In the accounting industry, what do employers look for in job candidates other than job knowledge?
You can get the answers from the ACCA Hong Kong Business Competition held in November 2008. In the final competition, the panel of judges commented that the participating students have shown enthusiasm, good communication skills, and a willingness to face challenges, and these are some of the essential soft skills for accounting professionals.
A Passion to Work
One of the adjudicators for the competition, Dr Agatha Wong Fraser, Governor, Business Member of the Corporation of City College Manchaster, says the participating students are young but have shown a strong dedication in their work, and that is very important because most employers always look for candidates who show a passion in their career. Allan Lee, Co-chairman of Student Affairs Subcommittee of ACCA Hong Kong, commended the students on their self-initiatives to take up challenges and learn in the competition.
Ability to Communicate
We all know that communication skill is essential for any industries. No exception for accounting. Amanda Cheuk, Lecturer of Professional Certificate in Project Management of VTC Institute of Professional Education & Knowledge, comments that the participating students are quite good in language skills and have demonstrated sound communication. ¡§Accountants need to have good communication skills. They are not expected to merely doing calculations at the office. They need to communicate with clients in meetings, for example.¡¨
3D Accountants
Indeed, these are just some of the qualities required for accounting professionals. In the competitive career market nowadays, being versatile would definitely be an advantage and enhance one¡¦s competitiveness. Bernard Wu, Vice President of ACCA Hong Kong, says that employers nowadays look for ¡§three-dimensional¡¨ accountants. ¡§Other skills such as team-building, organizational ability, and event management are equally attractive to employers.¡¨
Source: JobsDB HK
Updated: 18 February 2009