"When you enter the public accounting arena at the staff level, there is a ton of repetitive number crunching and not a lot of opportunity to develop communication skills," notes Ricci Granberg, a CPA and assistant vice president of technical accounting at MetLife in Morristown, N.J. As an alternative, industry-based positions often put more emphasis on communications. Granberg tells of his experience as an internal auditor for a large consumer manufacturing company. "The job was more process-based and focused on evaluating business processes, internal controls and, ultimately, writing audit reports," she says. "The position also provided me with the opportunity to travel all over the world to different business units and interact with upper level management."

In his position overseeing MetLife's accounting policy area, Granberg employs his written communication skills by preparing accounting position and policy papers, in addition to memos on emerging accounting issues. He believes an accounting education and the profession itself don't necessarily prepare staffers for management roles, which require strong communications skills.

Those working on the corporate finance side of the game, like Granberg, may find more opportunities to use their verbal and written communication skills than those on the public accounting side. "There is more of a need for documenting various memos, accounting conclusions and accounting policies there," he says. "It's necessary to communicate this information in a concise manner, or to translate confusing material into laymen's terms so that the rest of the accounting team can understand how to comply with the latest financial accounting standards coming out of FASB."

If your job doesn't offer the chance to work on your written and verbal skills, then getting involved in a professional trade organization can be a wonderful way to learn what you need. Granberg says he became involved with the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants more than five years ago, working his way up to the Board of Trustees. He now heads up the organization's communications committee.

Sandra E. Lamb, a Denver, Colorado-based business and communications consultant and author of the book "How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write," also recommends seeking out successful peers in the industry or at your company. Lamb adds, "Even in finance, the prize often goes to the one who is best able to communicate their message."

Originally published August 24, 2006

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