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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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​COVID 19 – HOW IS IT IMPACTING YOUR RECRUITMENT? by Executive Director, Lee Sweeney

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COVID-19 has had a widespread and sometimes devastating impact on businesses throughout the region; companies have grappled with an almost overnight move to home working, continual changes to working patterns and practices and for some, unfortunately, a significant downturn or complete standstill in their ability to trade.

With reports of a record number of redundancies and growing unemployment, it would be easy to forget that there are sectors of the economy which are experiencing high levels of demand and this in turn, creates its own – albeit different – set of challenges.

In recruiting terms, professional practice accountancy firms have, by and large, been amongst the least affected in terms of a decrease in demand and indeed, those businesses advising in areas such as statutory compliance, corporate finance and private equity have been very busy during the last 12 plus months.

Whilst COVID-19 may have brought many things to a screeching halt, businesses still need auditing, end of year accounts still need filing and, coupled with a sharp increase in mergers and acquisitions activity as well as those businesses which have unfortunately been unable to survive, the competition for top talent is fierce as accountancy firms look to increase their headcounts.

A shortage of candidates is prompting firms to redouble their staff retention efforts resulting in substantial pay rises and bonuses - often at levels more commonly reserved to recognise exceptional performance - now being offered to reward relatively modest promotions or increases in responsibility.

Not only are salaries being driven up, a further consequence of events over the last year is that many of the usual push factors that would motivate an individual to seek out a new opportunity have been removed - or at the very least been significantly watered down – making it harder for those looking to recruit to turn heads. With many employees working from home, lengthy commutes have been replaced with extra hours in the day and opportunities for promotion and salary increases can be clearly seen on the horizon.

Undoubtedly, the next 12 – 18 months will see further economic growth and ensure that candidate demand remains high; as a result, those looking to tempt talent away from their current roles will need to be creative – or dig very deep – in order to attract the desired individuals. However, money alone won’t be enough and, as workloads increase and employees become concerned about being pushed too hard and risking burnout, softer benefits and a flexible approach to creating a sustainable work life balance will have an increasing level of appeal alongside the desire for career progression.

With candidates valuing different things compared to 12 months ago – and with many finding themselves in a comfortable position that makes it easier to stay rather than look elsewhere – the onus will be very much upon businesses to create compelling, tailored opportunities to secure the calibre of candidates they need.

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 to find out more.