NATIONAL PAYROLL WEEK - Andrew Walker

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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To mark National Payroll Week, we asked our Commercial Director Andrew Walker, who has more than 20 year’s recruitment experience and focuses on the placement of transactional finance and payroll specialists in South Yorkshire for insight into the current market.

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

Payroll has been particularly in demand over the last 12-24 months and the employment market is still extremely buoyant, with demand outweighing supply.

The next 6-12 months may depend upon any changes in the economy; as it stands there is no sign of the employment market slowing down, however that may change if we enter a recession and belts tighten.

What are the main recruitment challenges being faced?

There’s high demand from employers for quality, experienced specialists however a short supply of suitable candidates, compounded by a historical lack of investment in training new payroll staff means that the balance is unlikely to be restored in the short to medium term.

What should employers be doing to overcome these challenges?

Employers need to be looking at one of two approaches. Firstly, raising salaries both in terms of retaining their own talent and also to attract the limited number of candidates looking for a new role. Payroll salaries have risen considerably in the last 24 months and, whilst demand outweighs supply, will continue to rise. Effectively, companies will find that they are paying a premium to secure the personnel they need and be the employer of choice.

Secondly, there needs to be a return to recruiting and investing “rookies” in order to grow their own talent through training and development. Many clients are recruiting graduates, AAT studiers, or administrators and training them in payroll and providing support for relevant qualifications such as the CIPP (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals).

What should candidates be doing to take advantage of this opportunity?

Experienced payroll specialists with the right skills will find that there’s a wealth of opportunities currently available to them. Those in the early stages of their finance career should give serious consideration to payroll as it offers an opportunity to use numerical and IT skills in a people-orientated role.

Payroll can often be an area of Accounting and Finance that is overlooked, despite it offering just as many opportunities for post graduate qualification, for promotion and for high earning potential as other areas. It offers a viable route for longer term development with the provision of full training and further funded qualifications potentially available.

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

Consider your fit with the company culture. Yes there are currently genuine opportunities to improve your salary at the moment, but any move should be because it will be the ‘right’ place for you to work and offer you the progression that you are looking for… Don’t just follow the money.

How can employers put themselves in the best possible position to secure the top talent?

Sell yourself as an organisation and what you can offer somebody with ambition seeking strong career development opportunities. Be prepared to move (very) quickly and be decisive; candidates have so many choices and so many options on the table, that a poor process or a slow process means most of the time you will miss out.

Additionally, be open minded to recruiting inexperienced candidates and invest in training and qualifications. The fight for talent is intense for experienced candidates, with prices rising quickly. Investing in new entrants to the market can be a rewarding and cost-effective alternative.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent transactional finance professionals across the full spectrum of roles including accounts payable, credit control, payroll and purchase ledgers. 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.