Communication skills required by accounting graduates: practitioner and academic perceptions

This paper reports the results of an opinion survey of accounting practitioners and university lecturers in the UK on the communication skills required of accounting graduates appointed to accounting training contracts. The results indicate the relative importance of different aspects of written and oral communication skills and graduate abilities in these areas. The research findings indicate which particular communication skills accounting practitioners and academics consider necessary for graduates seeking entry into the accounting profession in the UK and which skills are currently viewed as being deficient. The paper also reports the current status of communication skill development on accounting degree courses in the UK. In conclusion, the paper considers whether accounting degree courses could utilize a personal portfolio approach in assessing the communication competences of students.