An accountant is a professional who is responsible for the gathering and analysis of financial statements for purposes such as business planning, development of financial strategy, and auditing. A professional who acts as a senior accountant is normally an individual who has much experience, often within one company, firm, or organization, and who may be responsible for overseeing certain operations and communicating with managers, executives, clients, and shareholders. To become a senior accountant, your first step should be to learn whether a degree or certification is required in your region to practice as an accountant. It can also be important to get years of relevant experience and to develop a resume and go through the interviewing process.
In some locations you need to have an academic degree or certification in order to practice as an accountant. To become a senior accountant in these locations, it is necessary to take the necessary training courses and certification exams. While there may be certain contexts in which a degree or certification is not necessary to become a senior accountant, scoring well on proficiency exams or taking certain courses can make you a stronger job candidate.
An individual who is eligible to become a senior accountant in a business or firm often times already has years of experience as an accountant or in a related financial field. Many organizations choose to promote employees who have served for many years to the senior level since these individuals are often thought to better understand practices and values favored by the organizations for whom they work. For this reason, it may be helpful to begin as an accountant in a starting position and to apply for promotions that can bring you closer to the senior level.
Finding an organization or firm to work for is often an important step in becoming a senior accountant. This process normally begins with the composition of a resume that is distributed to potential employers. A resume should list your relevant work experience, your skills, and the areas in which you excel.
Employers who are interested in your resume may call you in for an interview. Many organizations set up a number of interviews for job candidates that are conducted by different executives and human resources representatives from inside of the organization. It can be helpful to research the values and specializations of the employers from whom you wish to work. The information you attain can be used to better answer the interview questions and show that you can become a valuable member of the accounting team.