Newly Qualified Accountant - What's next?

Anne Murray

NEWLY QUALIFIED ACCOUNTANT – WHAT’S NEXT?

You have put in countless hours of hard work and dedication to gain your Accounting Qualification, and now, the questions arise – what’s next in your career journey?

For some, staying put in the familiar surroundings of the firm where you trained and studied for a number of years can be appealing. They choose to continue their professional journey within the same organisation, aiming for long term growth and progression. However, if you are eager to explore opportunities beyond practice, here are some things for you to think about.

Define your Goals: What do you hope to achieve by making the move? Is it professional growth, new challenges or a different work environment.

Choosing Your Workplace: Decide whether you want to work in a large, medium or small firm.

Career Aspirations: Consider your long-term career aspirations. Do you want to manage teams or specialise in an area such as Advisory, Tax, Audit or climb the Accounting ladder to positions like Accountant, Group Accountant, Finance Manager, Assistant Financial Controller, Financial Controller, Finance Director/CFO?

The Pros of moving beyond Practice

Application of Theoretical Knowledge: You get to put your hard-earned theory and up to date reporting standards into practice!

Accounting Software: Exposure to various accountancy software platforms broadening our skills.

A Change in Environment: Experience a different work environment that may align better with your personal and professional goals.

Focus on Business Needs: Concentrate on the specific financial requirements of a single business rather than managing many clients.

Skill Set Enhancement: Build upon the skill set you have developed during your time in Practice.

Hand on Accounting Work: Engage in practical accounting tasks that provide critical information for business management decisions.

Access to Senior Colleagues: Collaborate with more experienced colleagues who can offer guidance and mentorship.

Opportunity to Shine: Depending on your performance, you may stand out and receive recognition for your contributions.

Drive Business Success: Play a role in driving the success and growth of the business you work for.

Improved Work-Life Balance: Often, roles outside of Practice offer a more balanced work-life experience.

The Cons of Moving Beyond Practice

Reduced Client Variety: You may work with fewer Clients resulting in a narrower range of experiences.

Less Structured Environments: Working outside of traditional Accounting Practices can sometimes mean dealing with less structured work environments.

Top tips for your CV

List the Companies you have worked with or may have audited.
List the skills you have in terms of Accounting, such as bookkeeping, Tax and VAT return preparation and Financial Statement production.
List the Accounting Systems you have experience of.
Any coaching, mentoring or staff management roles you have undertaken.
Mention if you passed all of your exams on the first attempt.

Feels daunting? It does not need to be. Search and Select are specialist Recruiters in this sector so we can help you and have years of experience in assisting Accountants throughout every stage of their career from their first position to the top roles. We are here to provide guidance, support and answer your questions. Everything we do is highly confidential and we can meet you at a time that works for you. Take the first step in your career move by uploading your CV to www.searchandselect.com. Contact us today to begin your exciting journey.

Author: Anne Murray

Recruiter and top manager, Anne is also the owner of the best stocked bar this side of Vegas. Loves her budgies and venturing out in her camper van.