Skills
Accountant Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in accountants, and how to build and show them.
What skills do accountants need?
Accountants need technical skills such as gaap and financial reporting, tax preparation, and auditing and internal controls, plus people skills like analytical thinking and integrity. They also use tools such as Excel and ERP systems such as NetSuite or SAP.
Technical (hard) skills
- GAAP and financial reporting
- Tax preparation
- Auditing and internal controls
- Excel and financial modeling
- ERP and accounting systems
- Variance analysis
People (soft) skills
- Analytical thinking
- Integrity
- Communication of financial results
- Time management
Tools, equipment and technology
- Excel
- ERP systems such as NetSuite or SAP
- QuickBooks
- Tax software
- Audit software
- BI tools such as Power BI
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how accountants put their skills to work:
- How to calculate straight-line depreciation
- How to prepare a budget variance analysis
- How to reconcile a balance sheet account
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “GAAP and financial reporting” and “Tax preparation.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “analytical thinking,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as CPA near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our accountant glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Accountant training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.