Accounting is more than numbers and records

Slobodan Miličević is a Senior Accountant Team Lead at Becky, office in Sarajevo. He works for Alfa Accountants en Adviseurs. We asked him to share his experience of working at Becky. We hope you will find his insights useful.

May 29, 2024

Post by Wilma Ivanisevic

Others often say I am a cheerful, outgoing person, who enjoys socializing and humor. On the other hand, in terms of professional setting, I am highly disciplined and ready to face challenges, continually striving to learn new things. The Senior Accountant and Team Leader position is an achievement that calls for dedication, thoughtfulness, and a sense of responsibility on my part.

How come you have chosen accounting as your career?

I frequently come across viewpoints and comments that accounting is an occupation lacking creativity and innovation. For many reasons, I have to disagree with such opinions. Although working with numbers is a huge part of accounting, it’s not what makes the job fascinating. New findings, information, methods, techniques, and constant changes in this field of work make room for creativity. I, and believe many others, prefer the path of continuous learning.

“People who follow the principle “I know that I know nothing” have my genuine appreciation. Such a mindset pushes us to move forward, keep our motivation, and focus on studying.”

Being aware of our limitations and open-minded to new things, helps us to have clear goals and an intense drive to make progress.

Would you like to clarify a bit?

Accounting is not just about tracking and recording changes. You have to dive into the matter since you cannot but ask yourself what causes the changes, how they will affect the organization’s business, and what they represent. Also, since our clients are usually farmers, what they do reminds me of my grandparents so my current job helps me also to keep those precious memories alive.

You’ve been working at Becky for about a year now. How do you feel about the change, given that you previously worked at another accounting company?

Changing the company I worked for and being introduced to a different accounting field was a challenge but I like to think of it as a significant personal project. I am eager to become successful and overcome any obstacles, push my limits, and achieve more than I thought it was possible. Self-development is not the only thing that gives me pleasure, however. I appreciate other people’s achievements. Working with people is challenging but creative too. A variety of personalities, experiences, and insights require working continuously toward self-improvement but working with others as well. I believe this is especially true when it comes to my current position as Senior Accountant Team Lead. I enjoy providing support and leading my team members toward personal and professional development. Their progress is what makes me feel successful and there is no greater pleasure for me.

Having foreign clients is probably something that might be challenging, even intimidating. What helped you to learn the ropes quickly?

Working for a market that uses a language you are not familiar with is tough. However, the client I worked with was more than helpful, generously sharing the knowledge and helping me to catch up as easily as possible. Many training and education programs helped me to acquire the information and knowledge needed to deal with the most complex tasks. The moment I could without anxiety join my more experienced co-workers “in the field” made me realize how much progress I had made.

How do you feel then about the team spirit at Becky?

Humans are social beings; being alone is not in our nature. The same goes when it comes to work. Knowing co-workers are having similar or even the same problems, both personal and professional, makes you feel not lonely, even at the most difficult moments. Every job has its ups and downs, just like life itself. Having support when you are discouraged is what matters. On the other hand, you want to share your success with others, knowing that they will not envy or look down on you. At Becky, there is no lack of support. No matter if you look for help, a piece of advice, or just someone to talk to, you will not hit a wall. You can be sure that everyone at Becky will be more than happy to offer their help.

Before we conclude, is there anything you especially appreciate about Becky?

Dedication to the employees for certain! Paying attention to our needs and striving to make our everyday work easier, treating your problems as if they were theirs. So, you cannot feel isolated, abandoned, or lonely. The success of the company depends not only on the client’s satisfaction but primarily on how happy the employees feel. This is where the employees are in the focus because they make the core of the company.

Dear Slobodan, we know how many responsibilities you have as a Senior Accountant Team Lead. That is why we appreciate you set time to share these valuable insights with us.