The Proactive Accountant/Bookkeeper:

An Employer’s Best Friend

It’s always important to follow an employer’s initiatives, but accountants and bookkeepers are most valuable when they take some initiative themselves. Proactive accountants and bookkeepers have a few things in common, characterizing them as invaluable employees who advance in their professions. Check the following list of proactive-ities to see if there are ways you could increase your currency as an accountant or bookkeeper.

• Don’t obsess about the past. Being informed about a business’s fiscal history is important, but it’s even more important to use that information to improve the business’s future.
• Know your employer’s industry. The more you know about your employer’s industry, the better equipped you are to assess your employer’s standing. The same applies to the level of business. If you are the accountant or bookkeeper for a small business, you need to become familiar with the idiosyncrasies of small business accounting and bookkeeping.
• Be more than a bean counter. Because of your specialized knowledge you can make informed recommendations to your employer that will help improve his/her business. Don’t be afraid to speak up and offer the advice that only a proactive accountant or bookkeeper can give.
• Join the team. Sadly, the stereotypical accountant or bookkeeper is seen as a social recluse who hibernates in a back office and rarely steps out to mingle at the water cooler. Some are even viewed as the wet blanket to a business’s plans for innovation and change. A proactive accountant or bookkeeper collaborates with colleagues to advance the business and ensure its success.
• Stay current in the accounting and/or bookkeeping profession. It’s important to continue your accounting and bookkeeping education in order to offer your employer the best service you possibly can.

When you exhibit these proactive characteristics, you become more valuable to your employer, and most likely you will enjoy your job more. If you’re interested in learning more about small business accounting and bookkeeping, Universal Accounting Center has a Professional Bookkeeping Program that instructs individuals in the day-to-day accounting procedures for small to mid-size businesses. Other educational opportunities include the Professional Tax Preparer Certification and QuickBooks courses.