A CUT ABOVE

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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A desire to work with people led William Pleasance to enter the barbering industry but with a flair for sales and a commercially focused mindset, he has swapped clippers for CVs and is now forging ahead with career in a recruitment. We caught up with William – a consultant in our Leeds office – to find out more.

Tell us why you wanted to work in recruitment.

After leaving full-time education, I wasn’t fixed on a particular career path; I knew I wanted to work directly with people and after moving from barbering to business to business sales I was keen that my next move would allow me to partner both my commercial and people skill sets – recruitment was the natural choice.

Do you specialise in a particular area of recruitment?

Each consultant at Sharp has a particular area of expertise which allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the market and understand the key factors affecting recruitment at each level and across different geographic locations. I specialise in the permanent placement of part qualified to newly qualified finance professionals across the North and West Yorkshire working predominately with a client base of private businesses in all industries, excluding practice.

How is the current marketplace and what are your expectations for how the next 6-12 months will look?

The current market going into 2022 is very busy following a strange couple of years. We have seen a huge increase in demand from businesses for the part qualified and newly qualified professionals and, as we are yet to fully see a spike in active candidates following the Christmas break, this demand currently outstrips supply.

What are the main recruitment challenges being faced in this area?

The main challenges we face are due to a shortage in candidates. The reasons for people seeking a move now are very different to what they were pre-Covid. Work life balance is a huge factor for people. Whilst we are seeing high candidate demand and low supply, salaries and packages will naturally increase as businesses compete to attract new talent and retain existing members of staff. Not only that, active candidates may find they have multiple opportunities to choose from which means companies must first attract them into applying for a role and then potentially re-attract them during the latter stages of the recruitment process.

What should employers be doing to overcome these challenges?

Employers need to fully understand the challenges of the current marketplace and look at where there can be flexibility in the recruitment process and their requirements for the role.

Salary is – and will remain – a crucial factor, however, employers should consider all options and not jump in at a higher salary level. There may be opportunities to look at bringing in a candidate at a lower salary point and level of experience and investing in their future.

The option of flexible working is becoming much more of an expectation amongst candidates, whether this is hybrid working or working hours on a flexi timetable. Those employers that can blend the needs of employees who want office-based time alongside those for whom an element of home working is a priority will find they are in a stronger position to cherry-pick the best candidates.

In times of candidate shortage, speed is very much of the essence and any delays – even by so little as a day – can see good candidates either snapped up or attracted by additional opportunities making it even more competitive to secure your first choice.

What particular skills are currently in demand? What should candidates be doing to take advantage of this opportunity?

Commercially focused and analytical skills are in high demand as businesses look for their teams to identify both risks and opportunities which can be capitalised upon to generate value. Candidates should be aiming to broaden their technical ability which will see them add another dimension to what they can offer and pay dividends in the future.

What should candidates be looking for when considering a new role opportunity?

Try to not only identify what you want as an immediate return from your next move, but also consider what you want and where you want to be in say five years’ time. For example, salary may be the driving force right now, but once you have secured an increase what else does that opportunity offer you by way of career progression and supporting your overall goals and ambitions? Candidates should look for a supportive business, supportive direct manager and a role that gives as much exposure to the full finance function which is essential in order to accelerate your career in the right direction.

What advice would you give to a client about recruiting?

Employers should look at what they can offer candidates external to monetary benefits. Whilst money is important, the top part-qualified/newly qualified candidates will be keenly looking at the exposure the role gives them and the study package and support from both the business and direct manager.

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.