OUR TIPS FOR CONDUCTING A SUCESSFUL INTERVIEW

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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The interview is one of the most important aspects of the hiring process; but it’s not just candidates that need to prepare and put themselves in the best possible position for success – the interview is a two way street! Here are our suggestions for the best ways in which employers can conduct an effective interview.

Decide the format of the interview

Not all interviews take place face to face nowadays so you need to understand what format of interview will be best for the position that you are looking to recruit. Some initial preliminary interviews may take place over the phone or if travel costs and time are potentially prohibitive Skype or video calls may be a suitable solution. A one-to-one interview is still the most popular choice for many employers whilst a number may opt for a panel interview where a candidate will meet multiple people from the organisation. Also decide if the interviews will follow the same format with the same questions being asked to every candidate or if it will be less structured and more based around conversation.

Who should conduct the interviews?

The interview format that you decide upon will often influence the choice of interviewer/s. It is often the case that the direct line manager of the role that is being filled will be an obvious choice and depending upon the position, a department head or similar will sit alongside. As the interview is as much about the company selling the opportunity to the candidate, it is important
to choose someone who will be able to be enthusiastic about the role available as well as being a great advocate of the business, its culture and what it is like to be part of the team.

How long will the interviews last?

It is important to strike the right balance between giving yourself – and the candidate – enough time to find out all you need to know about each other whilst ensuring that the interview has good pace and duration to it, particularly if you are conducting several interviews within the same day. An hour is usually a good benchmark with slightly more time being allowed for second interview or more senior level appointments. If you are planning a series of interviews, make sure you leave enough time between appointments so you don’t create a backlog if things run slightly over.

The practicalities

Make sure you think about where the interviews will take place and ensure any room bookings are made well in advance. Consider if any refreshments are to be served and who will be greeting the candidates on arrival and looking after them beforehand. Details should be sent to each candidate well in advance including date and time information and a note of how long the interview is likely to take and who they will be meeting as well as any special instructions that they need to know about access to the building or any supporting material you would like them to bring to the interview.

Be prepared

It is useful to have a pack of information for each candidate that contains a copy of their application, their CV and covering letter, any letters of recommendation and any submitted tasks or exercises that you have requested be completed as part of the application process.

Consider your questions

It is important to ask the right questions to ensure that you glean the information that you want to from each candidate. As well as looking through each CV and making a note on key points that you would like to know more about, prepare a few standard questions that you can ask each person such as ‘what interests you most about the position’, ‘why would you like to work for the company’ or ‘how do you see yourself developing in the role’.

Help your candidates to relax

An interview can be daunting for some so help the interview go well – for all parties – by giving each person an opportunity to get settled and prepared before you start. Make sure they are comfortable and offer them a drink and ask them a few casual questions – ‘did you find us without too much trouble’, ‘how was your journey’ – to
help them relax.

Wrapping up an interview

Give the candidate an indication of what the next step is likely to be an expected time-frame in which you should be able to get back to them by. Make sure you inform each candidate of the outcome – whether they have been successful or unsuccessful – as promptly as you can. If you need a little more time to consider your decision, ensure that you keep those involved in the loop so that you don’t miss out on your preferred choice because they feel you are not interested through lack of feedback.

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.