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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 Responsibility​As 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-Development​As 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. ​Networking​Networking 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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INSIDE VIEW – JOAN PETTINGILL, DIRECTOR & HEAD OF EMPLOYMENT LAW & HR

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International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

Ahead of this year’s International Women’s Day, we caught up with Joan Pettingill, Director & Head of Employment Law & HR at Sheffield-based law firm Wake Smith who shared why she feels it’s important to identify, celebrate and increase visibility of women's achievements to help forge equality.

What do you perceive are the main advantages and disadvantages to being a woman at work?

I’ve really never thought of my own work in terms of being influenced by my gender. There are still, I think, some industry sectors where it may be less common for women to have senior roles and my guess is there may be some small pockets of the legal profession where this might be the case but there have been leaps and bounds in this respect in recent years. At Wake Smith, we are very fortunate to be a vibrant forward-thinking firm including many women in leadership and other influential roles.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

Stand back from judging isolated incidents and wait and see how things pan out in the longer run. Things usually work out for the best and things which initially might appear negative often have very positive knock on effects and opportunities. Look for the opportunities in front of you and be true to yourself.

What is your biggest success or challenge completed?

As a younger person, having the determination and ability to be able to break through other people’s limiting perceptions of what can be achieved.

What would be the one change you would make to help forge a gender equal world?

In a work context, embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion and more broadly, supporting diverse role models in visible senior roles.

Who is your female role model and why?

Growing up, I was fortunate to have several female role models; an aunt who was a company secretary and seasoned traveller, a grandmother who as a single parent became a nurse and also built her own property portfolio and of course my own mother who married and settled in England from abroad, worked and brought up a family and who in her nineties is still role modelling kindness, independence and living a full life.

In a professional sense, the Managing Partner of the firm where I trained was an incredibly supportful woman who looked after her trainees and young lawyers professionally and pastorally. More currently, the Supreme Court Judge, Lady Hale, for her courageous decision making.

These days I’m also conscious that others may regard me as a role model and so for me, it’s really important to promote and encourage others to also succeed in the paths of their choosing which is why I’m an executive coach as well as a lawyer.

Joan Pettingill is a highly experienced employment lawyer. She studied law in Newcastle Upon Tyne and is a highly regarded public speaker and professional trainer having delivered courses in employment law, HR and GDPR (https://www.wake-smith.co.uk)

 

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals.  With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today for expert advice on your next career move.