You may not realise how different accounting roles today are from the stereotypical image of accountants as "bean counters" or "number crunchers". These outdated terms are references to the often tedious process of book-keeping, which was once seen as the chief activity of accountants and as an end in itself. Today, computers perform much of the book-keeping tasks in any organisation, while accountants have the important role of analysing and presenting the resulting information in timely and meaningful reports. It is this information on which virtually all business decisions are made.

The role of the accountant is undergoing great change because of this, and the near future will be a very exciting time to be in an accounting career. For instance, thanks to the speed of computerised information systems, accountants are spending much less of their time compiling routine reports and are instead focusing on adding value to the organisation through the provision of key management information and strategic advice. Businesses are also adopting more non-traditional and non-financial measures of performance, that draw on an understanding of every aspect of the organisation. Accountants are changing to meet these new needs of business.

This trend is especially true for BAcc interns and graduates, as they perform commercial accounting roles where accounting IS business (as opposed to auditing a business or doing a business’s tax return, as conventional chartered accountants do).

We have collected here some press articles and other material on the changing role of accounting (and how being an accountant today is very different to the stereotypical view):

SMH article about accounting roles today

The Changing Role of the CFO

From Accounting to Management

The CFO and the Role of Information

The Bachelor of Accounting program has been designed with the sole intention of identifying and developing these future accounting professionals. That is, graduate accountants who are not only highly proficient technically but who also have high-level interpersonal and communication skills, team-working skills, and the ability to think strategically. You may like to read some of the insights gained by our students into accounting roles and accounting as a career.