Finance and accounting specialist Training, further education, schools

Finance and accounting specialists have the following responsibilities:

• Middle management
• Overall responsibility for finance and accounting (depending on the size of the company)
• Possible link to the Head of Accounting and Controlling
• Responsibility for the entire company when working independently
• Very high level of responsibility towards the company, employees, suppliers and customers due to the handling of confidential data

Holders of the federal certificate have sufficient professional experience as a finance and accounting specialist for qualified work in the field of accounting and controlling. Following the federal professional examination in finance and accounting, successful graduates are eligible to take the higher professional examination "Swiss Certified Expert in Accounting and Controlling".

The following course content is taught in the finance and accounting specialist training course in preparation for the professional examination:

• Financial accounting
  Accounting and financial statements as well as special problems such as restructuring and liquidation
• Balance sheet and performance analysis
  Balance sheet and performance analysis, activity analysis, DuPont key figure system
• Law
  Contract law, corporate law, debt collection and bankruptcy law, criminal law
• Cash flow statement
  Financial plan and liquidity budget
• Consolidated financial statements
  Consolidation techniques, legal basis, inclusion of subsidiaries
• Operational accounting
  Cost accounting and calculation: elements, data collection and evaluations
• Financial management
  Cash management, financing, derivatives
• Investment calculation
  Static and dynamic methods
• Organization
  Structural and process organization, data security and retention obligations, internal control system
• Taxes
  Value added tax, withholding tax, direct and other taxes, double taxation agreements
• Wages and insurance
  AHV / IV / EO / FAK / ALV, UVG, KTG and BVG as well as property insurance

The education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch surveyed people interested in continuing education in finance and accounting and the results were as follows:

• 58 % act on the basis of an online evaluation
• 23 % make a request to schools on recommendation
• 19 % requested schools that they already knew beforehand

The following answers were given when respondents were given the opportunity to state other reasons why they had enquired about the specialist finance and accounting course:

• Locality - "close to home", "nearby" and "I need to find a school in Canton Zug"
• Forms of teaching - "Because you can attend school in distance learning", "Online teaching", "Distance learning possible", "I don't necessarily want to have to attend face-to-face classes anymore" and "eLearning"
• Lesson days - "Saturday course" and "read all offers and this school suits me best (flexible)"
• Lesson times - "Evening classes" and "Entry possible at any time"
• Educational offer - "Because the school offers this training"
• Method of finding - "Google", "I looked on the Internet", "Internet", "Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch" and "by chance via job advertisement"
• Quality and reputation - "I will complete further training in finance and accounting. Your school is in Winterthur and has a good reputation."
• Job advertisement - "accidentally via job advertisement"

Our survey of graduates provided answers to the question "What are the benefits of further training?" (multiple answers possible):

• 66 percent Expansion of technical skills
• 25 percent increase in self-confidence
• 24 percent increase in confident appearance
• 23 percent better self-management
• 16 percent wage increase
• 12 percent Improvement in teamwork skills
• 11 percent Optimization of time management skills
• 9 percent Achievement of a promotion

With the FA Finance and Accounting course, you can expand your skills, gain more self-confidence, improve your self-management and sell yourself better as a specialist.

Die Berufspraxis für den Fachausweis Finanz- und Rechnungswesen wird anhand von Arbeitszeugnissen bzw. Arbeitsbestätigungen überprüft. Diese müssen die Berufspraxis - mit Tätigkeiten, Anstellungsdauer und Angaben zum Arbeitspensum - belegen. Sie sind der Anmeldung zur Prüfung beizulegen.

Absolventen / Absolventinnen des Fachausweises Fachfrau / Fachmann Finanz- und Rechnungswesen erwerben umfassende Kenntnisse in den Fächern Finanz- und Rechnungswesen, Steuern, Recht, Löhne und Sozialversicherung. Sie erlangen die notwendige Fach- und Handlungskompetenz, um eine qualifizierte Sachbearbeitung oder eine leitende Funktion im kaufmännischen Sektor oder im Bereich des Rechnungs- oder Treuhandwesens auszuüben.

This learning content is covered in the Finance and Accounting Specialist course and tested in the professional examination:

• Accounting
• Taxes
• Wages and social security

Die Weiterbildung zur Berufsprüfung Fachmann / Fachfrau für Finanz- und Rechnungswesen mit eidgenössischem Fachausweis eignet sich für Personen, die auf Stufe Sachbearbeiter eine Tätigkeit in den Bereichen Rechnungswesen, Treuhand oder Steuern ausüben. Die Weiterbildung Fachmann Finanz- und Rechnungswesen vermittelt die notwendige Fachkompetenz, um in den vorgenannten Berufsfeldern eine leitende Funktion in Wirtschaft oder Verwaltung einzunehmen.

Bei einer herkömmlichen Präsenzunterrichtvariante gilt üblicherweise über anderthalb bis zwei Jahre ein Aufwand von etwa 8 Stunden pro Woche in der Schule vor Ort und 6 - 8 Stunden Selbststudium zuhause. Wer diese Weiterbildung nur als Fachfrau oder ein Fachmann Finanz- und Rechnungswesen Selbststudium absolviert, braucht entsprechend wöchentlich 14 bis 16 Stunden aufzuwenden. Das Lernen funktioniert dann über Online-Tools, Erklär-Videos, Finanzsimulationen, Infografiken etc. Bei einigen Schulen wird übrigens der erste Teil des Studiums als Selbststudium und der Rest als Präsenzunterricht angeboten.

