How can you balance technical and soft skills as a project accountant?

Be very intentional to Develop your technical skills. Attend seminars, leadership conferences and in-house trainings to boost your soft skills.

Project accountants rely on their technical skills to perform crucial tasks such as preparing and analyzing financial reports, tracking project performance, ensuring compliance, and identifying and mitigating risks. To stay competitive in this field, it's important to continuously update your knowledge of accounting standards, regulations, and best practices relevant to your industry and projects. Familiarizing yourself with various accounting software, systems, and tools can also help automate and optimize your work processes. Seeking feedback and guidance from supervisors, mentors, and peers can provide valuable insights and help improve your technical skills. Additionally, pursuing certifications and extra.

Making use of resources to top up your knowledge and skills gaps and then finding a way to put that knowledge into practice to cement what you’ve learnt. I did this by developing calculation tools for one of the departments I work with to work on improving my technical skills and also helping them to speed up their processes and improve on accuracy of data .

1- Continuously enhance your technical skills by staying updated on industry trends, regulations, and accounting software. 2- Seek relevant certifications or professional development opportunities to deepen your knowledge. 3- Understand the unique requirements of each project and align your technical skills accordingly. 4- Tailor your technical expertise to meet these project-specific needs effectively. 5- Clearly articulate financial concepts and data to project stakeholders who may not have an accounting background. 6- Use plain language and visual aids when presenting financial information. By balancing technical expertise with strong soft skills, project accountants can effectively perform their financial responsibilities.

To balance technical and soft skills as a project accountant, continuously update your accounting knowledge and stay proficient in relevant software. Enhance your communication to clearly explain financial data to non-experts. Cultivate teamwork by being collaborative and open to feedback. Develop problem-solving skills to address financial challenges creatively. Practice strong organizational skills for efficient task management. Show adaptability in response to project changes. Uphold ethical standards in all financial dealings.

As a project accountant, rather than technical knowledge or expertise your soft skills can take you a long way. How well you manage the people, your team and the projects speaks for itself. Management itself is a soft skill. Soft skills are those which one is born with, acquired or trained. So pay attention to developing your soft skills just as much as your academics and professional qualifications.

I love the bit about communicating clearly. Many projects fail because of lack of effective communication. Communication is an art and science and must be studied, practiced and applied over and over.

Reflection, resilience, empathy, non-violent communication, VUCA mindset are a few more of the human (soft) skills we need to improve.

Communication: Take communication courses or join Toastmasters to hone your presentation and public speaking skills. (e.g., During a due diligence for a real estate development project in Dubai, I used clear communication to bridge the gap between the accountants and non-financial stakeholders).

Project accountants rely on their soft skills to effectively collaborate, communicate, and influence various stakeholders, project teams, and clients. Active Listening and Empathy: Practice active listening and demonstrate empathy when engaging with others, particularly when addressing complex or sensitive matters. This allows for better understanding and fosters positive relationships. Clear and Concise Communication: Ensure your communication is clear, concise, and tailored to the specific audience. Use appropriate language, tone, and format to effectively convey information and ideas. Adaptability to Change: Develop the ability to adapt to changing project needs, expectations, and priorities. Being flexible and open to adjustments so on.

Project Management: Utilize project management tools like Asana or Trello to keep track of deadlines, tasks, and collaborate with team members. (e.g., In a recent project involving a clinical trial for a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland, using Asana helped me maintain transparency and streamline communication between the accounting team and researchers).

Achieving a balance between your technical and soft skills is an ongoing and dynamic process that requires continuous assessment and adjustment. Rather than being fixed, it involves adapting your skill set to meet the specific requirements and demands of each project, situation, and context. Understand Project Scope and Objectives: Gain a clear understanding of the scope, objectives, and deliverables of each project. This will enable you to identify which technical and soft skills are most relevant for achieving success. Align with Stakeholder Expectations: Align your skills with the expectations of your project team, stakeholders, and clients.

Balancing your technical and soft skills is not a one-time or fixed process, but rather a continuous and dynamic one. You must assess and adjust your skill mix according to the specific requirements and demands of each project, situation, and context. To do this, you should understand the scope, objectives, and deliverables of each project, then identify which technical and soft skills are most relevant for achieving them. Align your skills with the expectations of your project team, stakeholders, and clients, and tailor your approach and style accordingly. Additionally, seek feedback on how well you are balancing your technical and soft skills and what areas you need to improve or focus on.

Data Storytelling: Combine data analysis skills with clear communication to present financial data in a compelling way. (e.g., I helped a B2C e-commerce company in Canada use data visualizations to identify customer trends and optimize pricing strategies).

As a project accountant, you can leverage technical skills in financial analysis, budgeting, and reporting to ensure accurate tracking of project expenses and adherence to financial goals. Additionally, soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving can help facilitate collaboration with project teams and stakeholders, leading to successful project outcomes. Striking a balance between technical expertise and interpersonal abilities can enhance effectiveness in managing project finances and fostering positive working relationships.

Utilizing your technical and soft skills strategically and effectively is crucial for generating value and making a significant impact on your projects, organization, and career. Highlight in Resumes, Portfolios, and Interviews: Showcase your technical and soft skills in resumes, portfolios, and interviews. Emphasize how these skills have contributed to project successes and achievements, demonstrating their tangible impact. Network and Share Insights: Engage in networking activities with fellow project accountants, professionals, and experts in your field. This provides opportunities to exchange insights, best practices, and lessons learned, enriching your knowledge and skill set. Pursue Growth Opportunities and so on....

Career Advancement: A strong blend of technical and soft skills opens doors to leadership roles. (e.g., My combined skillset helped me transition from a project accountant to a finance manager role managing a team in a recycling company in Australia).

Maximizing the advantages and rewards of your technical and soft skills leads to personal and professional growth and fulfillment. To fully benefit from these skills, consider the following: Recognize and Appreciate Your Skills: Acknowledge and value your technical and soft skills. Recognizing your capabilities will help you build confidence and leverage them effectively. Seek Recognition and Compensation: Advocate for recognition and compensation that align with your skill set. Ensure that your contributions are acknowledged and appropriately rewarded. Explore Suitable Career Paths: Explore career paths that align with your interests, values, and goals. Seek opportunities that allow you to utilize and further and extra.

Balance really refers to a holistic balance of technical and soft skills. It's not being overly reliant on one or the other. It needs the use of multiple skills and the lifelong pursuit of more skills.

Being a project accountant always should be a smart worker, on projects we have to face many times different type of challenges and that can be solved by our soft skills also.

To do well as a Projects Accountant, it's important to be good at both technical stuff and working with people. I've been doing this job happily for five years, and I've found that knowing accounting well is important, but so is being able to communicate and solve problems with the team. Using advanced accounting tools helps with accuracy, and talking clearly with teammates and others is key to success. My positive experience over these five years shows that it's not just about knowing the technical side – working well with others is a big part of making project accounting successful.

Strategic Use of Skills by Identify priorities: Understand the specific needs of each project. Tailor your skillset accordingly. For projects heavy on data analysis, prioritize technical skills like variance analysis. For projects requiring client interaction, prioritize soft skills like communication. Continuous Improvement by Develop both areas: Seek opportunities to improve your technical and soft skills. For technical skills, consider attending workshops on specific software or accounting principles. For soft skills, participate in public speaking courses or communication training programs.