The Value of a Good Accountant:

How to Recognize Your Potential and Become a Priceless Employee

“It has been my experience that competency in mathematics, both in numerical manipulations and in understanding its conceptual foundations, enhances a person’s ability to handle the more ambiguous and qualitative relationships that dominate our day-to-day financial decision-making.” –Alan Greenspan

Look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” We promise this article won’t be a humorless version of Stuart Smalley’s SNL’s daily affirmations. But sometimes it’s good to recognize your value, and accountants are valuable employees. But recognizing your value alone is not enough; accountants generally have untapped potential that can turn them into their employer’s best friend. How? Here are just five things that can turn you into a priceless employee.

1. Become the Profit Center Expert
What if you became the local expert on company profit? What if you were the employee coworkers and supervisors went to in order to find out what was working and what wasn’t? That’s an enviable position most would love to have. And as an accountant you are perfectly suited to become that Profit Expert.

You probably already know that accounting, marketing, and production are the three functions that must work well together to ensure business success. Any business function that acts independently of the other two can doom a company. For example, if production has not told marketing what it currently produces, marketing dollars are wasted. Likewise, if accounting does not tell production what products are profitable, the company losses money. The more closely these three functions work together, the more profitable the company will be. And because you are an accountant with access to crucial financial information, you can become the go-to person when it comes to profit. But the key here is you don’t want to wait until people come to you; begin communicating with marketing and production today! That will increase the profitability that you as an accountant are expected to monitor.

2. Practice Effective Communication
And that brings us to number two. Without effective communication skills, it’s fairly difficult to become the profit center expert. Unfortunately, accountants are stereotyped as quiet bean-counters who hide in back offices. In order to break that stereotype and become a more dynamic employee, you need to practice effective communication. Mingle around the water cooler, get to know your coworkers, and determine the best methods for sharing information with crucial players in the business.

3. Learn How to Use Accounting Software
If you haven’t t already, you should research different types of accounting software that would help you record and track crucial financial information. Finding the right software could help you be more efficient and, perhaps, more accurate. It could also help you produce valuable reports, thus encouraging your position as Profit Center Expert. Intuit’s QuickBooks Pro is the leading software used by small businesses. If your employer hasn’t yet purchased accounting software, you should suggest they do. And if possible, see if your employer will pay for software training.

4. Acquire Tax Knowledge
Accounting and tax services are no longer expected to be performed by the same person. Accountants don’t necessarily offer tax services and tax preparers don’t necessarily offer accounting services. But you increase your value when you can offer both. By acquiring tax knowledge you accomplish two things: one, you have more to offer your employer, and two; you can become a freelance tax preparer in your spare time.

Universal Accounting Center Can Help You Tap Your Potential
Universal Accounting Center (UAC) can help you accomplish all of the above, and it won’t take you years to do it. Learn more about training to become a Professional Tax Preparer, a QuickBooks Specialist, and a Profit Center Expert. In fact, UAC is currently offering a year-end special where all three training packages are bundled together for one low price. Increase your value as an employee and learn more today!