Account Specialist Job Description, Skills and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an account specialist. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an account specialist.
Who is an Account Specialist?
To ask the question “who is?” surpasses a mere description, but is a deep question. Analogically, to ask the question who is Mr. A? Does not seek a superficial response like, Mr. A is a man. Rather it seeks to uncover the basic information about Mr. A. The same is applied to the question, who is an account specialist? This does not only demand a simple definition of an account specialist, but all the basic facts one needs to know about an account specialist.
In simple language, an account specialist is an expert who focuses on relating with potential customers and existing customers, while also making sales for his or her boss. He or she could focus on a specific account or region to provide expert service and support in that area or account. These experts maintain excellent business relations with dealers, distributors, and clients to bring business deals to their business.
Semantically, account specialist is a derivative of two independent words, account and specialist. Generally, the term account suggests a record-keeping or ledger activity. It has varying applications in the financial field. In banking, an account means an arrangement in which an organization, basically a financial institution such as a bank or credit union, accepts a customer’s financial assets and holds them on behalf of the customer at his or her discretion. According to Collins dictionary, an account is a detailed record of all the money that a business or a person receives and spends.
On the other hand, a specialist is a person who concentrates primarily on a particular subject or activity; a person highly skilled in a specific and restricted field. He is an expert in some field or a person who concentrates his or her energies on a specific field.
From the two definitions above, an account specialist can be said to be a professional financial agent who manages all forms of financial accounts within an organization. The duties of an account specialist could include contacting potential customers, cold calling, scheduling business, and customer meetings, analyzing sales statistics to project sales, and preparing budgets. He/she works in tandem with managers and representatives from various departments to define sales strategies and enhance the revenue of the company. They must keep accurate records as well as ensure that invoices are paid when necessary and clients do not overpay for services rendered or goods delivered.
Account specialist is one of the trending careers we have today in developed countries. However, before you think of becoming an account specialist, consider reflecting on your values and what matters to you the most. What kind of work, or type of company would make you happy? Reflecting on the answers to these questions would help to determine how you would create value in the workplace. Reflect also on how you can use these skills to attain your personal and professional objectives. Thus, this article would be of help to anyone considering the career of an account specialist.
Account Specialist Job Description
Below are the account specialist job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an account specialist job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
A job description popularly known as a JD is a written narrative that explains the general tasks, and other related duties and responsibilities of a position. It may denote the duty of whom the position reports, and other stipulations, such as the qualifications or skills needed by the person in the work. It may also include the types of equipment, tools, and work aids used, working conditions, physical demands, and salary range. Essentially, a good job description is important for companies and firms looking for employees. A detailed job description saves the employer or hiring manager time and effort, as it assures the employer of the capabilities of the applicant, and ascertains whether or not he or she will be a good fit for the company. A bad job description, on the other hand, has the probability to leave a flawlessly qualified applicant feeling too bewildered or panicky to submit a resume. More so, job descriptions explain what a job is. To inquire about a particular career, the job description is paramount and should be read through and through. Regarding account specialists, the following are their job descriptions:
- Assisting the accounting department in accomplishing daily, monthly and annual activities.
- Maintaining precise and comprehensive records, of ledgers, invoices, and revenue.
- Using documents to verify records and process all financial transactions.
- Cooperating with the account managers in managing account activities and processes.
- Resolving the client’s queries in an accurate and timely manner.
- Recording and attending to reports.
- Analyzing and managing account renewal process.
- Maintaining a positive and cordial relationship with clients for business growth.
- Supervising endorsement wishes and change desires from customers.
- Developing an account management plan to meet business goals.
- Providing outstanding customer service to make sure customers are well satisfied.
- Arranging account meetings and providing meeting notes.
- Executing assigned work within the allotted timeline and budget.
- Dialoguing with vendors and suppliers to make ensure accurate charges, and that payments are received in time.
- Reviewing financial reports.
- Communicating with all customers or clients to discuss account statuses, charges, or discrepancies.
- Participating in ongoing education opportunities to learn about industry trends and developments.
- Processing payroll.
- Keeping accurate records of incoming and outgoing payments of the organization or firm.
Qualifications
The first question that should come to your mind when nursing the thought of applying for a particular job should be, “am I qualified for this job?” Nowadays, people no longer accept workers based on sentiments but based on their qualifications. These qualifications range from the experience, education, skills, and personal qualities you bring to the table. Examples of qualifications include a college degree, license, excellent communication skills, et cetera. For the job of an account specialist, the following qualifications are needed.
- At least five credits in WASSCE or SSCE, English and mathematics included.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, banking, and finance or in any related discipline.
- Skilled in math and organizational ability.
- At least, one-year internship program experience.
- Extra certificates like CMA (Certified Management Accountant) or CGA (Certified General Accountant).
- 2-3 years of working experience.
- Bookkeeping skills and exceptional analytical skills to collect and interpret data, communication and persuasion skills, critical thinking, customer service skills, and leadership traits.
- Ability to work independently and without control when necessary.
As one aspiring for the job of an account specialist, these steps above would be of help to him or her. However, it is noteworthy to highlight that, there are no stipulated qualifications mapped out for particular jobs. Hence, the job qualifications for different careers vary from place to place and from one employer to another. Thus, it is pertinent to always inquire about the qualifications desired by an employer before submitting a job application.
