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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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​ATTRACTING THE BEST CANDIDATES IS A COMPETITIVE BUSINESS

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The job market is a highly competitive arena; and not just for those trying to secure a new position. In order to attract the best talent, companies themselves need to have so much more to offer than simply a vacancy with an appropriate salary.

A lack of suitably skilled individuals can be a real barrier to a company’s growth and development. There has always been huge pressure placed on companies to recruit and retain the best individuals and even during periods where unemployment is high, the top people will be in most demand. To attract candidates with the right attributes, technical ability and desired experience, businesses must work hard to develop robust recruitment and retention strategies.

Candidates that possess these in-demand skills are very career savvy and often fiercely loyal to a current employer. They consider their options carefully and are extremely selective when it comes to assessing if an opportunity will be the right career move. And organisations who have invest time and money in recruiting, training and nurturing that top talent will be (or should be!) doing everything that they can to make sure they hang on to them.

Companies must take a long-term view and place greater emphasis upon talent attraction, management and development to enable them to have the edge over their competition. Bringing in fresh blood, hungry for success and nurturing and upskilling existing employees will contribute significantly to the long-term stability of the business.

There is a lot to consider. To attract the best talent, companies need to think about how they communicate their culture, how attractive are the remuneration packages as well as what are current employees saying to their peers? Is there a positive buzz about the organisation - are they shouting about their achievements, do they give the impression of a forward-thinking company that is really going places? Do they understand – and more importantly – do they deliver against their employees’ career aspirations? They want people that are going to make a difference to their business but do they have the vision and means to encourage and implement the changes that a dynamic senior level manager will want to drive forward?

Attracting the best candidates is a competitive business, and the companies that make themselves stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons will reap the rewards.

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 UStoday to find out more.