A Content Analysis of Accounting Job Advertisements: Skill Requirements for Graduates

The purpose of this study is to investigate the emphasis placed on technical and soft skills by prospective employers for accounting positions and graduate accounting positions in particular. The data was gathered from job advertisements placed in the careers section of a major newspaper in Queensland Australia over a four year period from 2006 to 2009. The results are benchmarked against the criteria for accounting degree curricula used by academic and professional bodies to guide and evaluate accounting education in Australia. The findings highlight that employers place greatest emphasis upon soft skills, and to a lesser extent technical skills; although current curricula meet these requirements, the emphasis on these soft skills by employers may need to receive further recognition in future curriculum design