If you’re an accountant, you know the only constant in this profession is change. Between advancing technologies, evolving regulations, and shifting client expectations, we have to keep honing our skills just to keep up. 

While core accounting and finance abilities will always be critical, to really thrive today accountants need to expand their skillsets. You have to wear many hats and master both the technical and “soft” skills that make you an unparalleled strategic advisor.

This article highlights 10 must-have skills for accountants in 2023. Expanding your abilities across these areas will futureproof your career and help you better guide organizations through whatever challenges the future holds. Let’s dive in!

Communication Chops

Having top-notch communication chops is arguably one of the most valuable skills we accountants can develop right now. At the end of the day, we need to take complex financial information and make it understandable and compelling. 

Strong writing skills allow us to produce reader-friendly reports that get key messages across. Email, presentations, and in-person discussions all require us to explain technical topics simply and accurately too. Active listening is just as important—we need to ask the right questions to truly grasp clients’ perspectives and issues. Clear and confident communication turns our technical expertise into value for organizations.

Analytical Acumen  

As data expands in accounting, our analytical abilities become even more critical. We’re called on to sift through mountains of financial info, spot patterns, and draw meaningful conclusions. Critical thinking enables us to get beyond the numbers and understand the “why” behind results. Asking probing questions helps us think through different scenarios to determine root causes.

Strong math, statistics, and modeling skills allow for more robust forecasting and benchmarking. And data visualization expertise helps us distill insights from huge datasets. Sharpening our analytics allows us to do more than report results—we can provide recommendations that boost future performance.

Tech Savvy

Let’s be real—technology underpins everything we do nowadays. To stay ahead, we need to keep expanding our tech skills and fluency. Core accounting systems and platforms should be second nature, along with ways to maximize and glean insights from them. 

Data analytics tools like Tableau, Power BI, and SQL are becoming must-haves too. As results get bigger and messier, we need to be able to wrangle and visualize data. And as organizations shift to the cloud, we need to skill up on platforms like AWS and Azure to ensure data integrity. 

Staying current on cybersecurity practices is non-negotiable when handling sensitive financial information. Bottom line—prioritizing technology skills pays off tremendously for our careers.

Research Chops 

Our jobs require nonstop research and learning. None of us have every standard, regulation, and code memorized! Strong research skills allow us to quickly find authoritative guidance to support our work.

Parsing dense accounting manuals like GAAP and IFRS demands tenacity and sharp eyes. And leveraging financial databases, knowledge systems, and other digital resources helps us work efficiently. Making research a habit equips us with specialized knowledge that makes us more valuable experts.

Project Mastery

A lot of our work involves coordinating complex client engagements spanning many moving pieces and teams. Developing rock-solid project management skills is crucial for completing projects on time and budget while keeping clients happy.

Creating detailed plans, clearly communicating needs to our teams, and tightly monitoring progress are project management fundamentals. We also have to know how to scope engagements appropriately and push back on unreasonable demands. PM software and Agile methodologies can optimize our efforts too. Run a tight ship, and the results will follow!

Advisor Abilities 

The best accountants today go beyond reporting financial results—we interpret and context those results to guide strategic decisions. Providing this kind of high-value advisory support hinges on understanding clients’ business priorities and pairing knowledge with communication skills.

By contextualizing financial data, we offer insights that drive growth, not just report history. Building trusted advisor relationships requires emotional intelligence, simplicity, and foresight. The ability to foresee challenges, weigh options, and guide strategy sets excellent advisors apart.

Change Mastery

Let’s be honest, change is a constant in accounting. Regulations, systems, standards—there’s always something shifting. To help our organizations adapt, we need to be skilled change managers. 

That means getting buy-in for major changes like new systems and performance initiatives. Communicating the “why” behind change and addressing concerns is key to driving adoption. Patience and empathy go a long way too when assisting teams through transitions.

Equipped with stellar change management abilities, we can steer process improvements and organizational shifts that deliver real results. Our capacity to guide successful change makes us invaluable.

Automation Acumen

Automating repetitive manual processes using tools like macros, Python, and queries boosts our productivity enormously. Identifying automation opportunities helps us focus energy on high-value tasks.

Of course, we need to be smart about what and how we automate. Bots shouldn’t entirely replace human judgement and oversight. Implemented judiciously, automation augments our work rather than eliminating it. Access controls and change tracking also keep automated processes auditable.

Automation mastery comes down to finding the right balance between bots and human insight. Used strategically, it makes our time more impactful.

Leadership Skills

Surveys consistently rank leadership as one of the most sought after skills for accountants. As we advance in our careers, strategic thinking, team management, and change leadership abilities become requirements. 

Strong leaders motivate and guide teams. They maintain composure under pressure and build consensus for change while also demonstrating conviction. In many companies, senior accountants essentially serve as strategic CFO partners.

Developing our emotional intelligence and conflict resolution abilities can help us ascend into influential leadership roles. A big picture, future-focused mindset also enables us to drive change and growth. Leadership capabilities open the door to career advancement.

Lifelong Learning 

Constant advances in technology and ever-evolving regulations necessitate lifelong skills development for accountants. We have to view learning as a never-ending journey rather than a one-time event.

Cultivating curiosity helps us identify new skill gaps and see change as an opportunity for growth. The professionals who thrive are those who regularly build their technical, business, and soft skillsets.

The good news? We have tons of resources to tap into for continuous enrichment—training programs, professional development courses, peer networks, and more. By embracing the growth mindset, we build careers that deliver maximum value.

The Key to Accounting Success

To sum up, today’s most successful accountants have multidimensional skillsets. Of course technical and financial reporting capabilities remain crucial. But communication, analytical thinking, leadership, advisory, and “soft” skills differentiate those who thrive in the long run.

By continuously expanding our abilities across many fronts, we ready ourselves for whatever the future holds. We’re able to provide strategic guidance during times of organizational change and uncertainty. We become trusted advisors capable of seeing the big picture while also mastering details.

Ultimately, the accountants who will continue to succeed are those who never stop learning. We stay ahead by sharpening our skillsets across technical and interpersonal areas. With adaptability and the right mix of capabilities, we can build fulfilling, high-impact careers that deliver immense value.

So keep pushing yourself to gain new skills—they will pay off tremendously in the long run! What emerging capabilities are on your learning agenda this year? Share your thoughts!