Most people have a rough idea of what accountants do: “they work with numbers and file reports”. But before choosing this career, it is worth knowing more: what an accountant’s working day looks like, how a bookkeeper differs from a chief accountant, where you can work and which skills employers expect. This article is about the profession itself. The core concepts of accounting (assets, liabilities, double entry) and a self-study plan are covered in a separate guide, starting in accounting from scratch. Here we look at day-to-day duties, job titles, workplaces, hard and soft skills, international standards and certificates, professional ethics, the career path, interview questions, questions to check whether the profession suits you, beginners’ mistakes and, at the end, a practical exercise and a checklist.
An accountant’s working day: the main duties
An accountant’s work is not monotonous: tasks differ at the beginning, middle and end of the month. But there are core duties that come round every day or every month.
Working with source documents
The working day often begins with documents. An invoice has arrived from a supplier, goods have been received at the warehouse, an employee has come back from a business trip and handed in an expense report: every transaction is backed by a document. The accountant receives the document, checks its details (date, parties, quantities, signatures), sends it back if there is a mistake and enters the correct document into the accounting software. Today many documents arrive through electronic document exchange systems, but the logic of checking them has not changed.
Journal entries
Once entered, a document turns into an accounting record, a journal entry: which account is debited and which is credited. In modern software many entries are generated automatically, but the accountant must understand them and check that they are correct. The software will turn wrongly entered data into a “neat” entry just the same.
Payroll
At least once a month the accountant calculates pay: days worked according to the timesheet, holidays and sick notes, deductions and the mandatory payments linked to wages. In a small business a general accountant does this; in a large one there is a dedicated specialist. Accuracy and confidentiality matter especially here, because every employee’s data is personal.
Working with the bank and the cash desk
The accountant prepares payment orders in the online banking system, downloads bank statements and matches every receipt and payment in them to the relevant document. Where cash is used, cash records are kept. At the end of the day or week, the bank and cash balances are reconciled with the balances in the accounting software.
Stocktaking
From time to time, and in cases set by law, goods in the warehouse, fixed assets and cash in the till are physically counted. The accountant takes part in the stocktaking committee, compares the actual quantities with the book figures and formally records any differences.
Reporting
At the end of the month, quarter and year the accountant prepares reports: financial and tax returns submitted to government bodies by set deadlines, and internal reports for management. An internal report answers simple questions for the manager: which costs have grown, which customer has not paid, and what result the month closed with.
Example (fictional, for illustration only): Dilnoza is an accountant at a wholesale food company. In the morning she enters yesterday’s delivery notes into 1C; after lunch she downloads the bank statement and matches three customers’ payments to their invoices; in the evening she sends her manager a spreadsheet with the weekly list of outstanding customer debts. As the month end approaches, most of her day goes on payroll and reports.
Job titles: from bookkeeper to financial analyst
Job titles vary between organisations, but the general picture is this:
- Bookkeeper. Usually responsible for one area: warehouse records, the cash desk or data entry. For many people this is the entry point into the profession.
- Accountant. Independently runs one or more areas of the accounts: for example, settlements with suppliers, payroll or bank transactions. Understands the logic behind entries and helps prepare reports.
- Chief accountant. Responsible for all of the accounting: the accounting policy, the accuracy and timely filing of reports, and the organisation of the department’s work. Together with the director, influences financial decisions.
- Auditor. Independently checks whether another organisation’s accounts and reports are correct. An external auditor usually works for an audit firm, while an internal auditor checks processes inside the company. Separate qualification requirements apply to this role.
- Financial analyst. Does not so much “record” accounting data as analyse it: budgets, planning, comparing indicators, conclusions for management. Spreadsheet and data analysis skills are especially important here.
In short: bookkeepers and accountants keep the accounts, the chief accountant runs them and answers for them, the auditor checks them, and the financial analyst draws conclusions from the finished data.
