Untuk menjadi akuntan, saat ini tidak hanya diperlukan kemampuan teknis klerikal saja. Berkembangnya organisasi bisnis membutuhkan akuntan yang tidak hanya mempunyai kemampuan 'hard-skills' namun kemampuan 'soft-skills' juga menjadi penting.
Dalam beberapa kasus yang pernah di ceritakan kepada saya, ada 3 lulusan jurusan akuntansi mendatangi suatu perusahaan, mereka sedang dalam proses rekrutmen pada sebuah perusahaan. Mereka masing-masing diharuskan presentasi tentang anggaran, modal kerja dan analisa arus kas. Duh, kasihan juga, karena mereka tidak tahu bagaimana membuat presentasi yang baik. Mulai dari membuat bahan slide powerpoint sampai membuat apa yang harus dipresentasikan.
Sebagai pengajar, ini juga kesalahan proses pendidikan yang kurang juga memberikan soft-skills di kelas (mungkin banyak dosen sendiri soft-skills nya juga kurang, mungkin termasuk saya sendiri hehehe).
Dari risetnya Intitute of Management Accountant memang sudah lama telah terjadi pergeseran bahwa akuntan sekarang ini nggak hanya duduk dibelakang meja saja, tetapi lebih kepada 'business partner' dan 'internal consultant' dan hal ini akan harus banyak mempunyai kemampuan soft-skills yang memadai.
Berikut ini ada 24 jenis soft-skills yang paling tidak harus dimiliki oleh seorang akuntan ( Sasongko Budi 2007 ). Antara lain :
1. Oral/spoken communication skills: Both one-on-one and in groups (e.g., presentations)
2. Written communication skills: Both printed and online written work, including reports, letters and email.
3. Teamwork/collaboration skills: Working with others to accomplish tasks
4. Self-motivation/initiative: Doing things without needing to be told or persuaded
5. Work ethic/dependability: dependability: Being thorough and accurate so olleagues can count on you.
6. Critical thinking: Challenging things when appropriate and proposing alternatives to consider.
7. Risk-taking skil: Taking a considered chance on something new, different or unknown
8. Flexibility/adaptability: Going with the flow and adjusting with unforeseen circumstances.
9. Leadership skills: Guiding and supporting others in order to accomplish something.
10. Interpersonal skills: Relating with other people and communicating with them in everyday interactions.
11. Working under pressure: Handling the stress that accompanies deadlines and other limitations or constraints.
12. Questioning skills: Asking questions in order to learn or clarify something.
13. Creativity: Having the imagination to come up with new or off-the-beaten-path ideas.
14. Influencing skills: Persuading others to think about or adopt a different point of view.
15. Research skills: Gathering information in order to study or answer questions.
16. Organization skills: Being organized and methodical, especially in work-related situations.
17. Problem-solving skills: Analyzing the potential causes of a problem and coming up with a solution.
18. Multicultural skills: Understanding and relating to people who are different from you, perhaps by using a second language.
19. Computer skills: Using basic word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software as well as the Internet.
20. Academic/learning skills: Learning new things quickly and thoroughly, and being willing to learn continuously.
21. Detail orientation: Making sure that even the little things are done and done correctly.
22. Quantitative skills: Compiling and using numbers to study an issue or answer a question.
23. Teaching/training skills: Showing other people how to do something in a way that allows them to learn quickly and thoroughly.
24. Time management skills: Using your time wisely and consistently staying on schedule and meeting deadlines.
Mungkin perlu juga kita merumuskan proses pembelajaran akuntansi di kelas yang mengelaborasi skills2 tersebut yang dimulai dari peningkatan kemampuan soft-skills para pengajarnya.
