680 Staff Accountant Jobs
A staff accountant supervises the financial accounts of a company or organization. An accountant manages records of monetary transactions and spending activity to ensure that his or her employer’s budgets are sound.
Skill Sets: An accountant’s workday is spent mostly at a computer with time devoted to paper records such as bills, invoices, budget statements, and ledgers. An accountant usually has formal education in tracking budget activity and projecting future budget outcomes through analytical techniques. This requires strong skills in business-style mathematics. Accountants are also helped by their alertness and full attention to detail.
Education: Nearly all accountants have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited college or university. Additional education in areas such as computer programming or advanced mathematics (e.g., calculus) is also extremely helpful.
Career Path: Full-fledged accountants have often worked in intern programs while studying for their degree. Others have obtained entry positions after graduation and moved into higher levels of the organization with experience. While many accountants stay in their position until retirement, others use accounting as a stepping stone to become a financial director or comptroller. This may require additional degrees or certifications, such as an MBA.