Where accountants work
Almost every organisation needs its accounts kept, so there are many kinds of workplace:
- Small businesses. A shop, a café, a workshop, a training centre. Here one accountant often does everything: a good school for learning fast, but the responsibility is also great. To see how records are kept at a small retail outlet, read the article on bookkeeping for a shop.
- Medium and large companies. A factory, a retail chain, a construction firm. Duties are divided, and there is a clear procedure and internal control.
- Non-profit organisations (NGOs). Here the accounting for grant funds, their use for the intended purpose and reports for donors need particular attention.
- Public institutions. Schools, hospitals and other publicly funded organisations, each with their own accounting rules.
- Outsourcing firms. They provide accounting services to several clients. Good experience for seeing different sectors.
- Freelancing. An experienced accountant can serve several small business owners remotely. This brings independence, but means finding clients and managing deadlines yourself. See also the glossary entry on freelancing.
Hard and soft skills
Hard skills
Hard skills are knowledge you can learn and test:
- Accounting fundamentals. The chart of accounts, the logic of entries, source documents, the structure of the main reports.
- Spreadsheets. Formulas, sorting and filtering, pivot tables, comparing data. Many employers treat this as essential. You can learn the basics from our Excel guide; the term spreadsheet is also in the glossary.
- Accounting software. In Uzbekistan many companies use programs built on the 1C platform and similar systems. Someone who knows one program well adapts to another faster.
- Electronic reporting and document exchange systems. Reports and invoices are sent electronically to government bodies and business partners. Learn the current procedure from official sources and guidance, as it is updated from time to time.
- Keeping up with legislation. The habit of checking a rule only against an official source, such as lex.uz and the official websites of the relevant government bodies.
Soft skills
Soft skills are often no less important than hard skills:
- Accuracy. One wrong figure spoils a report. A good accountant double-checks their own work.
- Confidentiality. Salaries, contracts, debts: all of these are the organisation’s private matters. They are not discussed with colleagues or with family.
- Meeting deadlines. Report filing dates are fixed. The habit of not leaving work until the last day is vital.
- Being able to explain. A manager may not know accounting terms. Being able to explain in plain language a situation like “there is cash, but little profit” is a big advantage.
- Being organised. The document archive, file names, the task list.
- Staying calm. Working without mistakes even under pressure at month end and during inspections.
International standards, certificates and professional ethics
A brief note on international standards
In many countries financial statements are prepared under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS; in Uzbek, MHXS). In Uzbekistan, too, a move to these standards is being phased in for certain organisations. Check official sources for which organisations they apply to and from when. A beginner does not need to know these standards in depth, but it helps to know that they exist and why: an international standard makes it possible to compare the reports of companies from different countries.
International certificates
As they gain experience, some accountants work towards international professional qualifications. The ones mentioned most often are:
- ACCA: a broad international qualification covering accounting, audit, tax and finance. It consists of a number of exams plus practical experience requirements.
- CIMA: a qualification specialising in management accounting, that is, financial information used for decision-making inside a company.
- Other entry-level international and local certificates: these confirm the basic knowledge needed to enter the profession.
A certificate does not replace knowledge and experience, but it confirms them. The number of exams, entry requirements and procedures change from time to time, so take current information only from the official website of the body that awards the certificate. As a first step, focus not on a certificate but on solid foundations and practice.
Professional ethics
An accountant sees all of an organisation’s financial information, which is why ethics is the foundation of the profession. International ethics rules for accountants list the fundamental principles as integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality and professional behaviour. In practice this looks like:
- Not making entries without a document or on the basis of a forged one, even if the director asks.
- Not taking on work you do not know how to do by claiming “I can”; asking for advice when needed.
- Telling your manager openly about any situation where personal interest could affect your work.
- Not disclosing the organisation’s data, even after leaving the job.
The career path and the job interview
A typical career path
- Internship. An internship in an accounts department through a college, a training programme or personal contacts. The main goal is to see real documents and understand how the work is done.
- Assistant accountant or bookkeeper. Entering documents, the archive, reconciliation statements, warehouse or cash records.
