Executive Summaries
This Book report summarizes chapters Twelve to sixteen of the text “Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants”. Communication strategies that accountants are required to possess during their professional studies as well as active career practice. These chapters discuss a range of accounting writing and communication strategies including oral and written communications in professional practice
CHAPTER TWELVE: E-Communication and Social Media
Introduction. The explosion of internet technology has triggered universal disruptions on modes of business and personal communication. The use of electronic communication channels such as the internet, emails, and social media has led to the incorporation of quicker, advanced, and easier communication strategies for accountants. This chapter focuses on the use of electronic media including emails, instant messaging, social networks online video, text messaging, and blogging for professional communication.
Email. Emails are one of the popular forms of electronic communication that is used globally for business and personal purposes since the advent of the internet at the beginning of the century. Their convenience has seen the replacement of paper documents including written letters and memos within organizations. Emails offer more alternatives including formal and informal communications such as that was not entirely possible in hard-copy memos.
Informal and Formal Emails. Accountants write a wide range of emails in their professional careers. Depending on the situation. When writing business-related emails, a formal approach is normally used and in communication with departments, clients, and other business actors. Informal emails on the other hand are social and can be sent to more people.
Composing Email. The composition of an effective email entails the use of guidelines and appropriate language. You also need to carefully think about the purpose of the email and what you expect from the recipient. Emails should be generally clear, concise, and using the right structure and style. Be careful to crosscheck the email address to avoid cases of the email being sent to unintended recipients. When writing formal emails, it is advisable to use short and strong subject lines that will catch the reader’s attention. Include important information such as m topic, time, venues and names to ensure that the email is opened on time.
Email Structure. Depending on the relationship with the recipient and the formalities in the organization, the salutation might be direct and more personal such as “Dear Ms. Allice” followed by a comma. The introduction contains important ideas about the purpose of the email that should be captured in the first line. For instance, when writing a job application email, the first line should clearly state job applications. This is important as readers normally scan through for important details in the introduction and conclusion. The body should contain clear details in short paragraphs with a topic sentence. The use of standard grammar, capitalization and punctuation are recommended.
Electronic Media in Job Applications. It is important to ensure that personal and social posts on these platform coincides with your professional image. The use of social networking sites such as LinkedIn is increasingly popular in the recruitment exercise. It has been found that 90% of firms use these sites to search for qualified and potential recruits. LinkedIn has been particularly becoming a popular platform for the recruitment of accountants. Accountants can make use of these platforms by creating complete profiles and continuously updating as often as possible. Emails can be used effectively when writing and sending resumes and letters of interest to open job advertisements.
Telephone etiquette. When making calls, it is important to be purposeful. The introduction of oneself and the company are key when making or receiving calls. Make sure to be attentive and audible enough to ensure the information sent or received from the other end is clear.
Conclusion. Despite the conveniences of electronic technologies, face-to-face communication is still powerful in conveying information in personal encounters. It can be an irreplaceable alternative when the conversation involves cross-examinations, arguments, disagreements and sharing of sensitive information. The use of facial expressions and body language remains a key supplement that increases the effectiveness of the communication process.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: WRITING FOR ACADEMIC EXAMS
Introduction. This chapter summarizes the accounting professional examination and the criteria used for testing mastery of the candidate’s effectiveness in writing. Included are suggestions and advice on writing responses and improving the candidate’s mastery of writing examinations.
Writing CPA Examination. In this section, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) professional certification are evaluations administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 1994. Written communications have been part f of the examination since 2013, in which students sit for an exam that accounts for 15% of the total score. When engaging problems, it is advisable to make use of professional skepticism as a critical thinking approach in order to test multiple perspectives and use evidence and information to arrive at a conclusion.
AICPA advocates for problem-analysis and critical thinking in professional accounting certification in order for the development of sound judgment. These competencies are identified as essential in the successful career of an accountant. The institution recommends the formulation and examination of alternative solutions critically as a way of approaching a problem thoughtfully. In the reasoning process, deductive and inductive reasoning can be used to develop logical conclusions to a problem.
Writing a CMA Examination. CMA certification tests students using four essays which are 30-minutes each. The essays are designed to assess various competencies such as evaluation, analysis in both critical thinking and communication capabilities of a student. The success of an accountant depends on their presentation of mastery of technical accounting skills and concepts.
In these tests, the use of a proper organization of ideas and the development of logic in a coherent approach as of high priority. These areas are also supplemented by the assessment of candidate’s writing skills through the use of Standard English made up of proper punctuations, spelling and grammar. Finally, proofreading and editing answers is an inevitable step in the proper handling of writing exam questions.
