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An accountant ensures a company’s financial records are accurate, with specific duties varying. General accounting refers to basic day-to-day accounting, now done mostly online. The accountant is responsible for implementing and monitoring financial tracking software and overseeing other accountants. They must have a basic accounting degree and relevant certifications.
In almost all contexts, an accountant is a financial professional who works to ensure that a company’s books are balanced and that all expenses and credits are correctly recorded. Specific duties can vary significantly from organization to organization. In some situations, the accountant is an entry-level associate tasked with organizing basic documentation and conducting routine fact-checking before forwarding reports to senior accountants. Ledger accountants can also play a much more senior role, however, often exercising oversight and enforcing standard operating procedures.
The phrase “general accounting” is often used in business to refer to the company’s day-to-day basic accounting. Before the advent of computer database technology, accounting books were kept on paper, usually in dedicated notebooks. Credits were listed on one side and debits on the other side. Departments were generally required to record their transactions in the ledger on a daily basis, which was then reviewed and reconciled by the accounting bookkeeper.
While ledgers are now rare, the process of regularly tracking expenses is ubiquitous. Most of the time, this happens online or through specialized accounting software programs. Some of these programs automatically compile entries across offices and departments, and many generate reports and reconciliation summaries quite easily. However, generally there is still a need for human supervision. This usually occurs on the person of the general ledger accountant.
In most companies, the accountant is responsible for implementing and monitoring financial tracking software. He or she must generally teach employees how to use the system and must enforce regular and honest entries. The accountant usually performs random audits and observes discrepancies from day to day or year to year.
Accounting books are an important part of corporate finance, but they are by no means the whole picture. The practice of bookkeeping generally must blend in with larger corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, high-end profits and sales. Accounting and tax planning also come into play.
Most of the time, the general accountant job description includes extensive interaction with other accountants. He or she must represent day-to-day financial transactions and small-resource expenses and must ensure that these are properly worked into the budget and overall financial picture. In some companies, mainly small ones, the accountant only works on these expenses. General accountant jobs are usually more entry-level jobs because the data they work with is relatively simple. In larger multinational environments, however, they may oversee many professionals on a divisional basis and may be considered more senior employees.
Regardless of the scope of their responsibilities or seniority within an organization, accounting accountants are almost always held to the same standard as any other accountant. Specific accountant requirements vary by context, but always include a basic accounting degree and often include relevant local certifications and licenses. Many accounting accountants use their skills to advance to higher positions as time goes by.
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