Do I need a degree to become an accountant?

Not always. Many entry-level roles, such as bookkeeper or accounts assistant, accept candidates with relevant training and practical skills. A degree or professional qualification often becomes more important as you move towards senior or chartered roles.

Which software should I learn?

It depends on the employer and country, but most roles expect confident use of spreadsheets and at least one accounting package. Job adverts in your area are a good guide to which tools are commonly requested.

Is accounting a good fit for careful, detail-focused people?

Often, yes. The work rewards accuracy, patience and good organisation. Communication matters too, because accountants regularly explain figures to colleagues who are not finance specialists.

Career guide

How to become an accountant

Accountants keep an organisation's financial records accurate and help people make decisions based on them. The work suits people who like order, numbers and getting details right, and it exists in almost every sector, from small family businesses to large companies and public bodies.

Many accountants start in junior roles and build experience while studying for a professional qualification. Employers often care as much about practical skills, such as reconciling accounts and using spreadsheets, as about the title of a degree.

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What the work looks like

Recording sales, purchases and expenses in accounting software
Reconciling bank statements and supplier or customer accounts
Preparing invoices, payment runs and month-end reports
Checking figures for errors and following up on missing documents
Supporting audits, budgets and tax filings with well-organised records

First roles

Accounts assistant or junior accountant
Accounts payable or accounts receivable clerk
Bookkeeper
Audit or finance trainee

How to start

Learn the basics of double-entry bookkeeping, debits and credits, and the main financial statements.
Build strong spreadsheet habits; you can check your level with the Excel test.
Prove core knowledge with the accounting skills test and add the result to your CV.
Try the day in the job simulation to see what routine accounting tasks feel like.
Look into a recognised professional qualification that is common in the country where you want to work.
Write a clear, ATS-friendly CV that lists the software and tasks you know, using the CV builder.

Skills employers look for

Prove these with a free test, or read the guide for each one.

AccountingFree test Guide
Financial AnalysisFree test Guide
ExcelFree test Guide
AnalysisFree test Guide
StatisticsFree test Guide
Decision MakingFree test Guide

Try a day in this job

Work through a real day in this field: sort the inbox, decide what to do and write replies.

A day in the accounts team

Your CV for each market

Articles

Starting an Accounting Career: Skills, Roles, Qualifications

Common questions

Do I need a degree to become an accountant?: Not always. Many entry-level roles, such as bookkeeper or accounts assistant, accept candidates with relevant training and practical skills. A degree or professional qualification often becomes more important as you move towards senior or chartered roles.
Which software should I learn?: It depends on the employer and country, but most roles expect confident use of spreadsheets and at least one accounting package. Job adverts in your area are a good guide to which tools are commonly requested.
Is accounting a good fit for careful, detail-focused people?: Often, yes. The work rewards accuracy, patience and good organisation. Communication matters too, because accountants regularly explain figures to colleagues who are not finance specialists.