Examination Preparation. CMA and CPA certification exams usually cause anxiety and panic among candidates. These exams require more than the usual approach of studying used in academic courses. The preparation of these examinations requires more involvement by long study hours and the use of exam review text. In this section, useful tips are offered to help students in preparation for the exams and successful completion.
The key principle to handle exam situation is to manage time constructively by budgeting available time to effectively handle each question and revise the answers. The first step is to take a few minutes and carefully reading the question while taking note of key phrases. Next, briefly put down key ideas that will be included in the answer in ascending order from the strongest one. Writing the answers in full will take less time if the above steps are followed. The answer should contain a thesis statement or overview with the main idea in the beginning and follow by a deeper response with supporting information.
Effective Writing. The effectiveness in writing accounting responses involves the understanding and mastery of technical accounting principles and content. Examination markers usually look for coherent responses with easily identifiable main ideas as well as a good flow of thought. Above all, the answers should be concise and clear with no grammatical and semantic errors that cause distractions.
Conclusion. Writing professional certification and academic exams are inevitable processes in the accounting career. Accounting students must present solid critical thinking skills and mastery in writing in order to ascertain professional competence. The chapter has been instrumental in providing guidelines as well as a practical example of how to handle accounting questions.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: WRITING FOR EMPLOYMENT.
Introduction. During the job searching process, commination skills remain to be a key factor that will influence the hiring decision by the employer. This chapter summarizes the process of job- searching and guidelines of writing proper application documents including resumes, application letters and thank-you letters.
Job Search. After completion of accounting studies, job searching is the next step in the professional career process. Large universities normally help students through an internal job placement program or faculty with collaboration with external recruiters. In small universities, on-campus recruitment can be limited. As an individual, you can begin the search process to be contacting potential employers via networking sites including LinkedIn to locate advertisements on vacant positions and make applications. LinkedIn is one of the electronic media discussed in Chapter 12 that allows professionals to create a profile and submit their resume.
In the midst of the job-searching process, knowledge of the employer and the particular job is a key consideration. This will influence how you write and customize the resume, cover letter, and thank-you letter. It is therefore important to collect information on the job description, requirements and qualifications. A crucial place to start is the website of the company which can be used to collect basic information search as operations which is essential in preparation for an interview. Organizational publications and blogs are resourceful sources for information about the desired company. Recruiters can also be resourceful actors in job searching as they give information about companies and can also answer job seeker’s questions. The information gathered in this step will be crucial in the preparation for your documents.
Preparation of Documents. Application documents including the resume, cover letter and thank-you letter are prepared before the application process. It is important to take note of specific instructions by the employer to be followed in the application process. This might include guidelines on the use of addresses, application channel, required documents attachment and specific instructions such as how your credentials fit the job requirements.
Preparing the Resume. Essentially, the resume should project your image as a competent professional through school performance, previous job experience as well as training and certification. The employer’s consideration of an applicant will depend on the presentation of desirable qualities in the resume.
Format. In this section, an illustrative resume sample is used to guide potential job-seekers on the proper structure. The format of the resume involves the proper use of fonts, list style, white space, headings and arrangement of text. In the illustrative sample, the name is bolded and centered at the top of the page. The addresses and area code appears on the far left of the document followed by phone number and email on the far right. Resume sections headings such as career objectives, work experience and summary of qualifications are typed in bold and positioned on the left.
Letter of Application. The application letter is attached along with the resume. The letter follows the standard formal letter block or semi-block format with the reader being addressed by appropriate name and phone number. The last paragraph should contain a courteous closing with a hopeful consideration for employment or follow-up action.
Conclusion. Writing application documents such as application letters, resumes and thank-you letters is an inevitable process in accounting career development. A key lesson from this chapter is the importance of conducting research on potential employers before attempting to apply for a vacancy. It is also important to carefully read the requirements and qualifications of job advertisement descriptions in order to tailor the resume to the needs of each.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: WRITING FOR PUBLICATION
Introduction. Publishing an accounting research article or blog is one of the career development strategies that accounting professionals can improve their professional resume. Accountants can engage in writing and publications on writing short articles various accounting issues within the workplace environment or a full research article on a general accounting issue experienced across the board. This chapter summarizes the dynamics of writing an accounting publication from the planning stage, research, writing the draft, review and submission.
