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Are you an experienced accountant who’s tired of the 9 to 5 grind? Maybe you’re a digital nomad or stay-at-home mom with financial experience that’s interested in finding a position that compliments your lifestyle? If so, becoming a remote accountant is an ideal profession. With the advancement of business technologies, most, if not all, financial tasks can be completed from virtually anywhere. As such, you’ll find that there are plenty of available positions to choose from.
What Does a Remote Accountant Do?
Companies tend to hire remote accountants on a full-time, part-time, or on an as-needed basis to perform financial tasks. Very similar to in-house accountants, your responsibilities will center around financial management and bookkeeping. While exact duties will vary, your job may include analyzing financial statements, generating periodic reports, completing taxes, managing the budget, and assisting companies in maximizing their resources and making informed decisions with forecasting and revenue projections.
Becoming a remote accountant is an ideal profession. With the advancement of business technologies, most, if not all, financial tasks can be completed from virtually anywhere. As such, you’ll find that there are plenty of available positions to choose from.Click To TweetRequirements to Land a Remote Position
What does it take to acquire a remote accounting job? Here are a few steps you may need to take:
- Education – Most companies prefer their accountants to have an associates or bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, bookkeeping, or business management. If you don’t already have this experience, you’ll need to start by enrolling in a relevant degree program for at least two years.
- Certification – A degree is only the first step to becoming a remote accountant. You’ll also need to obtain your Certified Public Accountant (salary.
- Specialization – While not vital to getting hired as a remote accountant, specializing in one field is ideal. Your specialization helps you to narrow down your options and increases your chances of getting hired. The most popular areas of expertise are a public or government accountant. A public accountant can work with anyone from an individual to a non-profit organization. A government entities and taxpayers.
Preferred Professional Skills
The above requirements are mandatory in order to obtain a decent remote accounting position. Depending on the type of position you’re looking for, your area of expertise, and company you’d like to work with, there are some professional skills that could increase your chances of landing the job. Preferred skills may include general business knowledge, effective communication skills, leadership qualities, technical skills, customer service experience, and the ability to work well with others.
If any of these skills are weaknesses for you, it is ideal to consider additional training before putting in an application. You can find affordable professional development courses online that provide solid advice, instruction, and guides to help you work on problem areas. Once you complete these courses, adding them to your accountant resume is ideal. Anything that shows your dedication and commitment to the position is a plus for employers.
Searching for Remote Accounting Jobs
After you’ve done your due diligence, the next step is to begin searching for job opportunities. As remote accounting careers aren’t new, you’ll find that there are plenty of options. You can start with traditional job boards. Complete a search and apply to open positions or upload your cover letter and resume for potential employers to access. There are also job boards exclusively for remote workers that you can scour through.
If you’re interested in contract or freelance opportunities, you can look through freelance databases or search for opportunities on social media. For those who prefer to start a small business, establishing your brand on and offline will be imperative to acquiring new clients.
As you review remote accounting positions, read the descriptions in detail to ensure that they align with your professional and personal needs. Check your responsibilities, eligibility requirements, preferred professional skills, salary, benefits, and schedules. You should also do a quick background check on the company to ensure they’re good employers.
As long as money makes the world go around, there will always be a need for financial experts to help manage it. If you have an interest or experience in accounting, finance, or business management and enjoy the idea of working from home, working in accounting could be the opportunity of your dreams.