Essential Skills
A skill is a learned ability to act with determined results, good execution, and often within a given amount of time, and in a particular place. It can also be seen as the capacity to carry out a particular assignment well and is learned or acquired. Every job or profession demands a particular set of skills that enables you to carry out your duties professionally; an account specialist is not an exception. These skills are what makes an employee competent in his or her area of assignment. The following skills are fitting for an account specialist:
- Interpersonal skills.
- Sales skills.
- Reporting skills.
- Organizational skills.
- Keen attention to detail.
- Research ability.
- Problem-solving.
- Customer Service skills.
- Microsoft Excel skills.
- Account Management skills.
- Invoicing skills.
- MS Office skills.
- Collaboration skills.
- Accountability skills.
- Documentation skills.
- Communication Skills.
- Accuracy skills.
An account specialist primarily needs an interpersonal skill which is at times referred to as employability skills. The word “employability” is a tip-off about the importance of interpersonal skills and is so crucial that employers would not want to hire candidates without them. So many professions require stability and constancy, and communication with other people. Interpersonal skills include verbal and nonverbal communication skills, the ability to handle conflict, teamwork, empathy, listening, and a positive attitude. Being flexible and not rigid, positive, listening ability, are also important criteria for success as an account specialist. Another all-encompassing skill of an account specialist is problem-solving. Problem-solving is the act of identifying a problem, defining the problem, determining the cause of the problem, and providing alternatives for a solution. With problem-solving skills, an account specialist also needs to employ research skills, organizational skills, reporting skills, and so on, to solve existing problems. Because the work of an account specialist concerns money, he or she needs accuracy skills, documentation skills, invoicing skills, and other technical skills.
How to Become an Account Specialist
Knowing how to become a professional in a particular career before going into that career, is a proven step forward towards professionalism in that field. As many people have ended up not actualizing their dream professions due to lack of knowledge on how to actualize them. To salvage this scenario for potential account specialists, these step by step procedures would be of real help:
- First, you would need to complete an O’ level education with at least credits in five subjects, English and Mathematics included.
- Build a solid foundation in math, English, reasoning, and analytical cum critical thinking.
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, finance, or a related discipline.
- Enroll in an internship program to practice your acquired skill and acquire the basic skills that you lack.
- Register your job and corresponding qualifications.
- Begin building and organizing your portfolio and resume.
- Apply for a job in your favorite firm.
- Once you get an accounting specialist position, you may have to undergo on-the-job drilling to learn how to use the company’s accounting software and follow its policies.
- Consider getting further certification. To learn more advanced skills and show your commitment to the job, consider earning a professional certification. This will put you at a more qualified level, for even more advanced positions; consider the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential.
Where to Work as an Account Specialist
The place of work is always one of the motivating factors for job aspirants. Having the possibility of working in a big firm is something that can motivate you to take your profession seriously, having in mind that one day; you might be able to get there. However, all account specialists do not carry out the same activity or work in the same type of environment. Many different career paths are open to you with a completed degree in accounting. While most accountants start out working in similar positions, there is a wide variety of career paths that are ultimately available. If you are considering getting a degree in accounting, it is important to have a clear idea of the different types of accounting jobs and which ones may be right for you. Accounts specialists primarily work in financial organizations. However, anyone aspiring for the job of an account specialist can put the following work possibilities into consideration. He or she can work as a chief financial officer, management accountant, government accountant, internal audit accountant, Certified Public accountant, accounting clerk, international accountant, forensic accountant, comptroller, and so on.
As a chief financial officer, he or she oversees all financial departments, manages accountants, prepares budgets, evaluates performances, and performs asset management. As a government accountant, he or she works at the different levels of government, federal, state, and local. As an internal audit accountant, he or she evaluates the firm’s finance to ensure responsible spending. As public accountants, they can work with individuals, companies, nonprofit organizations, and the government. As an accounting clerk, he or she assists the company with mini-jobs such as, arranging payrolls and writing inventory. As a comptroller, he or she monitors the entirety of a company’s outgoing and incoming finances.
Finally, as an account specialist, you can gain employment and work in schools, governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and various finance industries and establishments.
Account Specialist Salary Scale
Everyone desires to be rewarded handsomely for services rendered, especially when it is a professional service; which is why employees or workers get annoyed when they are delayed payment, or not paid at all. This can discourage them and even lead to quitting of current jobs. Salary is one of the major determining factors which influence people’s choice of career. No one wants to render professional services and be paid peanuts. Thus, salary could be said to be the spice of every noble job. Salary is a predetermined amount of money paid to an employee, by an employer in return for a task carried out. Salary is usually paid in set intervals, monthly, and annually; some even get paid hourly or weekly. Nonetheless, salaries received by workers in any particular job are determined by many factors, which may include the nation, the location of the company, its financial capability, number of workers in the same field, education of employees, the experience of employee, and so on. Irrespective of these factors, an account specialist’s salary range is usually high.
The salary of a particular job differs from country to country; owing to the difference in currency value. In the United States, an account specialist makes as high as $63,500 and as low as $25,000 yearly. The average salary scale or pay range for an account specialist varies greatly, and this means that there may be many opportunities for advancement and increase based on many determining factors, like skill level, job location, and years of experience.
However, account specialists’ salary range in Nigeria is between ₦2,340,000 to ₦7,068,000 annually. Though the job opportunity in other parts of Nigeria is very low and only a few companies are currently hiring account specialist.