Job description

Accountants provide a large range of financial recording and reporting services to companies and organisations. Accountants are also often called up to provide detailed analysis of financial information to aid operational and strategic decision making.

Accountants work in a variety of roles, for example as an Auditor, a Business Analyst, Financial Analyst, Tax Accountant or Project Accountant. Accountants work in public practice providing professional services to clients, in the public sector and in commerce and industry where they provide financial management and reporting as well as many other services.

Typical duties include:

• Financial record keeping and reporting.
• Tax and treasury reporting and advising.
• Statutory financial record keeping and reporting.
• Auditing and producing audit reports and recommendations.
• Maintaining (and sometimes creating) financial systems and processes.
• Maintaining budgets and cash flows.
• Advising non financial colleagues.

Qualifications

Most accountants are graduates from any discipline who may then chose to enter accountancy via graduate training schemes. There are three separate professional institutes of chartered accountants: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI). The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) offers a route into accountancy for non-graduates.

Salary Snapshot

Recent salaries advertised on TopFinancialJobs (October 2009) include:

• £256-300 per day for an accountant working as a Commercial Finance Manager for a global telecommunications company in Berkshire.
• £51-60,000 for an accountant working as a Financial Accountant working for an online digital media company in London.
• £70-90,000 for an accountant working as a Senior Management Reporting Accountant for an investment bank in the City.
• Up to £35,000 for a qualified accountant working as a Project Accountant for a company in Swindon.
• £25-27,500 for a part qualified accountant working as a Management Accountant for a manufacturing business in Lincolnshire.

Are you an accountant? Would you like to contribute to our "Day in the Life of..." series? Email us at info@topfinancialjobs.co.uk for more details.