25 YEARS AGO TODAY…………

How to Write a Winning CV as a Part-Qualified Accountant

Whether you’re halfway through your ACCA, CIMA, or ACA qualification, being a part-qualified accountant is a valuable position that opens doors to numerous opportunities...However, capitalising on those opportunities starts with one critical tool: a well-crafted CV. Your CV isn't just a list of previous roles — it’s a strategic marketing document. It's your chance to demonstrate to employers that although you're not yet fully qualified, you already deliver tangible value and have the potential to grow into a fully-fledged finance professional. Based on experience within the demanding and fast-growing part-qualified market, here are five essential elements your CV must include to stand out.1. Lead with a Powerful Personal StatementThis is the first impression — and one of the most important parts of your CV. A strong personal statement should make hiring managers want to read more. Your personal statement should cover: Your current qualification status (e.g., “ACCA part-qualified with 7 out of 13 exams completed”). Your professional ambitions and what drives you. Key strengths developed so far (e.g., process improvement, analytical thinking, stakeholder collaboration). Areas you’re eager to grow in. Tailor this section for each role you apply to. Show your enthusiasm for the specific opportunity and highlight relevant experience. Crucially, mention where you've added value — perhaps by streamlining a process, supporting a new project, or exceeding performance targets.2. Showcase Your Professional Experience with ImpactThe experience section is your chance to back up your personal statement with evidence. Avoid vague job descriptions. Instead, go into detail: Describe key processes you’ve worked on (include figures or financial details where possible). Highlight your role in cross-functional teams or collaboration with senior stakeholders. Focus on contributions you've made — especially in process improvements, efficiencies, or data-driven decisions. Rather than just listing duties, emphasise achievements. What did you deliver? What changed as a result? Who benefited from your input? Remember: employers in the part-qualified market want to see your potential and how you've already added value. 3. Highlight Transferable Skills and Tailor for Each JobIt’s easy to fall into the trap of sending the same CV to every job. Don’t. Tailoring your CV to each opportunity shows initiative and relevance. Start by thoroughly reading the job description. Identify what the employer is really looking for — and match that to your skills and experience. For example, if the role emphasizes SOX compliance, IFRS, or UK/US GAAP reporting standards, and you’ve had exposure to these, make it clear. If a job involves partnering with non-finance departments, highlight any experience communicating with cross-functional teams or presenting financial insights. Mention transferable skills such as: Problem-solving Analytical thinking Use of ERP systems Forecasting and budgeting support This shows you’ve not just read the job description — you understand what the company needs and the transferable skills and experience you have.4. Don’t Just List Technical Skills — Demonstrate ThemHiring managers don’t just want to see a list of accounting systems and tools you’ve used — they want to understand how you’ve used them. For each system (e.g., SAP, Sage, Excel, Power BI), include: What you used it for (e.g., “automated monthly reporting using Excel macros”). Any efficiencies or improvements achieved through its use. If you implemented or helped roll out a system or process, explain your role and the outcome. Example: "Developed a reporting dashboard in Power BI that reduced manual month-end reporting time by 30%, allowing the team to focus on variance analysis and forecasting." This showcases your technical ability and your contribution to the wider team.5. Include Key Achievements or Case Studies Using STAR In a competitive job market, including 2–3 concise achievements or mini case studies can elevate your CV. Use the STAR Method to structure them: Situation – What challenge or context were you working in? Task – What was your role or responsibility? Action – What steps did you take? Result – What was the outcome? Quantify it if possible. For Example: Situation: Month-end reporting was consistently delayed due to data inconsistencies. Task: Identify the bottlenecks and improve the workflow. Action: Collaborated with the data team to build an automated reconciliation process. Result: Reduced reporting time by 2 days and improved data accuracy, enabling earlier board review. Including achievements like this gives your CV personality and provides excellent talking points during interviews. Final ThoughtsBeing a part-qualified accountant isn’t a limitation — it’s a launchpad. The right CV will not only reflect your current abilities but also show employers your drive, value, and potential. To recap: Craft a compelling personal statement tailored to each role. Highlight achievements and value-adds, not just responsibilities. Tailor your CV to every application — make your skills match the role. Showcase your technical experience with real examples. Include 2–3 achievements using the STAR method to give your CV depth. With these elements, your CV won’t just get you through the door — it will set the tone for your progression toward full qualification and a thriving finance career. Visit Our Candidate Advice Pages HereLooking 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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…I joined Sharp Consultancy. That’s 25 years!
I’m not quite sure how it happened, one minute I’m a fresh faced 25 year old embarking on a change of career (several years in banking prior) and the next….well, I’m not so fresh faced!
Recruitment is a notoriously high attrition industry and additionally, many in recruitment don’t practice what they preach when it comes to career management (i.e. don’t job hop). I therefore thought I’d take a moment to reflect on what has kept me in the industry for so long, with the same business for so long and just as passionate and enthusiastic about this industry as I have ever been.
First though, a few thoughts on that career management point. If you are going to have a long and fruitful career at anything, there are going to be storms you have to weather. There are going to be lots and lots of opportunity to give up. Many of us like reading about or listening to sporting superstars or tremendously successful businesspeople, the ‘How to’ books sell in their millions. We quote them, talk about their dedication and commitment, their sacrifice and pain, the dark days and the could easily give up days – we get it, we understand why they made it against the odds – and then we do exactly the opposite.
The last 25 years has had many storms – there was the dot com bubble bursting, the worst recession for a generation after the banking led crisis in 2008, the worst recession for 300 years with the pandemic (not to mention the pandemic itself) and of course there’s one’s own demons and challenges that have to be faced. Business and life ebbs and flows (Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now covers this really well – great book by the way) and is not constant. It all must be weathered. Manage the difficult times – excel in the better times….ebb and flow.
Back to my main point – why this industry and this business for so long? Sharp Consultancy’s strap line is ‘Great people are our business’. I like it – it works on different levels and its great people that make this job what it is. In what other industry do you have so many peoples hopes and dreams in your hands? In what other industry can you make such a major impact on someone’s career and future? – after all, one’s job affects every aspect of one’s life. For some this role is just transactional – get someone a job. Get a client a new employee. Just a transaction. But for me that’s just the veneer, what we do matters, and I absolutely love it – we aren’t supplying office stationery we’re supplying human beings with all the emotions and complications and possibilities that brings.
Then there are the people I have and do work with. There have been many amazing people with shared values and beliefs. We have and continue to share in each other’s aspirations, we’ve shared pain and we’ve shared great success. I have learned so much from them and I hope they have learned things from me. The business has given me every opportunity I have wanted – all I have had to do is reach out and grasp it. How many businesses really offer that?
Technology is having an impact on recruitment and it isn’t all positive – technology can remove the advisory element, the personal touch and make the process cold and transactional, it can remove the ‘person’ from the hiring process - like marrying someone you’ve never met because you are a ‘match on paper’. Despite this, I believe we have an amazing industry which still has an immense opportunity to make a difference to the success of businesses and even more importantly, to the future careers and lives of individuals; who would ever want to give that up?
With the challenges of the last year beginning to ebb away I look forward to what I believe will be many more wonderful years to come in this fascinating industry (unfortunately probably not another 25 though).