Assessment ONE: PART 1: REPORT

MARKET YOURSELF
11/9/2014

Name
Student ID
Course
Class
Tutor

Kawthar Mahdi Busehail

201101555
Market Yourself - GSP 5203
004
Eman A. Alshamlawi

Name: Kawthar Busehail

ID:201101555

Market Yourself

Table of Content

1.0Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3
2.0 Interview ................................................................................................................................... 3
3.0 Independent Research .............................................................................................................. 6
4.0 Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 9
5.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 10
6.0 References .............................................................................................................................. 12
7.0 Appendix ................................................................................................................................. 13

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Name: Kawthar Busehail

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1.0 Introduction
A critical part that leads to get the desired job and be success in it is to conduct a research and
analysis about it-and it includes: internet research and-asking-people-that work in-the samefield .The benefits of the research are: to assist in knowing the- nature,requirements-and needs
of the job, help in-recognizing the gaps-that are needed to be filled out to get the job and assist
in learning from the experience and knowledge of the people-that work in the-same-position.
This report was-requested by Mrs Eman Al shamlawi and-the purpose-of it-is to-discuss-all the
findings of the-interview that has been-conducted with-an employee-that works in the-same
fields-of interests. Furthermore, to provide-a research-regard the job-requirements-and
competencies .In addition,to include a-comparison-analysis between-the interview-findings and
the job-research. Moreover, to determine the suitability-rate for the- job and the gaps that
have to be filled-out between the obtained and the required-of the job-qualifications-andexperience. The-report has-to-be-submitted-on the 9th-of November, 2014.

2.0 Interview

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Name: Kawthar Busehail

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An interview has been conducted with a general accountant employee from Batelco Company
(Mr Mahdi Busehail ) . It was conducted on the 27th of October, 2014 at 10 Am until 10:30 AM
(30 minutes). Mr Mahdi has been asked several questions about general accountant job and
about the company (appendix 1).
The analysis of the interview questions illustrated that Mr Mahdi Busehail is a hard worker
effective person that enjoy communicating with others and has a passion about the general
accountant job. Furthermore, Mr mahdi has a huge ambition to always develop himself through
attending a lot of seminars and courses in accounting field. In addition, planning and organizing,
communication and time management are the points of strengths for Mr.Mahdi and the
weakness points are creative, innovative and Management skills. Also, Mr Mahdi has a Bachelor
in Accounting from University of Bahrain, English and IT certificates and several certificates in
accounting with twenty four years of experience in working in Batelco Company. Furthermore,
Mr Mahdi stated about the accomplishments that One of the accomplishments that I am
proud for, is getting the certificate of the employee of the month for several times, these
certificates illustrate the satisfaction of the company about my hard working and my
commitment to the job and to the company regulations. The interview findings demonstrated
that Mr Mahdi is satisfied about the job and the company for many reasons for instance:
working hours, comfortable environment, the study field that is preferred, good management,
bonus and benefits provided, good salary and huge opportunity for development .In addition, in
regard the criteria of success in this job , Mr.Mahdi stated From my experience , if you want to
gain a huge success in this job , its essential to get attention to details and to be accurate since
you deal with figures all the time and to have strong communication and presenting skills since
it is required to present and discuses the reports findings with the management . Furthermore,
to always develop yourself and keep up with the new development in the accounting field.
Moreover, Mr Mahdi determined that the good management members lead to increase the
employee satisfaction and drive the company to success and Mr Mahdi mentioned that the
head of accounting department in Batelco company is a helpful person and always listen,
respect and accept the employees ideas, complains, recommendations and also always review
the employees work and give advices for improvement.
The interview findings discovered that the purpose of the general accountant is to analyze
financial information and transactions, prepare timely and accurate financial statements and
reports for the management. The analysis of the interview questions illustrated that daily tasks
for the general accountant are: analyzing financial information in order to prepare financial
statements that include: statement of financial position, income statement, statement of
changes in equity and statement of cash flow. Also, receive invoices and check the accuracy of
it, arrangement of payment, prepare management reports, develop recommendations to the

