Bachelors in business administration with a minor in Applied Mathematics. I always wanted
to go back and get my master’s in accounting and now I finally am. I am also currently
employed full-time for a company that does contracts with the government. I am one of the
accounts payable technicians for our main company and I process payments for 8/18 of our
companies. It is an interesting job, but I am hoping getting my master’s degree will let me
expand further into the field I am truly interested in (forensic accounting).
In a 2009 study, a conclusion was made regarding the three essential key characteristics/skills
of an effective forensic accountant. These characteristics/skills are critical thinking,
reasoning, and communication. Critical thinking has been defined in a variety of ways over
the years, but the main understanding is that a critical thinker questions assumptions and uses
judgement to form decisions using past experiences and knowledge. Reasoning “…is a
problem-solving skill that involves drawing inferences or conclusions from known or
assumed facts” (Rufus et al., 2015, p. 11). Communication is also an essential skill as forensic
accountants must be able to communicate results either written, oral, or both. A forensic
account may need to communicate with not just the client, but also an attorney, law
enforcement, or a jury. Being able to effectively communicate findings in a way in which all
parties will understand is crucial. In addition to these skills, another study from 2013 states a
forensic accountant, “…requires core skills including entire comprehending about law and
law process, skill of investigation analysis, critical, and well organization skills” (Astutie &
Utami, 2013, p. 123). Besides critical thinking, reasoning, and communication, it is important
for forensic accountants to have knowledge of the law and its process.
The career path associated with this field that is most interesting to me is law enforcement.
With having family members in law enforcement (not accounting) I have always been drawn
to that career path. For myself though, I still was interested in “the numbers”, so being able to
pursue law enforcement in a way that interests me has been a goal of mine. A forensic analyst
for the FBI has always caught my eye.
I live in Connecticut and I am returning to school to obtain my Masters Degree in accounting
with a focus in forensics. I previously worked for one of the largest CNC manufacturing
companies in their accounting department. I started in an accounts receivable position and
worked my way up to an assistant controller when COVID hit and I had to leave to care for a
sick family member during the pandemic. Since leaving my job I have held various freelance
accounting roles with small local businesses and work annually through the tax season filing
for friends and family.
I've always been passionate about helping the little guy like mom-and-pop shops and working-
class people. I see such importance in helping others understand their financial position and
how to protect and stretch their dollar. A scenario that stands out to me when I think of why I
want to work in this field is the Enron scandal. Enron Corporation, the energy company based
in Houston, Texas, employed fraudulent accounting practices to raise their revenue on paper
and hid their trading losses and debts. They took advantage of shareholders and lost billions
of dollars when their bankruptcy came to light.
During a research study in 2009 three groups of individuals (CPA's in the forensic field,
attorneys, and accounting professors) were surveyed to find the key characteristics and skills
needed to work as a forensic accountant. Analytical was thought to be the most important trait
among professionals in the forensic accounting field. Following that was detail-oriented and
ethical. Another top trait was scepticism which I found interesting (Rufus et al., 2015, p. 11).
Specific accounting skills that were found to be the most important were Analysing and
interpreting financial statements and information and fraud detection (Rufus et al., 2015, p.
14). Critical thinking is a skill highly important to most workforces, specifically accounting
but building a greater understanding of the field will create a better foundation for which an
individual can apply their critical thinking skills.
I have been working for the past three years as an auditor for a branch of the State that
oversees the regulations pertaining to the retirement/pension of State employees. d Prior to this
position the bulk of my work experience has been in banking.
The key characteristics and skills needed to be a successful forensic accountant would be
dependent on who you ask, but the most common response is critical thinking which is a deep
consideration of information, reasoning which is the processing of information logically, and
communication which is the providing of information (Rufus, Miller, & Hahn, 2014).
This field interests me as I would like to continue working as an auditor. d I would consider my
position as a pseudo internal auditor as it is specifically related to the pensions of state retirees
and ensuring the individual retirement Boards are following state regulations regarding the
management of pension funds. If I were to return to the banking field, I would be most
interested in Compliance ensuring each department follows bank policies and federal
regulations. d I believe working to obtain a master’s in accounting would benefit me most.
