TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU MULTI-TASK

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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One of the most common responses we receive when talking to clients about what they are ideally looking for in a candidate is that they must be able to multi-task.

However there is a huge difference between competently managing several tasks at the same time and jumping around from one thing to another without successful completing anything. We asked our team of highly experienced consultants for their top tips and suggestions on you can master the art of multi-tasking to make you more efficient at work, improve your performance and grow your career.

Make sure your expectations are achievable

There is something very satisfying about being able to cross things off your to-do list and that sense of satisfaction can be very motivating and ultimately lead you to achieve more; the key is to make sure that what you set out to do is realistic and achievable. Looking at a big long list of tasks can almost defeat you before you have started so take some time at the start of each week to plan out what you can reasonably complete.

Be realistic with your time

Time is a hugely important factor when it comes to your ability to multi-task and firstly you must be realistic about how much time each task will genuinely take to complete to the right standard and secondly, you have to be sensible about what time you have available to you. If you know you are going to be attending several meetings during the week, plan out how you can best use your remaining time to avoid rushing to get things done or missing deadlines.

Write things down

When you are busy and trying to keep several plates spinning, it can be easy to forget about a particular task. Writing a list by whatever method works best for you – some people put reminders in their online calendars, others favour a simple handwritten list – will give you that headspace to consider what needs to be done, reducing the likelihood that something will slip your mind.

Work out an order to do things in

There are a few different approaches you can take; you might opt to tackle simple, straightforward tasks first that you know are unlikely to take a lot of time which will allow you to cross things off your list and feel like you are making progress. Or you might prefer to take on the most time consuming project first as once that is complete your head is clear to move onto something else. Whichever approach you take, make sure you prioritise tasks with any deadlines in mind.

Try not to worry about what you are not doing

Having a clear focus on the task in hand is essential so make sure you allocate each task on your to-do list to a particular day of the week or time of the day. Knowing that you are not going to work on XYZ until later in the week will allow you to concentrate more effectively on what is your current priority.

Two birds with one stone...

Look for efficiencies by grouping similar tasks together. For example if you know you need to speak to several clients across the week, try to set aside a morning or afternoon to schedule these all in to avoid repeatedly breaking off from other tasks.

Give yourself a break

Multi-tasking isn’t about burning yourself out or rushing through tasks as quickly as possible to move onto something else! By making sure you take regular breaks – including a proper lunch break – you will be more likely to keep a clear head and complete tasks more accurately and efficiently.

Avoid distractions

It can be easy to become distracted from the task at hand and emails are one of the most likely causes. Allow yourself regular points in the day to check your emails rather than reacting to every notification as they come in and take you away from what you are doing.

Communicate

If you work in a busy office noise levels can become too distracting. Let your colleagues know if you need some quiet time and if possible, move to a different area of the office or pop in some headphones to reduce the sound of others. If you want to avoid being disturbed unless for something urgent, ask for messages to be taken on your behalf or set your phone to voicemail.

Also remember to communicate regularly with your team, particularly if you need information from them to complete some work or they are relying on you meeting a deadline for something they are working on; make sure that your timeframes are coordinated to avoid any last minute panics or repeated requests for updates.

Be disciplined with your time

Unless something needs your immediate attention, try to stick to your proposed schedule as much as possible. It can be worth keeping a little time free during each day to deal with things that need to be looked at more urgently or that crop up unexpectedly.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for temporary, interim and permanent roles across the full spectrum of positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and speak to a member of our team about your next career move.