Education or experience, which is actually more important when choosing an accountant?

When entrepreneurs are looking for a new accountant, the question often arises of how to choose the right one. Many entrepreneurs are not sure where to start, whether to prefer a professional certificate, diplomas, or practical work experience, which shows that the person has seen a variety of situations.

In this blog, we will talk about whether education or real experience matters more when it comes to becoming an accountant? We briefly explored this question with accountants and will address the topic from their perspective.

1. Education provides a strong framework, but not the skills to do real work

Accounting education is certainly an important aspect, but is it the most important? Theory creates an understanding of the laws, logic, and principles that underpin accounting, but many experienced accountants have come up with one common idea:

A diploma does not make an accountant a very good accountant.

Example of comments:

“Programs do a lot, but if you don't understand why you're doing something, errors will occur very quickly.”

Therefore, education is a necessary foundation, but an entrepreneur should not assume that only paper shows competence.

2. Experience teaches you to see patterns and prevent mistakes

In other words , the accountant's experience was a "practical school" in the answers. Experience helps to understand:

• what is normal and what is not

• where do errors occur?

• how to solve non-standard situations

• how to think from an entrepreneur's perspective

  
  

Several accountants pointed out that they have had to help hundreds of companies "follow up" after the work had been done by a startup.

But it's also important that beginners can become very good if they don't work alone and have an experienced colleague by their side.

3. In fact, it's communication and the fit that determines the most

This part came up from quite a few respondents.

A good accountant doesn't just make declarations, he/she:

• explains things in simple language

• gives advice

• responds at a reasonable speed

• helps entrepreneurs make the right decisions

One comment particularly resonated:

"If there's no valve, even the best diploma won't save it."

This is a very important consideration for an entrepreneur looking for a reliable accountant .

4. What should an entrepreneur really look for when choosing an accountant?

A checklist to help you make an informed decision:

• Does he have both education and experience (the best combo)

• Is the communication clear and friendly?

• Will he/she respond within 1–2 business days?

• Does he think along, not just fulfill his duties?

• Does it have processes and contracts in place?

• Can he explain a complicated matter in a simple way?

• Does he give early warning if something is wrong?

We'll also include a link to our blog, where you can read about the danger signs of an accountant - "5 danger signs when choosing an accountant" - it fits the topic perfectly.

👉 Read here

5. Our conclusion on FindMyAccountant

After hundreds of accountants and entrepreneurs spoke, the picture is clear:

• Education creates knowledge.

• Experience creates the ability to apply this knowledge at the right time.

• Clear communication and collaboration create the sense of security that an entrepreneur really needs.

A good accountant is not just a qualification, he or she is a partner who helps you truly understand your company's numbers.

Want to find the right accountant for you?

Make a request on FindMyAccountant: free, anonymously, without registration.👉 www.findmyaccountant.eu

One query brings you multiple offers , which makes the choice easy and transparent.

Easy to fill out. Easy to compare. Easy to decide.