HIRING TRENDS AND SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE MODERN CPA By KATHLEEN HOFFELDER, NJCPA SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR
A decade ago, non-technical skills were not often sought by those hiring accounting professionals, but they have become a mainstay of CPAs looking to not only be trusted advisors to their clients but true strategists for their businesses.
If one were to come up with a recipe for a modern CPA, it might consist of a cup of technical knowledge, a quarter of a cup of data and analytical expertise, an eighth of a cup of soft skills, an eighth of a cup of client retention abilities and a healthy measure of leadership and eagerness to adapt to change thrown in. NARROWING THE SKILLS GAP To be hired as that “go-to” person for their clients and organization, CPAs have had to add new skills, adapt old ones and revamp their impression of what good client relations is all about. Is the skills gap narrowing between what accounting advisories want in new candidates and what young professionals are bringing
CONTRIBUTORS In order of appearance
ADITI SHAH, CPA Senior Tax Accountant Cullari Carrico LLC
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NICOLE DEROSA, CPA, MAcc Tax Manager Withum
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 | NEW JERSEY CPA
ROBERT TRAPHAGEN, CPA, CGMA Managing Partner Traphagen & Traphagen CPAs LLC
MOLLY LOCKWOOD Director of Human Resources SobelCo LLC
