[Rin]

Can someone please clarify the term of “specialiZed skills” that attract employers ?

[Valar Dohaeris]

I would say the term specialized points to the body of work you've done in your career as an accountant. It might help if you say where you are with your career or provide more background to the question. Are you entry level and looking to beef up your resume?

Software experience is a specialized skill of sorts. Demonstrating you worked with various enterprise software, research software, accounting software is valued. Assuming you're trying to stand out as an entry level candidate, under “Technical Skills”, include some of the various frameworks you've “specialized” in during your studies like studying COSO or GAAS. You could consider sharing school projects or memos you've written in school.

Otherwise, in my experiences, employers look for specialization in a wide range of ways through tools/experience you acquire such as what area of accounting you work in (advisory, audit – public/private/govt, or tax [SALT, international, private wealth]), again software skills (certified/skilled with SAP, Great Plains, JD Edwards, etc.), experience on specific industries (energy, real estate, software, etc.), working on unique accounting situations/projects (S-1, debt restructuring, reverse merger, risk assessment, testing controls, ERP implementation, etc.).

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[Skynet]

“The Accountant” trailer should be a good example of a specialized skill 🙂

[Skynet]

Most women can't resist my accounting pick up lines so I guess it is a specialize skill of mine : p

[Rin]

Thank you for all answers @valar this is for an accounting analyst entry level position.I have experiences in private firm, not audit firm.

I used quickbook software in my previous company. Will they value it ? Or i should list something else. Thanks again

[Missy]

Every employer will value a different set of skills. If you're applying to a job that will require you to use QuickBooks, that will be a valid skill set. If you'll be working in SAP, or another software QuickBooks experience won't hurt you but won't be viewed as favorably as a candidate with experience in whatever they use. Remember you should be making changes to your resume almost every time you submit it to highlight the skills they're listing in the job ad.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Medical auditing

[Anonymous]

“Specialized skills” is anything that you can do that the average candidate can't do that makes you more qualified for the position that they're hiring for. For entry-level accounting analyst position, I'd think that advanced Excel skills would be a “specialized” skill, cause for that level position, it's probably not very common; however, for an advanced analytical position, being able to use Excel analytical tools would be standard, and not “specialized”. Something like being able to decorate cakes might be a skill that only 5% of accountants have, but isn't a “specialized skill” for the job, cause it doesn't improve your job performance (unless you're somehow needing to decorate cakes to do the job, but I've never seen an accounting job that requires cake decorating…and I'd fail at such a job if one exists!).

So, think about it like this: what skills do you have that uniquely make you an awesome candidate for the job? If they use QuickBooks, then given that software isn't taught in most college curricula, your ability to use QuickBooks could be a specific skill that makes you specially qualified (and if you don't know whether or not they do, then it's worth mentioning). Anything else that you think sets you apart from your competition is a positive way is potentially a specialized skill.

[Author]

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