MAKE THEM AN OFFER THEY CAN’T REFUSE - HOW TO

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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Securing the best talent can be a challenge for any organisation and in a candidate-led market you may have found yourself in the position where your first choice for the role has turned down your job offer. There can be any number of reasons for this; some may be completely out of your control however there are several steps that you can take as an employer to put you in a prime position and make them an offer they simply will not be able to refuse.

Reason 1: A slow recruitment process

This is undoubtedly one of the primary reasons why your favoured candidate may no longer be in the market for a new role. If you think a candidate stands out from the crowd then the chances are that other employers looking to fill a similar position will think the same! Top talent will be in demand and it is often the employer who is able to move swiftly and make a strong offer that reaps the rewards.

What you can do: Ensure that your recruitment process is as streamlined as possible with the key decision makers involved so there are no delays when you have identified the best person for the role.

Reason 2: Uncompetitive salaries

Whilst a good salary on its own is unlikely to be enough to sway the best candidates, offering too little could increase the chances that they will accept an offer from elsewhere if they feel they can command more for their skills. The top candidates are very likely to be at the higher end of the salary bracket for their role and their current employer could look to make a counteroffer to retain them.

What you can do: Ensure that you are offering competitive financial renumeration packages and benchmark salary levels against similar roles in other organisations. Bear in mind that salary benchmark tools will provide a useful point of reference, but these should be used as a guide and you will need to apply your own circumstances when determining your final figure.

Reason 3: Lack of benefits package

Today’s top candidates are looking beyond the salary on offer and weighing up the full benefits package that is potentially available. Not only will a comprehensive package carry financial ‘value’, but it can also demonstrate a company’s commitment in a range of areas such as employee wellbeing.

What you can do: If you do not currently offer a benefits package, look to put one in place as soon as possible and review on a regular basis. Consider what benefits are most likely to appeal and bear in mind that these may be different depending on a person’s career status or life situation. To really attract the best talent, where possible build in an element of flexibility to enable your employees to tailor their package to suit their individual needs.

Reason 4: Poor work-life balance

The last year has demonstrated that it is much more possible to work effectively from home. Whilst in time there will more than likely be a return to workplaces, it is expected that more employers will give staff the opportunity to continue to work at least a portion of their hours from home. Sticking steadfastly to the traditional office based 9-5 could be off-putting to candidates looking to achieve a better work-life balance.

What you can do: Put in place and review a flexible working policy which enables employees to tailor their hours around childcare needs or arrangements outside of work whilst still meeting the needs of the business. Even simple things like allowing employees the option to take longer lunch breaks to enable them to attend an exercise class will help boost morale in the team.

Reason 5: Lack of progression opportunity

Even the best salary and benefits package is unlikely to see the top candidates overlook a lack of progression opportunities. The best talent will be ambitious and will be looking to see how you can help them achieve their career goals.

What you can do: Outline the training and development opportunities that will be provided by the company. Describe how you see the successful candidate contributing to the future of the organisation and be clear to demonstrate that there is room to grow in the company. Create excitement about the opportunity to join the organisation and look at the possibility of introducing them to the team they will be working with so they can start to build a rapport.

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 US today to speak to a member of our team about your recruitment needs.

MAKE THEM AN OFFER THEY CAN’T REFUSE - HOW TO SECURE THE TOP CANDIDATES

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