Mit einer Ausbildung Fachmann Finanz- und Rechnungswesen können Sie gemäss Absolventen folgendes erreichen:

• gründliche Fachausbildung im Bereich Finanz- und Rechnungswesen
• auf sämtlichen Gebieten des finanziellen und betrieblichen Rechnungswesens qualifizierte Tätigkeiten verrichten
• auch treuhänderische Aufgaben sachkundig und verlässlich ausüben
• als Fachfrau oder Fachmann im Finanz- und Rechnungswesen inn einem KMU eine Leitungsfunktion im Rechnungswesen wahrzunehmen oder als kaufmännische Leiter/-in tätig sein
• viel Gelerntes kann im beruflichen Alltag eingesetzt werden wie z.B. Lohn- und Sozialversicherungswesen, Finanzbuchhaltung, Steuern, Recht und MWST-Recht
• erhält gute Inputs und Anregungen für den Job
• sehr gute gezielte Vorbereitung auf die eidg. Prüfung für den Finanz-Fachausweis
• sich zum Experten im Bereich Treuhand, Rechnungslegung und Controlling, Steuern oder Wirtschaftsprüfung weiterzuentwickeln

Persons who hold one of the following qualifications are admitted to the professional examination for finance and accounting specialists:

• Federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ, apprenticeship certificate) or commercial college (recognized by SERI) or high school diploma.
• Accounting clerk certificate.
• Federal certificate of a professional examination, federal diploma of a higher professional examination.
• Degree from a higher technical college, a university of applied sciences or a university.

Specialist in finance and accounting must demonstrate practical experience:

• At least 3 years of professional experience in the field of finance and accounting by the start of the examination.

Alternative access if none of the listed qualifications are available: 6 years of professional experience in finance and accounting with a workload of 80%.

In addition to all the above conditions:

• An IT diploma recognized by the examination board
• Online modules in the management area
• No entry in the Central Criminal Register in connection with the professional activity.

SERI decides on the equivalence of foreign certificates or diplomas.

A survey of training graduates provides a guideline for the time and effort required for the specialist certificate in accounting self-study. According to this survey, graduates of further education courses have made the following efforts:

• 1 percent less than 1 h per week
• 8 percent 1 to 2 h per week
• 20 percent 3 to 4 h per week
• 18 percent 5 to 6 h per week
• 19 percent 7 to 8 h per week
• 11 percent 9 to 10 h per week
• 8 percent 11 to 15 h per week
• 15 percent more than 15 hours per week

The tasks in Finance and Accounting Specialist jobs are:

• Keeping business and financial accounts
• Organizing and monitoring accounts receivable and accounts payable, monthly and quarterly reports
• Prepare balance sheet, income statement and annual financial statements
• Responsibility for the chart of accounts and the account assignment guidelines
• In the area of operational planning and budgeting
• Visualizing key figures and creating statistics and special accounts
• Monitor the company's financing (ratio of equity, debt and cash management), review investments and their financial impact
• Supporting company management with knowledge of financial markets for important decisions
• Depending on the company and function, also processing leasing contracts and export financing dossiers or taking measures for consolidation
• Pre- and post-calculations for products, services and customers
• Collaboration on IT projects
• Organization of documentation and archiving of data
• Create a tax return
• Responsible for payroll accounting
• take a stand on issues relating to personnel and social insurance as well as labor law

The results of a survey conducted by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch answer this question as follows: 68 % of respondents would like to see whether this course meets their needs. 19 %, on the other hand, say that the title of specialist in finance and accounting with a federal certificate is often requested in job advertisements. The course was actively recommended to 13% of survey participants. The additional comments from respondents revealed three further reasons for their interest in the finance and accounting specialist course:

• Learning content - "It contains exactly the areas that I want to do during my working hours." and "Because I like working with numbers."
• Confirmation of qualification - "My profession is accountant and I have been working as a chief accountant for many years. I would like to have my profession confirmed and improve my knowledge.", "I have already obtained a certificate in the same field in Spain.", "I have completed the Bilanzbuchhalter in Germany and would now like to work in Switzerland. My children are big enough (16, 14 and 13 years old)." and "Adaptation with diploma to my professional experience"
• Expanding knowledge - "deepening existing specialist knowledge", "gaining more experience" and "I would like to expand my specialist knowledge and skills" and "I have already worked in accounting for 3 years. Now my husband is self-employed and I do his bookkeeping. I would therefore like to acquire more knowledge."

Those interested in further training as an accounting specialist would like to gain the following insights from an information event at the school:

• Get 70 percent key data on the course
• 63 percent Getting to know training methodology
• 62 percent learn more about learning materials
• 55 percent Getting to know the school
• 53 percent Information on career opportunities
• 35 percent Information on course evaluation and success rates for accounting specialists
• 34 percent Clarify individual questions
• 28 percent Conduct discussions with teachers
• Conduct 24 percent graduate interviews
• 23 Information on the Swiss education system
• 16 percent View into the classroom