Internal auditors

Employees of a company who are responsible _________ .

External auditors

People employed by an outside firm of accountants and hired by a company

_________.

EX. IX. Read the text and answer the following questions:

What should modern accounting be like?

How well are students prepared for the profession?

What kind of people makes good accountants?

In all countries of the world the complexity of economic activity is gradually growing. And this, in its turn, leads to the increasingly important role of accounting as a function of economic management. At present the necessity of improving accounting through raising its operational utility and quality is regarded as one of the most important tasks.

The main condition for the solution of this task is improving quality of accounting personnel. To attract able young people to the study of accounting, to raise its prestige and demonstrate its importance is an urgent task in many countries of the world.

What do accountants think of the current state of accounting education? How well are students prepared for the profession? What changes are on the horizon and will these changes produce better-educated accountants? To answer these questions a poll was conducted.

A lot of accountant professionals have been asked to share their views on these issues and to comment on the value of accountancy programs. In all about 140 accountants have been interviewed. Their positions ranged from higher level management accountants to assistant controllers. The interviews revealed that the majority favoured radical reconstruction of accounting education. All agreed that there should be new programs setting the foundation for understanding all aspects of accounting. Most respondents were concerned with the fact that the majority of accounting graduates lack computer skills and oral and written communication skills. Several respondents stated that inadequate computer skills are becoming more noticeable as the demand for computer knowledge grows. Many respondents emphasizes that the lack of good communication skills is the most serious deficiency of graduates. Students in accounting are sure to submit short papers to develop writing skills because as future managers they must be able to write concise reports. Other respondents dealt with personality characteristics of the graduates. Many respondents indicated that graduates lack self-motivation and enthusiasm. Some stated that graduates have a lack of common sense.

Many spoke in favour of strong conceptual over a practical approach to learning because understanding concepts is critical to coping with the dynamic nature of accounting problems. All academics (78%) agree that there should be additional emphasis on the conceptual knowledge. However accounting managers favoured a practical approach as did most low level participants.

You are unlikely to make a good accountant if you think that arithmetic and maths are beyond your comprehension. But that does not mean that mathematical geniuses make the best accountants. They almost certainly do not, as you have to be interested in other things besides figures and calculations. If you are reasonably good at basic mathematics, and know how to use a calculator (and how to check that you are using it correctly), that should be sufficient.

Another important quality is the ability to think clearly. And keep track of many different strands in what may be confused mass of figures. If you can keep hold of the various strands, and disentangle them so as to present a coherent picture that is consistent. You should be able to acquire the necessary techniques for compiling and presenting accounts. A liking of crosswords and other puzzles is probably a good indication of analytical skills that are crucial for accountants.

Then you must be able to put down your thoughts and conclusions simply and clearly, so that they can be understood not only by other accountants, but also clients or management without accountancy training. All the accountancy qualifications lay great stress on this skill, perhaps because it is rather unexpected. Figures alone are no use, but it is essential for the message they carry to be communicated properly.

Traditions are known to die hard in most professions, and accountancy is no exception as far as appearance is concerned. You are most likely to be expected to wear a suit at work rather than jeans and a sweat-shirt, and you would have to be extraordinary brilliant, or self-assured, to get away with spiky hair in an office. But paradoxically, good accountants should not be too conformist in their thinking. They have to know their own mind and have confidence in their professional judgment. It is essential that the advice they give should not be swayed by what their clients may want to hear.

In a word, it is not easy to put the qualities of a good accountant in a nutshell. Some of them are inborn, others must be acquired by education and experience.

Among the most important of that sort of qualities are the following: a good knowledge of accounting and the ability to apply its principles in a practical life; a broad general outlook and understanding of economic trends and events; responsibility, decision making ability, the knowledge of accounting techniques; the ability to get on with colleagues, personnel and people in general.

X. Read the following information and compare the process of becoming an accountant in Ukraine to those described below.