FINANCE/ACCOUNTING CAREERS

The Other Certifications Financial Professionals Need

If you hold a certified public accountant (CPA) designation, you have proof of your solid understanding of broad accounting principles and financial reporting. If you hold the certified internal auditor (CIA) credential, you possess expertise in auditing records, identifying risks and enhancing internal controls. Certifications such as these prove your skills to prospective employers and assure your current company of your value and qualifications for higher-level assignments.

But success in finance and accounting depends on more than technical know-how. Employers today also value soft skills, such as communication, collaboration and strategic thinking. Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could work toward certification in these skills to demonstrate your mastery of them? 

Unfortunately, that’s not possible yet. But if it were, the following hypothetical credentials would be worth earning:

Accredited in Clear Communication (ACC)

The ACC certification would demonstrate the ability to explain financial techniques and principles in plain English so that managers and colleagues outside the accounting or finance department can understand them. Government regulations, financial reporting rules, treasury-management techniques and tax laws are complex and difficult for those who don’t spend their days working with numbers. Nevertheless, these concepts have an impact on all areas of the business, and finance professionals are increasingly called upon to present them to wider audiences.

Those with the ACC certification would know how to translate jargon, avoid acronyms and explain arcane concepts so they could speak and write with their audience in mind. For example, ACC holders would not simply toss around a term like EBITDA without first explaining that it means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.  The person also would elaborate on the metric’s value.

Finally, ACC holders would have demonstrated receptivity, or the ability to listen. Understanding what others are saying not only establishes rapport but also assures them their concerns are being taken seriously.

Certified Team Player (CTP)

Collaboration is key in today’s business world. As a result, accounting and finance organizations need professionals who can work with colleagues from different business areas and even other parts of the world. Those with the CTP designation would have mastered the skills of teamwork, diplomacy and negotiation. They would have studied ways to create harmony, resolve conflicts, exercise tact and keep their own egos in check. 

CTP holders would always go the extra mile to ensure the success of the team by not blindly pursuing their own agendas but rather taking others’ points of view into consideration before settling on a course of action.

Chartered Big-Picture Synthesizer (CBPS)

Increasingly, finance professionals participate in decision making that goes beyond the accounting department. A business faces strategic financial decisions that require evaluating the company’s position in its industry and the marketplace as a whole. To aid in these decisions, CBPS holders would have gained a broad understanding of economic issues and market forces.

These professionals would be called upon to sift through, weigh and piece together data to create a meaningful, holistic picture. These valuable specialists would have studied problem solving and mastered data analysis to find connections between disparate facts. Professionals with the CBPS designation would help companies with strategic decisions such as determining the financial benefits or liabilities of a new product line.

Lifelong Learning Specialist (LLS)

New regulations and accounting standards appear often, challenging professionals to keep up with the evolving field and continue adding value to their employers and clients. Professionals with the LLS certification would have, in essence, learned how to continue to learn. They would have intellectual curiosity and the ability to continue expanding their knowledge of accounting and finance. They would invest time in broadening their skills to prepare themselves for the future.  

As a financial professional, you already possess the essential technical skills and possibly one or more industry-recognized certifications required for your position. Your ability to advance will be limited, though, if the softer side of your skill set is lacking. To prevent this from occurring, look for ways to “earn” the professional designations described here by strengthening your abilities in each area. Although these certifications may not actually exist, the skills they describe have a real impact on your career success.

Founded in 1948, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half International Inc., is first and largest specialized financial recruiting service. The company has more than 360 offices worldwide. Search for jobs now or learn more at www.roberthalf.com.