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Name: Kawthar Busehail

ID:201101555

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financial problems and check the payment received data. In addition, it has been found that the
nature of the work needs a lot of consideration and the person has to be accurate all the time.
In addition, its essential to be flexible and able to handle pressure as the job required to
perform many tasks in the same period of time. Also, its essential to manage the time to be
able to finish the required tasks in the time needed. It has been realized that there is a
comfortable environment in the company and the employees have good relations, respect each
other and provide help if it is needed.
The interview analysis illustrated the required skills for the general accountant job which are:
accuracy skills , writing skills , presenting skills , time management , handle stress , problem
solving skills , IT skills , communication skills , writing and speaking skills , reporting skills ,
analyzing skills , team work skills , attention to detail , planning and organizing skills ,
interpersonal skills . In addition, it has been discovered that Mr Mahdi learnt and develop
several skills through working in the job which are: writing reports skills, teamwork skills, IT
skills and speaking fluently skills. The findings also illustrated the general accountant has to
have Bachelor in Accounting and in some companies it is essential to have Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) Certificate .Mr Mahdi stated I highly recommend you to get this certificate
since it is a feature that will attract the employer to hire you . It is also founded that in regard
the knowledge and abilities, it is required to have knowledge in computerized accounting,
posting journals, analyzing ledgers, financial statements preparation, report writing and
accounting principles and standers. Added to that, the general accountant has to be able to:
complete detailed accounting transactions, prepare financial statements, analyze complex
financial statements, use Microsoft office, communicate concisely and clearly, establish and
maintain effective working relationships.
The interview findings demonstrated that the working hours are eight hours daily and the
range of the salary is from 400 BD to 1000 BD depends on the years of experience. In addition,
Mr Mahdi mentioned that SAP accounting computer software is used in the company. Mr
Mahdi determined that the company sends the employees always to courses and seminars
outside the company in order to let the employees to keep up with the development in the
field and improve their abilities, skills and working performance. In addition, Mr Mahdi
illustrated the development plan that is created to develop himself is to attend more seminars,
read books and articles about the accounting development, get more professional certificates
on accounting for instance: CMA (Certified Management Accountant) in order to be able to get
hire position which is to be a specialist accountant. Added to that, in regard the development in
the job, Mr Mahdi demonstrated From my experience, if you want to get a higher position,
you have to get many professional certificates for instance: CMA, CGA and to prove that you
have high level of abilities and skills. In addition, to always follow the company procedures and
regulations and to gain good reputation. Moreover, to keep up with the development in
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accounting field through noticing all the new procedures, standers and techniques. Added to
that, to attend seminars and workshops those are related to accounting.

The questions analysis illustrated the reasons that drive some people to left the job in the past.
The accountant job was more difficult since the statements and reports were made manually
not in a computerized system. Also, the job needs a lot of attention to details, the person has to
be accurate all the time and some people cannot handle it .Furthermore, it needs to a huge
ability of flexibility and to work under pressure and some people dont have this ability. In
addition, the findings demonstrated that the university sent Mr Mahdi to Batelco company for
training and the company determined that Mr Mahdi has high abilities, skills and knowledge,
therefore, the company decided to hire Mr Mahdi in it. Furthermore Mr Mahdi recommended
to get a similar job and stated Bahrain market has expended and the number of companies in
it increases as many foreign invest in the market .The accountant department is an essential
department in all of these companies and these companies provide a lot of working
opportunities. Also, this job has a good salary and the working chances are opened since you
can work in private or public sector and in any company as they all need to hire accountants in
their companies.

3.0 Independent Research

A research has been made about the general accountant job in the following fields:

Job description
The general accountant is responsible for analyzing all the financial information and preparing
accurate and timely financial reports to the management. In addition, to prepare financial
statements that includes: statement of financial position, statement of changes in equity,
statement of cash flow, Income statement ("Accounting" 2013). Moreover, to ensure the
appropriate accounting control system procedures. Moreover, to prepare journal entries and
examine the financial records. Furthermore, to make sure that the records are accurate and
help in creating action plans to improve the company financial position and assist in
preparation of the budget ("General accountant job," 2012).

Duties and Responsibilities

The general accountant is responsible for:

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Analyze financial information in order to prepare financial statements containing

monthly and annually accounts.
Ensure that the financial records are in compliance with the accepted procedures and
policies.
Analyze the financial information to develop or recommend strategic recommendations
to the financial problems.
Prepare the journal entries.
Maintain and reconcile the statement of financial position.
Assist in the preparation of the budget.
Process and review the expense reports.
Assist in preparation of the audit process.
Assist in maintaining and implementing the internal control procedures.
Reconcile the financial records and ledger.
Create plans for solving the financial problems and for improving the financial position.
Perform general account analysis and reconciliations that includes: accruals, prepaid
expenses, fixed assets and bank statements ("Accounting job description," 2014).

Skill requirements
The skills that are required for general accountant job are : supervisory skills ,decision making
skills ,writing Skills , listening skills , communication Skills , well- organized ("General accountant
job," 2012) . Also, attention to details , accuracy , team work skills ,problem solving , strategic
thinking , planning and organizing skills , stress tolerance ("Accounting job description," 2014) .
In addition, computer skills, analytical skills, good record keeping skills, interpersonal skills
("General staff accountant, n.d" ).

Education, Qualifications and experience

The following are the qualification and education requirements for the general accountant job:
-

Bachelor Degree in Accounting

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) ("Accounting" 2013).
Minimum of three years of experience in financial system, financial reporting, financial
data analysis and financial advice ("Accounting job description," 2014).

