Becoming an accountant in the Public Sector
What career which combines accountancy and community? As part of our series on different career paths within accountancy we a turn to accounting careers within the public sector.
What are accountancy roles like in the public sector?
Working in the public sector gives you the chance to help shape public spending at a local, regional and national level, and help to ensure that tax payers are receiving value for their money.
Accounting opportunities in the public sector are vast, from being part of the finance team in a local organisation to analyst roles whose work shapes national policy making.
A career in the public sector enables you to combine an accounting role with community support, growth and decision making.
What type of work does this involve?
There are a large number of career opportunities within the public sector, from working on day to day finance team activities in a local school, hospital or city-council to offering broader analysis of financial trends and supporting the creation of policies and legislation for regional organisations, national bodies and government departments.
Work that you might carry out may include:
Analysing and preparing financial management information for senior stakeholders
Creating profit projections and cash flow forecasts
Preparing financial statements
Involvement in month-end and year-end activities
Communicating information between multiple stakeholders
Designing and implementing accounting and reporting policies
Why work in the public sector?
The public sector is a fantastic place to work for anyone who has a passion and interest in society, how communities live and learn together, and would like to combine this with a career in accountancy.
As an accountant, you will have the chance to make decisions that support the best use of public money and therefore have an immediate, positive impact on society.
Would the public sector suit me?
A career in the public sector would suit an individual that:
Can be objective and independent
Wants to actively be involved at a community level
Is a team player
Has strong numerical and analytical skills
Has great interpersonal and communication skills
Has excellent time management skills