How to Communicate in Accounting

Accountants do more than crunch numbers; they must communicate their findings.

Every job you hold requires the need to communicate with others in some manner or another. This couldn’t be truer than in accounting where you work with both internal and external clients. With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting that accounting jobs will grow much faster than average through 2018, a career in accounting may be a good choice for those with an affinity for numbers. But working in accounting requires more than an affinity with numbers; it also requires exceptional communication skills.

Instructions

1. Learn accountant terminology. There are four main areas of accounting, such as managerial accounting, public accounting, government accounting and internal auditing. Understanding the commonly used terms in your particular area of accounting will allow you to communicate the financial information needed from you with others who are familiar with accounting terms and concepts.

2. Communicate complex financial information to others outside the accounting department. People who work in the accounting profession must be able to explain complicated terms and concepts to people with no accounting background, such as company executives and managers. It’s important to understand how to communicate this information in a way that others may understand it.

3. Sharpen your office communication skills. Working in accounting will likely require that you work in an office environment, which comes with its own set of communication requirements. For instance, you must be comfortable speaking about commonly used office equipment and programs, and should speak in a polite and professional manner.

4. Embrace public speaking. Those in accounting departments often provide oral presentations to company executives and others on the state of the company’s finances. Learning to speak well in public can come in handy.

5. Sharpen your written communication skills. Accountants often need to issue written reports on the state of a company’s finances. Learning how to write in an easy-to-understand, grammatically correct way can be invaluable. In addition, written reports are enhanced when the originator has the ability to use computer software to create graphs and charts to communicate financial data visually.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2010-11 Edition: Accountants and Auditors
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: Accounting in Context of Communication, Language and Information Theories; Stanley C. W. Salvary, 2005
• Henry & Horne, LLP: Communicating Effectively a Requirement for Accountants