Some companies also require the following certificates:

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Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA )

The Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA)
Certified Management Accountant certification (CMA) ) ("Job description: Accountant ,"
2013 )

Knowledge
Its essential to have knowledge in: generally accepted accounting principles and practices ,
auditing principles and practices, accounting computer applications , finance principles , local
and federal laws related to accounting , principles and practices of accounting , analyzing
ledgers methods and techniques , preparing journal entries , methods of financial statements
and reports , cost and governmental accounting ("Accounting job description," 2014).

Abilities
Its essential to be able to : complete accounting transactions , adjust and reconcile financial
statements with general ledgers , prepare financial reports , records and statements , do
mathematical calculations with accuracy and speed , analyze the complex of financial formulas
and transactions , communicate clearly and effectively with others , create effective working
environment , use the Microsoft Office package , collect accounting data , analyze and improve
the accounting system procedures ("Accountant," 2007)

Physical Demands and working environment.

The physical demand and the working environment of general accountant job are:
- Working Environment:
Standard office in a comfortable environment with a computer to prepare the reports and
needed statements.
- Physical Demands:
The ability to work for long hours in an office in a sit or stand position. Also, ability of hand
movement to use the computer and has the ability to verbally communicate ("Accountant,"
2007).

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Name: Kawthar Busehail

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Salary
The range of the general accountant salary in Bahrain is between 400 BD to 1000 BD ("The
average salary," n.d ).

Accounting Softwares
The popular accounting softwares that are used in the companies are : Intacct , Multiview ,
NetSuite , Stage , FreshBooks , QuickBooks , SAP , Xero (Johnston , R & Spencer , B).

4.0 Analysis
It is seen from the comparison between the interview findings and the research is that there
are areas of similarities and differences. There is a similarity in the salary range which is from
400 BD to 1000 BD. Also, there is a similarity in the accounting software as SAP software that is
used in Batelco company is also mentioned in the research as one of the popular accounting
softwares that is used in the companies .However, its realized that there is difference in
education, qualification and experience required, to illustrate: in the interview it is only
required to have Bachelor in Accounting and CPA certificate, however in research, it is seen that
is essential also to have Bachelor in Accounting, CPA certificate and minimum of 3 years of
experience and some companies require having (ACCA), (ACA), (CMA) certificates. In addition, it
is seen that there is expand and additional requirements in the knowledge, skills and abilities
requirements in the research and there are some skills that have been mentioned in the
interview findings and not mentioned in the research. An example that illustrates: strategic
thinking, well- organized, supervisory skills are additional skills mentioned only in the research
and presenting skills is only pointed in the interview finding. In addition, the responsibilities and
the job purpose are more expanded in the research. To illustrate: prepare the journal entries,
assist in the preparation of the budget, assist in preparation of the audit process and assist in
maintaining and implementing the internal control procedures are points that have been
mentioned only in the research. In addition, the knowledge in finance, local federal and laws
related to accounting, generally accepted accounting principles and practices are additional
knowledge points that are mentioned in the research and not mentioned in the Interview
findings.
There many factors that determine the differences between the interview findings and the
research for instance: the size of the company, the work nature, different people views, the
company procedures and the experiences. In regard the size of the company, it is seen that in
the huge companies for example: Batelco , the work is divided between several employees and
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each employee focuses on certain tasks , however in the small companies , the number of
employees is less and the responsibilities of doing several tasks increases .Therefore, there are
differences in the variety of the responsibilities . Moreover, different people views create
differences in ordering the priorities for instance: it has been discovered in the research that
its essential to have strategic thinking and well organized skills, however those skills are not
determined in the interview findings as Mr Mahdi does not mention those skills as an essential.
In addition , the experience provide an opportunity to gain more knowledge about the job for
instance : Mr Mahdi determined from the job experience is that the presentation skills is critical
skill that the general accountant has to have as it is always required to do presentations to the
management . Furthermore, other factor is the company procedures as some companies has
the procedure to only hire the employees with years of experience and has many professional
certificates . Moreover, the nature of the business determines the responsibilities needed for
instance: it is mentioned in the interview findings that the arrangement of payment is one of
the essential responsibilities in Batelco Company as the company deals a lot with customers
payment; however it is not mentioned in the duties in the research. This proves that the nature
of the business determines specific responsibilities.

5.0 Conclusion
The research helps a lot in determining the suitability for the job and the gabs that have to be
filled out to be suitable for general accountant job. There are some strong areas that qualify me
to be a general accountant and there are some gaps that have to be filled out and improved.

