Continuing Education for Accountants: The Surprising Benefits

When did you last take the initiative to broaden your knowledge and skills as an accountant? Continuing education for accountants can lead to surprising benefits, learn more about them in this article.

Naturally, accountants must complete continuing education– typically 120 CPE course hours every 36 months. And while this requirement ensures you maintain a fundamental level of knowledge and capability within your industry, it serves merely as a starting point.

Therefore, continue reading to find inspiration and excitement in the realm of continuing education for accountants!

Stay Up-to-Date With Changes in the Industry

Nobody likes the idea of being caught off-guard or lacking information during discussions with colleagues or clients. Not only is it an embarrassing faux-pas that’ll keep you up at night, but it also negatively impacts the perception of your knowledge and skills as an accountant.

Even if you were top of your class once upon a time, you need to take proactive measures to stay at the top of your game. The accounting industry is constantly changing, and accountants need to keep up with these changes. As a result, regulatory standards are continuing to evolve, and the enforcement of the same seems to be getting stricter.  Thus, this goes beyond just keeping up with new tax changes. It affects the acceptable way you get and receive client information.

Continuing education for accountants forces you to stay up-to-date with the latest regulations, laws, and best practices in the industry. By keeping up with the changes in the industry, you can ensure that you’re providing clients with the most accurate and relevant advice possible. 

Not to mention– feeling that much more confident in conversations with colleagues and clients!

Improve Technical Skills

Any seasoned accountant knows that success in accounting is not just about the numbers. Accounting tools and practice management software (like TPS Cloud Axis) are constantly evolving. While these technological advancements will ultimately make life and work easier as an accountant, they can quickly become overwhelming if you’re not making an effort to keep up. With document portals and signatures, you might also be finding yourself doing technical support for clients. Fortunately, programs such as TPS can assist with this burden.

Continuing education for accountants is an excellent opportunity to improve your technical skills, keep up with technology, and learn how to harness these tools effectively for your practice. Doing so can help you increase your efficiency and accuracy as an accountant, and in turn, provide better service to your clients.

Did you know TPS Software offers customized training for our practice management software? Contact support@tpssoftware.com to learn more! 

Expand Knowledge Base

We probably don’t need to tell you how many areas of specialization there are in the accounting industry. Whether you’re a public accountant or you specialize in an area like taxes or forensics, broadening your knowledge to encompass additional areas is invaluable. This effort will not only broaden your capabilities, it can also bring some much-needed perspective and a more holistic understanding of the industry as a whole.

Continuing education for accountants can help you expand your knowledge base beyond your area of expertise. This can help you become a more well-rounded professional and provide better service to your clients. 

Enhance Soft Skills

Admittedly, accountants aren’t exactly known for their warm bedside manner. However, soft skills play a huge role in any professional’s potential for success, and they’re too often overlooked in the accounting industry. That means, even a modest demonstration of soft skills can help you quickly stand out amongst your peers and competition. 

Moreover, soft skills like communication, empathy, leadership, and problem-solving can be greatly enhanced through continuing education for accountants. For instance, an accountant participating in a CPE course focused on leadership could acquire strategies for managing a team and enhancing client communication more effectively.

Increase Career Opportunities

It may seem obvious that continuing education for accountants can open up new career opportunities. But it’s easy to overlook the many forms this career boost can take.

Naturally, expanding your skills and knowledge can increase your value at your current practice, as well as attract new employers. But it can also build your confidence and even the sheer enjoyment you get from your day-to-day responsibilities. As a result, this in turn can lead to greater job satisfaction and effectiveness, both of which are doubtlessly noticed and appreciated by employers and clients.

Have More Fun!

You may be thinking, “Give me a break. What’s fun about continuing education for accountants?” 
But the truth of the matter is – the better we are at something, the more we tend to enjoy it.

There’s a name for this phenomenon. The “mere-exposure effect” states people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. So the more time you spend immersing yourself in the world of accounting and building your skill set, the more you will actively enjoy your career.

Not to mention– continuing education for accountants will also connect you with peers in your industry and even open opportunities for travel. Both of these things can have a great impact on your job satisfaction and your overall level of happiness. Not bad for a few extra hours of knowledge and skill development, right?

The Surprising Benefits of Continuing Education for Accountants 

Are you now revved up for proactive professional development? We hope so! 

Continuing education for accountants is not only necessary to maintain your certification– it can also make your career a lot more rewarding and (dare we say) fun. 

At TPS Software, we’re committed to helping our clients stay at the cutting edge of accounting technology and practice management. Check out some of our training resources for accountants:

• Watch our free instructional training videos on TPS Cloud Axis
• Contact support@tpssoftware.com to ask about customized training for TPS Cloud Axis
• Visit our partners at K2 Enterprises for Continuing Education for Accountants

However, if you decide to pursue continuing education for accountants, we wish you well on your journey.