Accountant

If facts and figures are your forte then look no further! An Accountant is just one of the many jobs involving math which requires a great deal of understanding (and handling) of complex information.

There are many sectors an Accountant can work in: Industry and Commerce, Public or Private Practice - you can even be an Accountant Technician! (I know! I was surprised too, but even accountancy can require a Technician to help with the preparation of accounts). While you may work in a different environment in each of these sectors, there are still certain basic skills you need to have:

A logical and analytical approach
Good problem-solving
And of course...a keen interest in finance!

You will also need to be able to:

Pay close attention to details
Work well under pressure
Be discreet when handling confidential information.

While making a profit is the aim of an Accountant working in Industry and Commerce or Private Practice, this is not the case for an Accountant working in the public sector. Accountants in the public sector work for non-profit organisations such as the NHS or local government and are responsible for the use of public money; ensuring that the organisation achieves value for money.

There are Accounting courses scattered across the UK and it is simply down to you to choose the best course to suits your needs. To get you started, North Glasgow College offers an HNC in Accounting which includes content such as Financial and Management Accounting.

While there is many basic accountancy courses out there you may want to specialise in accountancy finance, mathematics or even statistics among others. Glasgow University offers all these specialisms and more.

If you're thinking of eventually starting your own business then you need to be able to successfully plan the spend of other people's money; balance money coming in and money going out, which is not as easy as it sounds. However, there is always the feeling of self-satisfaction in being able to have things the way you want by making your money work for you. So, if you fancy becoming your own boss, please see http://www.syob.co.uk/ for more advice and don't forget to balance that budget!

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