The rise to the top of the corporate world is a difficult one, but in rocky economic times filled with financial mismanagement , it is perhaps the steady hand of the sensible accountant which is coming into demand.

"Tomorrow's executives are today's accountants," says Gene Siciliano, a Los Angeles based financial management consultant. "Consequently, aspiring accountants need to know that companies are looking for candidates who can do much more than crunch numbers."

Historically, top executives and leaders were taken from sales and marketing or production ranks, but Siciliano sees this as changing. McKinsey & Co reported in its publication McKinsey Quarterly that about a fifth of all CEOs in the United Kingdom and the United States once served as CFO of their companies.

"The first thing accountants need to do is learn how to speak effectively, whether it's in front of one person or a group of 50," said Siciliano, saying that strong communication skills, innovative strategic thinking and the ability to manage time and resources effectively are the traits needed to move up to the executive class.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates accounting jobs will grow 18 percent from 2006 to 2016, significantly more than the national average.