If you want to be a Chartered Accountant, you should know that it is quite different from the other accounting professions in India. Interested in knowing about Chartered Accountants and what jobs can they do? Read on to get an insight into the job prospects, scope of career growth, salary structure, and education required to enter this profession.
Chartered accountants are highly trained individuals who work in a variety of professions. They can work in both the public and private sectors, as well as in small or large companies.
Chartered accountants typically have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, but some have a bachelor’s degree in another field and then obtain a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Many chartered accountants also choose to pursue additional education through continuing professional education courses that keep their skills up to date with the latest accounting standards.
The job duties of chartered accountants vary depending on their specialization and where they work. However, there are some common responsibilities that you will find across all types of positions:
• Prepare financial statements for businesses, individuals, or organizations
• Audit financial statements for accuracy
• Prepare tax returns for individuals or businesses
• Provide advice on how to improve business operations
• Perform consulting services for companies looking to expand into new markets
What jobs can a chartered accountant do
Introduction
Chartered accountants are in high demand. They are responsible for everything from preparing and examining financial records to ensuring that taxes are paid on time, but there is a lot more to it than just crunching numbers. The opportunities range from the traditional areas of accounting to high-profile sectors such as corporate finance, forensic accounting, and tax advisory.
Accountant
Accountants are people who keep track of money and other assets. Accountants work in a variety of industries, including public accounting, corporate accounting and government accounting. They are responsible for making sure the books are balanced at the end of each year so that they can provide reliable financial information to their clients or employers.
Accountants work in many different roles in organizations such as banks and insurance companies. The most common role is bookkeeper, where they review transactions made by business owners or managers using software programs like QuickBooks or Excel spreadsheets to ensure accuracy before updating company databases with new information about cash flow or payments made on invoices. In this role accountants also schedule regular meetings with managers so they can discuss upcoming events such as payroll payments due dates which may influence how much money should be taken out from an office’s bank account when it comes time to pay employees’ wages each week/monthly depending on country law regulations governing employment contracts (minimum wage laws).
Auditor
Auditing is a process of examining the financial statements of a company. Auditors are appointed by the management of a company, and must be independent from it. They must also be objective, unbiased and able to communicate their findings to the company.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior executive who is responsible for the financial health of the company. The CFO is usually given broad authority by the board of directors to make financial decisions on behalf of their organization. The responsibilities of a CFO can vary, depending on their company’s size and industry, but generally include:
- Preparing and overseeing tax returns for your company
- Reviewing quarterly financial statements
- Maintaining cash flow through debt management, budgeting and forecasting activities
Finance Director (FD)
A Finance Director (FD) is responsible for the overall financial performance of an organization. The role is often a senior management position that requires someone with experience and qualifications in finance, accounting, and leadership.
The responsibilities of an FD include:
- Leading and managing the finance team
- Developing budgets and monitoring performance against budgets
- Ensuring that financial decisions are made by balancing risks with opportunities
- Monitoring financial reporting processes to ensure they are accurate and timely
Tax Manager/ Financial Analyst
The role of a tax manager/ financial analyst is an ideal opportunity for someone who has an accounting degree and wants to take the next step in their career. The duties they will perform are very similar to those of an accountant, but they also need to have strong management skills and be able to work under pressure.
The job requires you to maintain client relationships, so you must be able to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues at all times. You’ll also need basic financial analysis skills such as creating forecasts based on data from your clients’ accounts.
Finally, it’s important that you are qualified within the field of taxation because this role involves dealing with complex regulations concerning taxes on income or profits within various types of organizations (such as corporations).
Treasury Manager
A treasury manager is responsible for managing the financial resources of a company. The role of a treasurer involves overseeing the income, expenditure and investment activities within an organization or company.
A treasurer’s duties include:
- Managing cash flow by making sure that there is enough money available to pay bills in order to meet liabilities and maintain liquidity
- Making sure that sufficient funds are available at all times so that investments can be made when required
- Ensuring that income generated by investments is maximized while keeping costs under control
Treasurers may also monitor interest rates and exchange rates in relation to currency position, hedging against risk exposure through forward contracts or options contracts on foreign exchange rates (FOREX)
Forensic Accountant
Forensic accountants are individuals who have received specialized training in the field of accounting and finance. They work in a variety of industries and professions, including financial services, law, healthcare and government. A forensic accountant is a specialist who investigates financial fraud and other crimes. They’re often called upon to identify the source of fraud—and sometimes even set up a plan for recovering money or property that has been stolen from an organization or individual.
A forensic accountant needs excellent math skills to calculate complex transactions related to any crime they’re investigating. They also need strong analytical skills so they can draw conclusions based on their findings after analyzing them carefully through research methods such as data mining (using computer software) or statistical analysis (looking at numbers).
Management Consultant
Management consultants are often hired by companies to help them solve problems. They are usually paid by the hour and not considered employees of the company they are consulting for. Management consultants have a wide range of skills and experience, including business management, accounting, finance, economics and law.
Company Secretary
Company secretary is a senior management position in a company, who acts as an advisor to the board of directors and ensures compliance with laws, regulations, and rules.
The duties of a company secretary include:
- Keeping the minutes of board meetings
- Preparing and filing annual returns
- Preparing and filing annual reports
- Preparing and filing financial statements
These are some of the jobs that chartered accountants can do.
These are some of the jobs that chartered accountants can do. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it ranked in any order. These are just some examples of the diverse range of careers available to those with this qualification:
- Management Consultant
- Accountant
- Financial Controller/Financial Director/Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Tax Manager
Conclusion
Chartered accountants can do many jobs. Their skills and expertise are essential in the field of accountancy, tax and finance. In order to be a chartered accountant, you have to pass an examination which is quite intensive. People who have successfully passed the examination are highly-skilled professionals who know everything there is about accounting, finance and tax. If you are looking for great chartered accountants in your area, simply search for them on Google or on any search engine of your choice.