Accountant: Francois van Rooi

Francois van Rooi, an accountant at Terratec Geophysical Services since 2022, enjoys his job because of how challenging the field can be.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) and is currently pursuing his studies to become a chartered financial analyst.

Even though the accountant obtained an accounting degree that helped him secure a job, he said it was due to certain soft skills that he has been able to maintain his job and continuously get better at what he does.

A few of the soft skills Van Rooi mentions are team work, collaborative skills, data analysis, confident decision-making, interpersonal skills, clear communications and analytical reasoning.

“There are so many skills that you can possess as an accountant that will benefit you and help you elevate your career,” he said.

According to Van Rooi, the difficulties to obtain his degree and soft skills were nothing compared to the excitement he felt doing his job. As much as every job or even task has its own challenges, he welcomed them with open arms. "I enjoy the challenges, it excites me!”

He added that a skill he is grateful for is the ability to work in a team because it allowed his team to help him transition from a student accountant to a professional accountant.

Van Rooi further added that having a passion for what you do makes the growing pains seem smoother in your career.