What You Can Learn From Young Accountants

While young accountants are just setting out on their career path, they can provide a wealth of real-world knowledge to more experienced professionals in the accounting field or even other fresh graduates starting out in any career path. Keep these key principles in mind as you embark on your career journey and help to grow your organization.

When starting out in the accounting field, take the opportunity to accept internship opportunities that may arise, and develop a mentoring relationship with some of the other employees in the firm. This gives more experienced professionals a chance to assess your skills and help guide your future career path. Become familiar with various accounting software programs, and keep your eyes and ears open for potential advancement opportunities within the organization after your internship is complete.

For any business in the accounting field to survive and thrive in today’s world, it’s important to recognize that an Internet presence is vital. Potential clients scour the Internet to find reputable companies to fulfill their needs for goods and services, relying on Angie’s List, Yelp and similar sites to guide their decision-making. As an accounting firm, make sure your website is professional and outshines the websites of your competitors. Consider a Google Plus page for your company, as these are displayed first in Google search results.

Choosing a company that has a social media presence is also of importance to today’s clients. Create Twitter and Facebook accounts for your company, and post or share industry-related articles every few days. Share business accomplishments or exceptional customer feedback. When a potential client sees Facebook “likes” and Twitter followers, they perceive your business as more trustworthy and reputable than your competitors in the accounting field.

Be sure that your Web page is modern and attractive. Research shows that more than half of business-to-business researchers are millennials, so you want to appeal to this audience. It’s also important to diversify your firm from others in the accounting field. Don’t just advertise that your organization can handle corporate taxation; let your potential clients know that your firm is able to provide competitive business analysis, succession planning, investor consulting or corporate budgeting. Finally, demonstrate just how helpful your business is by providing service before the sale. Potential customers appreciate freebies, so provide some helpful advice on your website. Provide links to accounting resources and investment calculators, post some informative articles, or blog about investment opportunities.

Although the accounting field can be demanding and intimidating, many young accountants are discovering just what it takes to pave a successful path. Internship opportunities, whether paid or unpaid, offer invaluable experience and networking possibilities, while an online presence is one key to success for a growing company.

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