Accounting analyst to accounting manager
An accounting analyst already meets 48% of what the accounting manager role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.
61.1/ 100
1 How much of what an accounting manager is expected to do is already part of an accounting analyst’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the accounting manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An accounting manager role treats 19 of its required skills as things an accounting analyst already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- accounting department processes
- accounting entries
- analyse financial performance of a company
- check accounting records
- draft accounting procedures
- ensure compliance with accounting conventions
What stands in the way is 14 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An accounting manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an accounting analyst background worth leading with.
- already held ensure compliance with disclosure criteria of accounting information information skills
- already held draft accounting procedures communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held supervise accounting operations management skills
- already held global standards for sustainability reporting business, administration and law
- already held identify if a company is a going concern information skills
- already held explain accounting records management skills
All 24 carried skills, including the 19 the accounting manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 38 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn support development of annual budget required
- still to learn create a financial plan required
- still to learn enforce financial policies required
- still to learn integrate strategic foundation in daily performance required
- still to learn manage budgets required
- still to learn strive for company growth required
- optional, not held attach accounting certificates to accounting transactions optional
- optional, not held evaluate employees optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held perform cost accounting activities optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
- still to learn depreciation required
- still to learn financial analysis required
- still to learn financial management required
- still to learn tax legislation required
- optional, not held bookkeeping regulations optional
- optional, not held financial forecasting optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
- still to learn analyse market financial trends required
- optional, not held calculate tax optional
- optional, not held forecast organisational risks optional
- optional, not held manage the general ledger optional
- optional, not held perform account allocation optional
- optional, not held prepare financial auditing reports optional
- optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional
- still to learn follow company standards required
- still to learn fraud detection required
- optional, not held advise on bankruptcy proceedings optional
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held advise on tax planning optional
- optional, not held disseminate information on tax legislation optional
- optional, not held inform on fiscal duties optional
- optional, not held liaise with auditors optional
- optional, not held liaise with financiers optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held perform dunning activities optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an accounting manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 corporate social responsibility study this
- 02 depreciation study this
- 03 support development of annual budget practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 24 skills that carry over
- already held accounting department processes knowledge
- already held accounting entries knowledge
- already held analyse financial performance of a company skill
- already held check accounting records skill
- already held draft accounting procedures skill
- already held ensure compliance with accounting conventions skill
- already held ensure compliance with disclosure criteria of accounting information skill
- already held evaluate budgets skill
- already held explain accounting records skill
- already held financial department processes knowledge
- already held financial statements knowledge
- already held follow the statutory obligations skill
- already held identify if a company is a going concern skill
- already held international financial reporting standards knowledge
- already held interpret financial statements skill
- already held manage accounts skill
- already held monitor financial accounts skill
- already held national generally accepted accounting principles knowledge
- already held supervise accounting operations skill
- already held advise on financial matters skill
- already held global standards for sustainability reporting knowledge
- already held liquidity management knowledge
- already held make strategic business decisions skill
- already held prepare financial statements skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held statistics optional
24 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on bankruptcy proceedings optional
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held advise on tax planning optional
- optional, not held attach accounting certificates to accounting transactions optional
- optional, not held bookkeeping regulations optional
- optional, not held calculate tax optional
- optional, not held disseminate information on tax legislation optional
- optional, not held evaluate employees optional
- optional, not held financial forecasting optional
- optional, not held forecast organisational risks optional
- optional, not held inform on fiscal duties optional
- optional, not held liaise with auditors optional
- optional, not held liaise with financiers optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage the general ledger optional
- optional, not held perform account allocation optional
- optional, not held perform cost accounting activities optional
- optional, not held perform dunning activities optional
- optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
- optional, not held prepare financial auditing reports optional
- optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
- optional, not held statistics optional
15 held skills the accounting manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse business processes skill
- not needed by the target role analyse financial risk skill
- not needed by the target role create a financial report skill
- not needed by the target role forecast account metrics skill
- not needed by the target role identify process improvements skill
- not needed by the target role investment analysis knowledge
- not needed by the target role liaise with shareholders skill
- not needed by the target role perform forensic accounting skill
- not needed by the target role perform stock valuation skill
- not needed by the target role provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
- not needed by the target role public offering knowledge
- not needed by the target role review investment portfolios skill
- not needed by the target role stock market knowledge
- not needed by the target role treasury management system knowledge
10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
- still to learn depreciation required
- still to learn financial analysis required
- still to learn financial management required
- still to learn fraud detection required
- still to learn tax legislation required
- optional, not held bookkeeping regulations optional
- optional, not held financial forecasting optional
- optional, not held public finance optional
- optional, not held statistics optional
Common questions about this move
Can an accounting analyst become an accounting manager?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An accounting analyst already covers 48% of what an accounting manager is expected to do: 24 skills carry over, 19 of which the accounting manager role treats as required.
What skills does an accounting analyst need to become an accounting manager?
14 required skills are missing, plus 24 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is corporate social responsibility.
How hard is the move from accounting analyst to accounting manager?
Its learning distance is 61.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.