I live in Connecticut and I am returning to school to obtain my Master’s 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.
Bachelor’s 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 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. z 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. 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. z 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. 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 neighborhoods 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.
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 z z z z z z z z z
z Education.
Rufus, R., Miller, L., & Hahn, W. (2014). Forensic accounting. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.
