HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT CV

Trainee Accountant to Senior: How to Progress in Practice (Quickly!)

Throughout my career as a specialist recruiter in professional practice, I’ve had the privilege of working with many talented, ambitious accountants, and some have progressed faster than others. While every journey is unique, there are clear patterns in what helps people move from trainee roles into more senior finance jobs within professional practice. Drawing from this experience, I’ve put together a set of strategies any accountant can adopt to accelerate their career up the professional practice ladder. These tactics have proven to be highly effective for those aiming to achieve their professional goals efficiently and successfully. Embrace Increasing ResponsibilityAs you begin your career in accountancy, the scope of your duties often starts with basic tasks such as data entry, reconciling accounts, and preparing reports. While these tasks are important for building a foundation, taking on more responsibility is key to developing the skills and experience needed for progression in practice.Start by volunteering for more complex tasks that stretch your skillset, such as handling larger client accounts, managing financial forecasting, or (if possible) participating in audits. These challenges will expose you to new aspects of accountancy and allow you to learn beyond the day-to-day duties. Another way to progress quickly is by taking on leadership roles within a team or department. Taking on the responsibility of overseeing junior staff, delegating tasks, and ensuring deadlines are met can significantly enhance your development and provide you with the invaluable ‘management experience’ which is essential for trainee accountants looking to advance to the next step in their professional practice careers. Continuous Learning and Self-DevelopmentAs you challenge yourself with new responsibilities, actively pursuing knowledge and development goes hand in hand with completing further qualifications. Traditionally, most accountants I work with are newly or nearly AAT qualified which is a fantastic accomplishment in itself but for those with aspirations of climbing the ladder the next step should be further studies. Qualifications such as the ACA, ACCA or CTA (depending on your chosen specialism) will allow you to strengthen your technical expertise. It’s worth mentioning here that a good training contract and mentor are invaluable for the next step in your journey and should be a big factor when deciding to look for a new role after completing your AAT. Finding a Mentor Another important aspect of progressing quickly in accountancy is developing relationships with more experienced colleagues, supervisors, and managers. By seeking mentorship from more experienced professionals, you can gain insights into how they managed their career progression. Also, they can guide you in taking on appropriate challenges and responsibilities and help you navigate the complexities of the profession. Many of the most successful finance professionals credit their career growth to strong mentorship relationships established early in their journey. NetworkingNetworking is one of the most underutilised tools for career progression in finance. While it might feel intimidating at first, networking allows you to connect with and learn from likeminded individuals, stay informed about trends in professional practice, and discover new opportunities. One of the primary reasons networking is important is that it helps build valuable relationships that can last your career. By connecting with colleagues, senior professionals, and other stakeholders, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge, insights, and opportunities that can propel your career forward. Ultimately, networking is not just about what you can gain but also about what you can offer to others. By fostering meaningful relationships, you contribute to a collaborative and supportive community that benefits everyone involved. Here at Sharp Consultancy, we host events across the year and have a long-standing relationship with various institutions and training groups including S&DCASS (Sheffield and District Chartered Accountants Student Society), LCASS (Leeds Chartered Accountants Students Society) and First Intuition to host events that bring studiers together from various firms throughout Yorkshire. It really is a brilliant first step in your networking journey. Whether you're just starting out or already on your way up, accelerating your career in professional practice comes down to a mix of mindset, opportunity, and action. By embracing responsibility, committing to continuous learning, building genuine relationships, and tapping into the right support networks, you’ll put yourself in the best possible position to thrive. If you’d like to explore how to take that next step—or just want to chat through your options—I’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect and start shaping your future together. Charlie Marper, Business Manager, charliemarper@sharpconsultancy.com – 0114 261 1700 Looking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAYand let's chart your career path together.

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An impressive and relevant CV will make all the difference in determining whether or not you are selected for an interview.

A potential employer must be able to easily see how suitable you are for the role; a poorly constructed CV – no matter how much relevant experience you have – could be your downfall and prevent you from progressing to the interview stage.

To make sure you give yourself the best chance of success, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions asked by candidates on how to compile the best possible CV.

How long should a CV be?

Ideally, your CV should be no more than two pages long. Make sure that you set it out in a clear, logical order, using bullet points and short sentences to keep it punchy and use a font and typeface that is easy to read.

Thoroughly check your CV over for typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors and unless the application requests otherwise, save your document as your full name and CV to make it easy to identify by the recipient.

What should I include on my CV and in what order?

A potential employer may have many CVs to sift through; you need to make sure that the most relevant information is included first so that it grabs their attention. Carefully consider what the role requires and tailor your content accordingly to clearly demonstrate where you have the ideal skills and experience that they are looking for.

Make sure that the language that you use is relevant and look to reflect key words and phrases from the role requirements to reinforce your suitability.

What skills and experience should I include?

No matter what stage you are at in your career, ensure that you tailor your skills and experience to be relevant to each role that you are applying for.

Previous roles should be listed in chronological order with your current or most recent position first.

When outlining your skills and experience, it may not be possible to include every aspect from every role that you’ve held so place most emphasis on those which align to the requirements of the job role and person specification. Where possible include relevant examples, results and achievements to illustrate your suitability for the position.

What education details are most relevant?

Much will depend upon the position that you are applying for and how necessary your qualifications are to that role. For example, if you are educated to degree level, your individual results at GCSE level may not be as relevant.

Focus upon the qualifications and certificates that are relevant to the role that you are applying for – particularly if they are listed amongst the essential or desirable selection criteria - and make sure to include any additional training or courses you have completed or are currently studying for whilst working.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT UStoday to discuss your recruitment needs with a member of our team.