Strong Areas
There are many areas that make me suitable for the job, to illustrate: I am getting the Bachelor
in Accounting certificate after one year and this is an essential qualification required. Also, I am
getting the knowledge in the university that allow me to perform perfectly the responsibilities
of the job for instance : preparing financial statements , analyzing financial information ,
maintaining internal control procedures , post journals and reconcile financial records . In
addition, I have wide range of skills that qualify me for the job for instance: presentation skills
as I always do presentations in the university , computer skills as I am familiar with using the
computer , team work skills because I work a lot in team in the university projects , reporting
skills as I usually write reports for the university , accuracy as I always prefer to do my work in
an accurate manner , time management as I always order my priorities , planning and
organizing as I always create plans for the tasks that I will perform . Furthermore, I am
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Name: Kawthar Busehail

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physically able to work in an office for long hours and I have the ability to use computer and
communicate verbally. In addition, I like to develop my skills and abilities and I am able to
attend several courses, seminars and workshops. I have attended several accounting courses
that have been prepared by Tamkeen . Furthermore, I have the experience in using stage 50
accounting software which is one of the popular accounting softwares for preparing financial
statements and posting journals. Moreover, I gain the knowledge from the university courses in
principles and practices in cost accounting, auditing, accounting, finance. Also, knowledge in
analyzing and preparing journal entries. Added to that, I have the ability to: use the Microsoft
office package and I have a certificate from capital institute in it and prepare financial
statements as I get the knowledge of that in the university. Also, analyze and improve the
accounting system procedures as I have taken accounting system course.

Improvement Areas
There are some areas that need improvements, to illustrate; some companies require having
CPA certificate and years of experience. Therefore, I decided to go to accountant institute in
order to take study and get the CPA certificate. Also, I will work as a volunteer in one of the
companies in order to gain experience and to be familiar with the nature of the work. Other
point is that there are some skills that I need to improve for instance; writing skills as I have
some difficulties in the grammar and I decided to go to British council to take English writing
courses. In addition, interpersonal skills and I decided to go for seminars that teach how to be
more confident and brave to speak to different segment of people. Added to that, I have a lack
of knowledge of local law that is related to accounting and I decided to find and read the
regulations in the Bahrain law that is related to accounting. In addition, I have to attend several
accounting seminars and workshops and read articles in order to keep up with the
development in the accounting field.

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6.0 References
1- Accountant. (2007). Retrieved from
http://www.ci.ceres.ca.us/jobdescriptions/Accountant.pdf
2- Accounting is about more than crunching numbers: Learn what other duties an
accountant holds. (2013 ). Retrieved from http://www.allbusinessschools.com/businesscareers/accounting/job-description/
3- Accounting job description. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.best-jobinterview.com/accounting-job-description.html
4- General accountant job description. (2012, september 22). Retrieved from
http://www.jobdescriptionformat.org/general-accountant-job-description.html
5- General staff accountant job description. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.nycup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/General-Staff-Accountant-10-172013.pdf
6- Job description: Accountant . (2013 ). Retrieved from http://careeradvice.monster.co.uk/searching-for-jobs/job-advice-by-industry/accountant-jobdescription/article.aspx
7- Johnston , R. , & Spencer , B (n.d.). Accounting software solutions. Retrieved from
http://www.accountingsoftwareworld.com/
8- The average salary for an accountant in bahrain. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091024111655AA8vLV0

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7.0 Appendix
Appendix 1 (Interview questions)
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What are your strengths and weakness?

Describe yourself.
Describe your work style and the nature of it?
Do you consider yourself successful? Why?
What are the skills needed for an accountant?
What motivates you?
What is your professional development plan?
How many years of experience do you have?
Describe the difficulties that face you in the working environment?
- What are your daily tasks in the job?
- What makes you satisfied about the company?
- Tell me about an accomplishment you most proud of?
- Discuss your educational background?
- How many hours you work daily?
- Is it necessary to work in a team?
Does the company take you to training courses?
- How much is the range of the salary for an accountant employee?
- How did you get the job?
-How you develop yourself in the job?
- What is the culture of the company?
- What are your specific responsibilities in the job?
- What are the qualifications and experience needed for the job?
- Are you satisfied about the job? Why?
- Are you enjoyed in working in the company?
- Do you recommend getting a similar job?
- What is the purpose of the job?
- How do you see yourself after 5 years?
-What are the skills that you learnt through working in this job?
- What are the qualities in the person that fill the job?
- Why people left this job in the past?
- What is the first issue that faces the employee?
- What are the criteria of success in this job?
- What you tell me about your boss?
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Name: Kawthar Busehail

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34 - What is the computer softwares that you work on?

35 - Do you think that there is a demand for the accountants in Bahrain Market? Why?
36 - What are your expectation from a new graduate to have in regard the knowledge and
the abilities?
37 - How you can get a higher position?

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