I also have a full-time job working as an Accounting Manager for a nonprofit organization in
Chicago that provides all kinds of services dealing with mental health, substance abuse, youth
violence prevention and other valuable services to primarily disadvantaged neighbourhoods
in the city. Taking this course will help strengthen my skills and knowledge from the forensic
accounting perspective, which can allow for a better understanding of any financial or
compliance obligations and help develop better detection and prevention measures for any
potential audit red flags that can result in fraud or inefficiency. Our organization deals with
different entities such as the government at a federal and state level in order to fund the
needed services in these communities and any material errors made from our end can
potentially endanger the service from being conducted any further. Attaining further skills on
forensic accounting will increase my analytical skills necessary to maintain the questioning
mindset of a forensic accountant, which, “incorporates mental processes that dictate how you
respond to situations or challenges” through potential changes in your observations that
include: “what you see and how you see it, questions you ask, judgments you form and
decisions you make” (Rufus et al., 2015, 3-4).
In this week’s discussion I will highlight how the readings help characterize my
current profession as an Accounting Manager for a nonprofit organization and explain the
forensic accounting skills that can enhance my capabilities, which vary from traditional
accounting. A forensic accounting skill that can aid others in this same field in nonprofit
organizations is the use of critical thinking, which aims to maintain the integrity of the
scientific process and thereby allow these organizations to remain funded. This skill is
necessary to be a successful forensic account, as it can allow one to detect any, “threats to the
integrity of the process,” through manifestations of blind spots that, “are caused by mistakes
in reasoning, human irrationality, biases, distortions, and self-interest” (Rufus et al., 2015,
10). These blind spots can be concerning for those working in nonprofit organizations as now
more than ever, as they face external pressures to remain funded and potentially lead to
manipulation of financial statements to receive or remain funded and sustainable at all costs.
Applying forensic accounting can potentially provide further insight into the nonprofit sector
by providing, “a deeper analysis of how individual managers’ characteristics affect financial
decisions,” and, “investigate how decision makers behave in a setting where stakeholder
demands are conflicting” (Schubert &
The resources provided are great! According to our text, forensic accounting encompasses
many areas of expertise. For example, investigative, financial statement fraud, and asset
misappropriation. Also, litigation surrounding divorce or business valuation, detection, and
preventative measures. Moreover, our text states a forensic accountant must possess
characteristics and skills such as critical thinking, investigative intuitiveness, and the ability
to communicate effectively. (Rufus, Miller, Hahn, 2014)
Our video resource: What Makes A Good Forensic Accountant, describes how a forensic
accountant should encompass professional skepticism, curiosity, thick skin, or calm under
pressure, in addition to being detail-oriented.
I found the AICPA resource: Characteristics and Skills of the Forensic Accountant most
interesting, where the importance of essential traits and characteristics are measured or ranked
by attorneys, academia, and CPAs. Only two characteristics are rated in the top 5 categories.
Analytical ranks #1 across the board, and ethical ranks #2 & #3. Core Skills also
encompassed only two skills ranked by attorneys, academia, and CPAs across the board.
Critical/strategic thinking and investigative abilities are ranked in the top 5. (AICPA, n.d.)
AICPA gives a comprehensive list of characteristics, traits, and core skills pertinent to
forensic accounting. Overall, a forensic accountant should encompass all of the above and
more. It may also be conducive to a chosen specialty in the field to understand perhaps the
expectations needed to fulfill a job. I think investigative intuitiveness, thinking outside the
box, and being fearless is seriously underrated.
References:
AICPA. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2,
2023, from https://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/ForensicAndValuation
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2014). Forensic accounting. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Education.
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2015). Forensic Accounting. Pearson Education, Inc.
Schubert, P., & Boenigk, S. (2021). Pressure, Cost Accounting, and Resource Allocations:
Experimental Evidence on Nonprofit Financial Decision-Making. Nonprofit & Voluntary
Sector Quarterly, 50(6), 1216–1238.
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2014). In Forensic Accounting. MBS Direct, Pearson
Education.
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2014). Forensic accounting. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Education.
Astutie, Y. P., & Utami, Y. (2013). Characteristics and Relevant Skills of The Forensic
Accountant. Annual International Conference on Accounting & Finance, p. 122– 129.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.5176/2251-1997_AF13.44
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2015). Forensic accounting. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson d d d d d d d d d d d Education.
