An accountant is a finance professional who performs accounting functions such as account analysis, auditing, or financial statement analysis. They are responsible for keeping and interpreting financial records, and they work with a series of accounts, either private or public, owned by either a corporation or individuals. Accountants can work with corporations of different sizes, governments, different organizations like non-profits, or they may set up their own private practice and work with individuals.
There are three main types of accountants: public accountants, management accountants, and government accountants, all of which focus on different aspects of the profession. Internal and external auditors are also closely related. An investment accountant, or financial accountant, typically works for employers like brokerage firms and portfolio managers, tracking and analyzing investment activities and opportunities.
An accountant may be involved in the creation of a number of processes within a business, which typically include several controls to ensure that assets are properly managed. They are responsible for managing and analyzing large quantities of complex, sensitive financial data, which means they need to be extremely detail-oriented with well-developed organizational skills.
