Corporate controllers are experts who manage funds, monitor ledgers, and produce reports that comply with government regulations to oversee their companies’ finances. For supervising teams of employees, these professionals must have leadership skills. If you want to work as a corporate controller, you’ll need to complete four years of undergraduate education and two years of graduate school.
A four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting is required for those who want to work as a corporate controller. You must submit your high school diploma or equivalent certification, as well as your most recent standardized exam results, to the admissions committee of your potential training institution. The school will require a copy of your high school transcript as well as a completed enrollment application.
Finance courses equip you with the skills you’ll need to succeed in the job market. You should learn how to read and create accounting documents such as cash flow statements and balance sheets, which show how money enters and exits a company, as well as the total assets and liabilities of the company. A corporate controller’s understanding of these concepts is critical because he or she is responsible for developing reports that reveal the company’s financial status.
Even if an internship is not required as part of your training program, you should consider it. When you begin your job search, gaining hands-on experience and putting it on your resume will attract more employers. As an intern, you must assist a company in adhering to established tax laws, and you should become familiar with monitoring personnel payroll items. You must also participate in activities related to cost accounting, which is a process for creating budgets and making financial decisions in order to control costs and, as a result, generate higher profits. These tasks will help you prepare for a career as a corporate controller.
To improve your employability, you should complete a two-year master’s degree program in accounting. This type of program delves into financial regulations and reporting methods in depth and requires you to take and pass a comprehensive exam before graduating. Earning an advanced degree in the field qualifies you to sit for an institute exam to receive certification in the field, which employers prefer. Obtaining this type of credential demonstrates your mastery of concepts in this field and can lead to more job opportunities as well as a higher salary as you pursue a career as a corporate controller.