Accountant - Management
Put your maths skills to good use and help a company keep track of its money, bills and payments.
Also known as: management accountant
About the job
What it's like
You would make sure the business you work for keeps track of all its money, pays its bills and is paid by its customers. You’d find ways that the company can grow and make bigger profits.
A single company would employ you as an in-house (internal) accountant.
You would:
prepare regular financial statements and accounts, such as profit and loss accounts
monitor spending, costs and budgets
analyse the company’s financial performance
forecast and plan future spending and profits
recommend ways to reduce costs and increase profits
make business decisions with other managers
do internal audits of various departments
give external auditors company reports and financial data
lead a team of accounting technicians and finance clerks
oversee the company's payroll, credit control and bookkeeping systems
You would need to have a good understanding of business. You also need to be able to clearly explain technical financial information.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- understanding
- analysing
- time management
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- observation
- working with numbers
- problem solving
- working with technology
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Accounting
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Business
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Business in Practice
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Economics
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Maths (Mathematics)
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Skills for Work: Financial Services
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Financial Services
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Accountancy
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Applications of Mathematics
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You would need either:
qualifications at SCQF level 4/5 and at least three Highers (SCQF level 6)
a degree (SCQF level 9/10)
relevant work-based qualifications such as Modern Apprenticeship in Accountancy (SCQF level 5/6/8).
Entry to an accountancy Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7) or Higher National Diploma courses (SCQF level 8) will require National 5s and one to two Highers.
To enter a degree will require National 5 qualifications and a minimum of four Highers at BBBC. Though you can apply to this job with any degree, with a qualification in accountancy, economics, mathematics, business, finance or law you can get exemptions from some parts of the professional qualifications.
Entry to Modern Apprenticeships vary between employers and level of entry but most Accountancy Modern Apprenticeships require Nationals (SCQF level 4/5) including Maths and English, plus one or more Higher (SCQF level 6) or equivalent qualifications.
Once in the job you'll need to gain professional qualifications through one of the accountancy professional bodies, and work towards Chartered Accountant status (SCQF level 11).
If you have completed an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Technician level or other professional accounting qualifications you may be exempt from some parts of the professional exams.
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