Accounts payable
Vic.aiAutomated invoice processing and anomaly flagging. The skill is reviewing, interpreting, and acting on what the AI surfaces.
dear [Accounting]
The Big 4 door got narrower. Other doors are opening.
Which skills to master to get your foot in the door.
What does an accounting career actually look like now?
AI now handles much of what entry-level accountants spent their days doing: reconciliations, data entry, variance analysis, even first-draft reports. Big 4 firms have sharply cut entry-level hiring as automation absorbs the work new grads used to do. But mid-size firms, corporate accounting teams, and startups still need junior talent who can advise clients and exercise judgment that AI cannot. The job has shifted from task execution to oversight, and candidates who can also drive that AI adoption are the ones getting noticed.
Skills that stay valuable
- Financial analysis and interpretation
- Advisory and client relationships
- Audit and assurance
- Tax planning and strategy
- FP&A and management reporting
- Forensic and investigative accounting
- ESG and sustainability reporting
40%
of accounting tasks estimated automatable by AI
McKinsey, 202426%
decline in entry-level accounting and finance job postings since 2022
LinkedIn Economic Graph, 20243x
more applications per open accounting role than five years ago
AICPA, 2025
“I can teach you the debits and credits. I can give you AI tools and create space to tinker. But I can’t teach you hunger. I can’t teach you intellectual curiosity. I can’t teach you drive and grit. That is what I want.”
Noah graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s in accountancy, interned at Udemy, and landed at PwC, the Big Four gold standard for starting an accounting career. Two years in, he had his CPA. Then PwC started cutting analyst ranks. Rather than wait it out, he left and started a consultancy helping accounting firms build AI workflows. He brought something most new grads don’t: real proof of work, a point of view on where AI helps and where human judgment is irreplaceable, and the hunger to keep learning in a field moving faster than any textbook.
“As Gen Z, the asset we have is time. Time to learn, time to tinker with these new AI tools, and figure stuff out on our own, versus a lot of people already working in accounting might be more set in their ways and not have time to learn a totally new way of working.”
Proof of work checklist for entry-level accounting
Cover letters get skimmed. Here are the things you should be able to show before applying.
Demonstrated ability to use Excel or Google Sheets to reconcile, model, or analyze real data, even from a class project or internship
One example of catching an error or surfacing an insight that mattered, however small the context
Familiarity with at least one accounting platform: QuickBooks, NetSuite, or similar
Evidence you understand the story behind the numbers, not just the mechanics of entering them
A concrete example of using AI to speed up a task, and what you did with the time you saved
Understanding of basic audit procedures and why they exist, not just how to follow them
Any exposure to working papers, reconciliations, or control testing, even in a class simulation
Evidence of attention to detail under pressure: a tight deadline you met, a discrepancy you caught
A stated point of view on where AI-assisted audit tools help and where human judgment is irreplaceable
Strong written communication: the ability to document findings clearly and concisely
Exposure to tax preparation, even personal returns or simple business filings
Understanding of how tax law interacts with business decisions, not just compliance mechanics
Any research project demonstrating you can read and synthesize complex regulatory guidance
A concrete example of using AI to research a tax question and how you verified or challenged the output
Evidence of client-facing communication or the ability to explain technical concepts simply
A financial model you built: a budget, a forecast, or a scenario analysis, even for a student org or personal project
Evidence you can turn a spreadsheet into a narrative: a dashboard, a presentation, or a memo with a point of view
Demonstrated fluency with data tools: Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or similar
One example of using AI to accelerate analysis and what decision it informed
Understanding of business drivers, not just accounting mechanics: what moves revenue, what drives cost
AI as leverage
Data analysis and modeling
Excel Copilot / Power BIBuild and interrogate models faster. Fluency here makes you a one-person finance team.
Research and synthesis
ChatGPT / PerplexitySummarize regulatory guidance, draft memos, and synthesize complex information into clear narratives.
Audit documentation
Caseware / AI writing toolsDraft working papers and document findings faster. The judgment of what to document stays human.
Financial reporting
WorkivaTurn raw numbers into board-ready narratives. Standard at serious companies and public filers.
Tax research
Bloomberg Tax AI / CheckpointResearch complex tax questions in minutes. Verifying and applying the output is where the expertise lives.
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dearCC is an initiative of New Work Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 42-1999114). Help us equip Gen Z grads with AI tools, skills, and community to land their first job.
Our leadership team takes $0 salary.