVariance AnalysisVariance analysis is the process of identifying and analyzing the difference between the standard numbers that a company expects to accomplish and the actual numbers that they achieve, in order to help the firm analyze positive or negative consequences.read more, tender preparation and review, investor appraisal, etc. This role is a combination of accounting, finance, and management.

The role of management accountant also requires a high level of analysis and good communication and presentation skills to build and present business strategies.

#6 – Financial Analysts

This financial accounting career is entrusted with providing investment advice to the companies and individuals. They keep a continuous tab of the social, economic, political, technological, and other relevant factors of the economy which affect the industry and the company. These professionals undertake detailed data analysis and track trends and future requirements for advice to senior managers on current and future investment decisions. Financial Analysts may report to a senior accountantSenior AccountantA senior accountant is responsible for reporting costs, expenditure, profitability, margins and performs the lead accounting role in the organization. Their duties are more than a junior accountant, which included data compilation, journal entries, and populating balance sheets.read more or financial manager. Analysts could be investment analystsInvestment AnalystsAn investment analyst is an individual or firm that excels in the financial and investment research and have a keen knowledge of financial instruments and models. Such financial professionals include portfolio managers, investment advisors, brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, investment banks, etc.read more, securities analysts, risk analysts, or portfolio managers.

Financial Accountants with three or more years of experience can join a financial analyst position. Companies prefer CAs, MBAs (Finance), and/or CFAs as added qualifications.

Financial Accounting Careers – Conclusion

Financial Accounting provides a vast range of careers involving issuesenance, management, and/or analysis of financial accounts of a company. Apart from technical knowledge, these professionals need to possess very good numerical, communication, and analytical skills and should be detail-oriented in their approach. While the traditional career in financial accountingFinancial AccountingFinancial accounting refers to bookkeeping, i.e., identifying, classifying, summarizing and recording all the financial transactions in the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. It even includes the analysis of these financial statements.read more involves accounting or auditing of accounts, several new careers in financial accounting have also emerged, like Forensic Accounting, Environmental Accounting, Showbiz accounting, and trustee in Bankruptcy.

Forensic Accounting involves the uncovering of financial frauds made by companies. With companies increasingly devising illegal ways to dupe investors, creditors, or tax authorities, this career in financial accounting has been one of the fastest-growing in recent years. Increasing awareness for a greener environment has led to the recruitment of environment accountants who analyze the pollution costs and impact of tax credits, fines, and bad relations with neighbors. Showbiz accounting is another field which involves providing financial services to companies and professionals in showbiz, for example, production houses and artists. Bankruptcy trustees are usually appointed by the government to manage bankruptcy court procedures.

This has been a guide to Financial Accounting Careers. Here we provide the top 6 Financial Accounting careers list, including a financial accountant, management accountant, financial analyst, auditor, controller, and finance manager. You may also have a look at these articles below on accounting –

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