Purchase Ledger Clerk - Bradford in Bradford

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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Job description

We are working closely with a business who are looking to add a Purchase Ledger Clerk to the Finance team with head offices located in Bradford.

The role is to work as part of an established Finance team with a view to developing their career in accounts over the long term.

The duties include, but are not limited to -

*Be responsible for the recording and payment of supplier invoices within agreed service standards, ensuring that the procedures in relation to purchasing are adhered to
*Liaise with suppliers as required, including prompt notification of any reason their invoice(s) cannot be passed for payment
*Ensure that credit card receipts are received from card holders, presented for authorisation by line managers and then processed onto the accounting system
*Ensure that petty cash expenditure from shops and other projects are appropriate, authorised, supported by relevant receipts and processed onto the accounting system
*Record purchase invoices as received onto the internal accounting system
*Match purchase invoices with orders where applicable (ensuring goods and services have been marked as received) or agree invoices to contracts or leases
*Process staff and members expenses onto the accounting system, ensuring they are appropriately coded and authorised
*Reconcile national bank accounts on a daily basis

We are looking to hear from candidates with the following skills and experiences:

*Experience in accounts payable operations
*Strong IT skills with good competence in the use of Microsoft Office and other computer systems
*Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - written, telephone and face to face. The role will require the ability to communicate routine information effectively with both finance and non-finance staff
*GSCE in Maths and English grades A* - C or equivalent qualification
*Able to deal with a variety of unexpected queries for which there will not necessarily be procedures in place
*Great organisational skills with the ability to manage busy workloads and prioritise between conflicting demands

This is a great opportunity for someone with some strong Purchase Ledger experience to join a business who pride themselves in the progression and development they can offer their staff members over the long term. If you are interested and have some previous AP experience looking for development in their career get in touch immediately.

Sharp Consultancy is a finance and accountancy recruitment specialist assisting accounting and finance divisions of businesses in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire area. With over 25 years' experience we pride ourselves on sourcing excellent finance professionals across all divisions of an accounts function, from finance administrators through to senior Finance Director appointments. Please visit our website for more information on accountancy jobs or accountancy recruitment; finance jobs or finance recruitment.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK full time without restriction. To apply please send your CV to the e-mail address stated, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications we receive it is not always possible to respond to unsuccessful applicants. Therefore if we have not responded to your application within seven days please note that on this occasion your application has not been successful.