University Accounting Assignment: Job Role and Accountant Needs

This accounting assignment, titled 'Introduction to Accounting,' delves into the essential aspects of an accountant's role and the necessary qualifications. The assignment is divided into two parts: Part A, which refers to an Excel spreadsheet (not included in the provided text), and Part B, which presents a job requirement analysis for a new accountant at Sophie's Flower Shop. The analysis covers required education (high school diploma or associate's degree), necessary skills (detail-oriented, technology, interpersonal skills, and ethics), and salary expectations ($40,000). It also explores job outlook, certification requirements, and specific duties, such as computer knowledge, billing, reconciliation, and ledger maintenance. The assignment references several academic sources to support its claims, providing a well-rounded overview of the accounting profession and its demands.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING
Introduction to Accounting
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:
Course ID:

1INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING
Table of Contents
Part A:........................................................................................................................................2
Part B:.........................................................................................................................................2
References:.................................................................................................................................5

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Part A:
Refer to Excel Spreadsheet
Part B:
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Requirement for new accountant
This mail is written owing to the urgent requirement of an accountant in Sophie’s
Flower Shop. With the changing roles of the accountants in the current times, they are
accountable to review and maintain accounting records. The accountants enter balances along
with computing interest on loans, bank accounts as well as credit accounts with the
accounting databases and excel spreadsheets. The roles of the accountants tend to be more
specialised when the size of the organisation is large (Howieson et al. 2014). However,
Sophie’s Flower Shop is a small organisation and therefore, the work pressure would be
normal. The following includes the detailed disclosures:
Required Education High school diploma; associate’s degree in accounting
Necessary Skills Detail-oriented, technology, interpersonal skills and ethics
Median Salary $40,000 (Accounting and book-keeping)
Job Outlook (2004-2014) 8% fall (Accounting, book-keeping and auditing clerks)
Educational requirements:
Many accountants earn associate’s degree in accounting, although few enter the
profession with a high school diploma. The programs of associate’s degree concentrate on
primary accounting procedures as well as skills in computerised accounting processes. For
those individuals having high school diploma, the coursework of accounting A bachelor
degree is not vital for a career as an accounting clerk, although some clerks have bachelor
degrees and they could move quickly to top accounting positions. Irrespective of formal

3INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING
position, maximum accounting clerks have to complete on-the-job training period (Smith
2014).
Certification requirements:
The accountants could avail certifications. An accountant might choose to become
certified by the respective body as a certified book-keeper. In addition, the uniform
bookkeeper exam of certification is an online test that the book-keepers association
administers (Schaltegger and Zvezdov 2015). Along with this, the candidate needs to have a
working experience of minimum 1 year as an accountant in any established organisation.
Required skills:
The accountant needs to have the following traits:
 Maths and detail-oriented skills
 High standards of professionalism and ethics, as the person would be accountable for
book-keeping and banking functions of the organisation
 Familiarity with computer technology and knowledge of different software programs
associated with the field
 Ability to make effective communication with others
For Sophie’s Flower Shop, the specific duties would include the following:
 Computer knowledge with a firm grasp on Microsoft Excel
 Billing and GST filing
 Reconciliation of bank statements and account balances
 Maintenance of general ledger and preparation of month-end close procedures
 Excellent analytical skills
 Security of financial information through completion of database back-ups
 Substantiation of financial transactions by auditing documents
Employment and salary outlook:
The accountants are estimated to grow at an average rate in contrast to the other
professions. From a reliable source, it has been identified that there would be a fall in
employment of 8% between 2014 and 2024 for accounting, book-keeping and auditing
professionals (Sharma, Lawrence and Lowe 2014). Many of the available jobs need to be due
to the current accounting professionals advancing to retirement or other positions. In 2018,

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the accounting, auditing and book-keeping professionals have earned median salary of
$40,000 per annum.

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References:
Howieson, B., Hancock, P., Segal, N., Kavanagh, M., Tempone, I. and Kent, J., 2014. Who
should teach what? Australian perceptions of the roles of universities and practice in the
education of professional accountants. Journal of Accounting Education, 32(3), pp.259-275.
Schaltegger, S. and Zvezdov, D., 2015. Gatekeepers of sustainability information: exploring
the roles of accountants. Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, 11(3), pp.333-
361.
Sharma, U., Lawrence, S. and Lowe, A., 2014. Accountants as institutional entrepreneurs:
changing routines in a telecommunications company. Qualitative Research in Accounting &
Management, 11(3), pp.190-214.
Smith, S.S., 2014. The expanding role of CPAs in a changing business environment. The
CPA Journal, 84(6), p.13.