Developing Personal and Professional Skills for a Career in Accounting

This article discusses the personal and professional skills required for a successful career in accounting. It covers the importance of values, communication, organization, teamwork, customer service, and project management skills. It also provides tips on how to develop administrative skills and create an action plan to bridge any skill gaps. References are included for further reading.

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 1
Name:
Course:
Professors name:
Institution:

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 2
Task 1
Values are standards, qualities or principles that an individual hold in high regard
(Poole & Higgo 2014, p. 58). Through self-reflection, I have realized that there are different
personal values that influence my life choices: Honesty, Efficiency, Optimism, Respect, and
Motivation.according to hhh, hardskills are crucial
According to Magridal (2016, p. 10), our personal values define one’s life purpose and
determine the way we handle future actions. Also, they play an important role in the career
decisions one make. When one’s career decisions don’t respond to one’s personal values, it
might lead to guilt and dissatisfaction in one’s professional life.
What field of work/further study do you intend to pursue
I intend to pursue a career in accounting. In my university work, I have developed hard
skills that will play a vital role in my career decisions. These hardskills include analytical and
strategy skills, technology skills, a degree in accounting, leadership abilities and also foreign
language knowledge. These skills will assist me in making critical decisions, develop respect,
solve problems and ultimately become strong ambassadors for the company.
Task 2
Effective communication skills
I possess verbal communication skills, which I have developed over the course of my
career. During this period, I have realized that effective communication skills are a significant
factor in establishing good relations with my colleagues. These skills ensured that I had a better
job performance because timely communication of the responsibilities to me and my colleagues

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 3
ensured better execution when you demonstrate that you can communicate effectively during the
interview, you leave the interviewer with a very favorable impression which could result to being
hired to the position.
In my current employment, I always have an easy time presenting to the board the
financial statements as my written and oral communication skills gave me confidence. I have
always had that confidence which was one of the reasons why I landed this job in the first place.
Organization and administrative skills
I possess administrative skills and am well-organized also, which most of it I learnt and
adjusted to it in my current place of work. These are very important skills as many employers
look for graduates who can are well organized and can adjust quickly to the company’s
organized structure (Blanding 2013, p. 5). In addition, they also look for employees who have
the skill to run an office or department when the need to do so arises. Employees with these
skills are able to boost the company’s productivity, structure their schedule, keep an office
running smoothly when in charge and also prioritize task.
In my current job, I am the assistant accountant and one of my responsibility is to make
sure the accounting department is well organized with the files kept well that they are easily
retrieved and I also run the department in absence of the chief accountant.
Teamwork skills
I possess teamwork skills which have developed most at my current job. It is true that I
may perform most of the duties alone, but I still think of my work in the context of the
organization’s broader goals so I communicate about my work accomplishments to my

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 4
colleagues in the company. Regardless of the role which one undertakes, there is always the need
to work well with other colleagues.
At my place of work, there was a project which the manager gave to all employees with
the aim of trying to boost sales which had gone down. She gave us that project because the
problem was affecting all the departments and we had to come up with a plan to improve the
figures. During that time I was willing to assist my colleagues in all processes, demonstrated
efficiency and always knew that I will only succeed if all the other employees succeed.
Customer service skills
I have customer service skills as I always have an honest desire to assist others in any
way that I can. I have also learnt that for one to succeed in a customer service job, you have to
always tell the truth to the customers. Additionally, one needs to be honest, communicate clearly
to the customer and also anticipate what the customer needs to know (Scott 2010, p. 167). This is
why this skill is so important to the employers when they are hiring.
I remember this one time when a customer approached me during tea break where he
wanted to know when the products he had ordered were to be delivered as there were some
delays due to some mechanical problems to our machines. I had to explain everything that had
happened to him as he looked impatient and angry as well. But after our conversation, I could
tell that he had relaxed a little bit and was willing to wait a little bit longer as the machine was
being fixed.

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 5
Project management skills
I can manage a project if need be. To be a project manager one has to plan, procure and
execute a project (Reed 2016, p. 90). They streamline the processes, manage the work done by
hundreds of people and also to keep time and meet the deadline for giving quality results.
In my last job, I led several projects where I would make sure that everybody is
working is working to their full potential and also make sure that every going on was on track. In
case of any problems, I had to work as the point person with the company to try and solve those
problems.
Skill to develop further
My administrative skills are the ones I would like to improve as they are the backbone
of all the industries. According to Greene (2015, p. 53), effective administration skills are crucial
because they promote an organized working environment and maintains the company’s cohesion.
My plan is to involve myself in large projects where we will be working with other
administrators. I know this will provide me with networking opportunities and to also collaborate
with professionals in the field. I would also enroll in college to do an administrative course.
Reflection and action plan for a skill gap
Based on the type and nature of my specialization, administrative skills are crucial and
therefore I will need to develop them to ensure that lead my organization in the right manner.
One of the action plan that I will take for this skill gap is to ensure I socilaze with people who
portray good administrative skills in order to copy some of the important things from them. I also

APPLIED BUSINESS CHALLENGE 6
plan to engage in extensive research to ind out what I can do to ensure I become a good
administrator.
References
Blanding, W. (2013). Customer Service is... Practical Handbook of CUSTOMER SERVICE
OPERATIONS, 1-13. doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-1645-9_1
Greene, J. O. (2015). 27. Oral communication skills. Verbal Communication, 50-61.
doi:10.1515/9783110255478-028
Magridal, R. (2016). What are Your Personal Values? Values and Ethics in Counselling and
Psychotherapy, 10-24. doi:10.4135/9781473921030.n2
Poole, R & Higgo, R. (2014). Teamwork. Clinical Skills in Psychiatric Treatment, 56-67.
doi:10.1017/cbo9780511544217.010
Reed, B. (2016). Organisational Role Analysis. Developing Social Skills in Managers, 89-102.
doi:10.1007/978-1-349-02853-5_8
Scott, W. A. (2010). Personal Values and Group Interaction. Decisions, Values, and Groups,
154-170. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-009237-9.50014-7