- Independent accountant. Runs one or more areas of the accounts on their own and takes part in reporting.
- Next directions. Chief accountant, auditor, financial analyst, or a freelance accountant with their own clients.
How long each stage lasts varies: it depends on the size of the organisation, how quickly you learn and how ready you are to take on responsibility. If you have not yet chosen a career, the article on choosing a profession will also help.
Example (fictional): after college, Sardor worked as a bookkeeper at a building supplies shop in his mahalla and practised spreadsheets in the evenings. He then moved to an outsourcing firm as an assistant accountant and grew quickly by seeing several clients’ accounts at once. In time he began keeping the accounts of two small businesses on his own.
Sample interview questions
Interviews usually include questions about knowledge, practice and personal qualities:
- “What do you check when you receive a source document?”
- “What would you do if the balance on the bank statement did not match the book balance?”
- “Which accounts change when goods are bought on credit?”
- “Which accounting software have you used, and what documents did you enter in it?”
- “How would you compare two lists in a spreadsheet?”
- “What would you say if the director asked you to make an entry without a document?”
- “How would you plan your work if several deadlines were approaching at once?”
Write down your answers in advance and practise saying them out loud. General advice on preparing for an interview is in the article on interview preparation, and putting together a CV is covered in the guide to writing a CV.
Is the profession right for you, and beginners’ mistakes
Questions to ask yourself
Answer the following questions honestly:
- Can I do the same type of task carefully for a long time?
- Do I keep going until I find the cause of even a small discrepancy?
- Do I like keeping documents and files in order?
- Can I keep confidential information to myself?
- Am I ready to learn new rules when the old ones change?
- Do I enjoy explaining to others what lies behind the figures?
If most of your answers are “yes”, the profession is likely to suit you. If many are “no”, that is not a bar, but it shows which qualities are worth developing.
Common mistakes made by beginners
- Trusting the software blindly. Not checking an automatically generated entry.
- Not reconciling balances. Bank, cash and stock balances go unchecked until month end, and then the mistake is harder to find.
- Agreeing to receive a document “later”. A late document often never arrives at all.
- Using outdated information. Last year’s report form or an old forum tip may be wrong today.
- Not asking questions. A hidden mistake grows bigger. Asking an experienced colleague is a professional habit.
- Leaving work until the last day. Just before a deadline the system may slow down or a document may turn out to be missing.
- Being careless with confidentiality. Sending the payroll sheet to a group chat or leaving a computer unlocked.
Practical exercise and checklist
To “try the profession for size”, do a small one-week exercise. All the data in it is hypothetical: you make it up yourself.
- In a spreadsheet, list a week of transactions for an imaginary small shop: date, document type, description, money in, money out.
- In a separate column, note which source document each transaction needs.
- Use a formula to calculate the cash balance at the end of each day.
- On a separate sheet, create a hypothetical “bank statement” and deliberately leave one discrepancy in it. Then compare the two lists and find it.
- At the end of the week, write a short summary of 5–6 sentences for the manager: how the week went and what needs attention.
- Prepare written answers to three of the interview questions above.
Sample internal summary (hypothetical):
All receipts and payments this week were backed by documents.
Bank and cash balances were reconciled; one discrepancy was found and its cause identified.
Next week we need to obtain balance confirmation statements from two customers.
Checklist
- I can list an accountant’s main day-to-day duties.
- I can explain the difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant, a chief accountant, an auditor and a financial analyst.
- I can work in a spreadsheet with formulas, filters and reconciliation.
- I have tried the training version of at least one accounting program.
- I know which official sources to use to check legislation.
- I know the core principles of professional ethics.
- My answers to typical interview questions are ready.
- My CV clearly lists my exercises and skills.
Accounting is a stable path for people who value order, accuracy and responsibility. It starts with small steps: entering documents correctly, reconciling balances and not being shy about asking questions. If you would like to start out on this path with a teacher, take a look at our accounting programme.
Our association also offers other free training programmes. When you are ready, submit an application and our specialists will get in touch.