Planning an Article. The first consideration when writing an article is the topic of interest on which you want to engage in. This is most likely from an experience, an emerging issue, or an area that needs improvement where you provide a new approach to the accounting practices and procedures in order to solve a problem. A practicing accountant can also write a paper to express their position on a challenging or controversial issue in accounting or business practice. After selecting a topic of interest it is essential to consider your audience and the editorial practices familiar with the readers. In this way, you can target the readers by a subject of interest and relevant to a wider range of audiences as well.
Depending on the publication channel, your article will typically be on the local accounting interests or national issues that are of practical concern and familiar with most accountants. The Management Accounting Quarterly, The CPA Journal and Journal of Accountancy are an example of publishers that publish articles on accounting issues of local and national concern. These journals publish articles in both print and digital formats that are available online. Blogs are also increasingly used to publish articles on accounting issues of interest. Generally, the format, length and organization of the article will depend on the preferences of the editors of the respective publisher. The publisher might also specify the styles to be used and approaches in writing the documentation.
Research. The research process begins after the selection of a topic and the targeted audience. Collection of information and review of literature on previously done research studies on the topic is a crucial and inevitable step in writing a research article to a national publisher. This step helps in the refinery of the research topic and can provide key indicators on the approaches and best methodologies of conducting your research. A good platform to research previous publications is the internet. In so doing, a researcher can collect valuable references on the research topic and avoid the repetition of studies that have previously been done already.
Drafting and Review. Drafting the research article and preparation of the final draft of the manuscript is an important step after the literature review. Using the specified or preferred format, the manuscript is prepared using a word processor and reviewed to satisfaction. All the sources must be adequately cited and documented as per the specified format.
Submitting an Article. After the successful completion of writing and reviewing the draft, the article is submitted to the preferred publisher. It is sent along with a cover letter with the name and address of the editor. It can be sent electronically via email. It is important to crosscheck the final draft and make sure all the requirements by the publication have been met. Depending on the requirements, the publication might request an electronic copy written in a word processor and submitted electronically or a printed hardcopy.
Conclusion. Accountants can encounter interesting topics such as recent financial news or tax scenario on which they might be interested to write an article. In addition, a research article on a topic of interest can be written by a practicing accountant and be sent to publications. Irrespective of the type of article and the channel of publications, there are various considerations including the audience to which the article is targeted. The topic chosen must be of interest to the targeted audience whether on the local or national level.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: ORAL COMMUNICATION
Introduction This chapter summarizes the last chapter and focuses on oral communication skills including oral presentation and listening skills.
Listening Skills. Listening is a fundamental part of effective oral communications that allow the sharing of information among two parties. Listening skills entail ability and willingness to carefully and attentively listen to a conversation with the aim of getting information and giving effective feedback. A key factor in listening is the respect to the other party and avoidance of prejudices.
Oral presentation. Public speaking is an inevitable function in the professional career of an accountant. In order to effectively master oral presentation skills, it is important to practice necessary controls and skills that will gradually help in reducing anxiety and increasing confidence in oneself.
Preparations. Oral communication requires preparation which involves evaluation of the purpose, evaluation of the audience, collection of information, the composition of the speech, preparation of visual aids and notes and finally, practice of the presentation. When planning the presentation, the analysis of the purpose and audience is key in the preparation of the content of the speech. It is important to think about the audience in terms of the number, composition, and level of knowledge. Thoroughly analyze the audience including possible gaps in their understanding of the topic and what they know already, their attitudes and what they need to know. These factors will be crucial in planning the speech and tailoring the content to the needs and interests of the audience.
On the purpose of the speech, it is important to consider the final uses of the content e.g. whether it will be used by the management for decision-making purposes. In so doing, you can anticipate the questions to be asked by the audience and make adequate preparations. Finally, it is important to consider the venue, location and the amount of time available for the presentation.
Making the Speech. When presenting the speech, make sure you maintain eye contact at the start and throughout the presentation with the audience. It is important to maintain eye contact with an individual for a few seconds and shift focus one side to another. Maintain a poised and natural posture while standing still and only moving when using visual aids. Use your voice effectively with the right volume, pitch and speed.
Managing stage freight can be achieved by proper preparation well in advance and going through your notes a few minutes before taking the podium. This will ensure that key points are available in memory and enhances the feeling of confidence. It is also important to avoid thinking about the stage freight itself and consider the adequate preparation you have done.
Conclusion. In addition to written communication, oral communication is still an effective method of communication. Practicing public speaking is crucial in mastering effective oral communication in the accounting profession. Students should take advantage of every opportunity to improve their public speaking skills.