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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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Why we’re different.

At Sharp Consultancy, we offer a challenging and rewarding path in recruitment. As one of Yorkshire and the North's leading independent recruitment consultancies, we're proud of our dynamic team and the exceptional career opportunities available in this fast-paced industry.

  • For over 30 years, we've been at the forefront of financial recruitment, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the region. Our reputation for excellence is built on rewarding talent, recognising achievements, and providing tailored career development.

Culture in a business is incredibly important and I’m proud that I work amongst superb colleagues who all happily contribute to the business’s overall success.

Jack Curtis

Senior Business Manager

Jack Curtis

Working at Sharp Consultancy is incredibly rewarding. The supportive environment and collaborative team make every day a pleasure.

Caitlin Davidson

Sales Support Manager

Caitlin Davidson

The people at Sharp Consultancy make it a such great business to work for. Everyone is extremely supportive and encouraging making for a brilliant office culture of sharing success.

Liam Connolly

Senior Consultant

Liam Connolly

Career progression.

At Sharp Consultancy, your career growth has no limits. We provide an exhilarating, customer-focused environment that encourages continuous learning and development. Whether you’re an experienced recruitment consultant, a sales professional, or a recent graduate looking to start your career, we have opportunities tailored for you.

We believe that our people are our greatest asset. Our work culture is not just about achieving targets; it’s about fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels valued. We listen not to reply, but to understand. Long-term relationships are crucial to our ongoing success with clients, candidates, and consultants alike.

Bespoke Training and Support Programs

Management and Leadership Development

Multiple Pathways to Progression

Refer a Candidate

Refer a Candidate

As one of the leading independent financial recruitment consultancies in the region, we work hard to provide a valuable service to our candidates and clients.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

A workplace that values Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (E, D & I) can create more opportunities for people who face prejudice, discrimination and systemic racism.

Rewards and incentives.

We offer a variety of rewards and incentives designed to recognise and motivate your professional achievements.

Emma Berry

​Emma with her third Pay Day Lottery win!

Daniel Williams

​Dan and his first Pay Day Lottery win with a new jacket!

Deanna Crosby

​Dee winning pay Day Lottery for the 4th time with Jo Malone!! She's a lucky one!

Adam Thomas

​Adam picked a new T-Shirt tfor his Pay Day Lottery win!

Stuart Douglass

​Stu treated himself to some new aftershave with his Pay Day Lottery win!

Liam O'Flaherty

​Liam O with a very fitting bottle of whisky for his Pay Day Lottery Win!

Emma Berry

​Emma celebrating winning Pay Day Lottery with some new ear phones.

Mike Ball

​Mike with his new chef's knife he bought with his Pay Day Lottery winnings.

William Pleasance

​Will won this pay day lottery but bought cheated and bought some shoes for his fiancé.

Colin Molyneux

​Colin winning pay day lottery with a cycling top and some bike lube (or so he says).

Emma Berry

​Emma Berry won Pay Day Lottery and purchased a pair of slip on Doc Martens.

Alex Kinch

​Alex winning Pay Day Lottery with some Nars make-up.

Deanna Crosby

​Deanna Winning the Pay Day Lottery for the 3rd?! time.

Stuart Douglass

​Stuart winning pay day lottery so treated himself to some car products.

Charlie Marper

​Charlie winning Sheffield's July pay day lottery with a new golf club.

William Pleasance

Will celebrating his 'High Performers Club' with a new Tudor Black Bay watch

Michael Ball

Michael Ball celebrating 10 years with Sharp with his new Tissot watch.

Deanna Crosby

Deanna winning Sheffields 1st Pay Day Lottery

Tom Davage

​Tom celebrating his High Performers Club in New York

Stuart Douglass

Stuart celebrating his high performers club indulging in his passion for motorsports.

Karen Pitchforth

​Karen celebrating her 10 year anniversary at Sharp with a Mulberry Purse and Champagne

Networking.

We organise the region's most esteemed networking events, providing you with opportunities to enhance your organisational and leadership skills while fostering valuable business connections for us.

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a bunch of our clients posing for a pre-cycle pic at our Social Cycling networking event in Leeds.
Deanna Crosby delivering a careers chat in a class room to a school in Sheffield.
Our 2025 Future CFO event in 2025 at Victoria located in Kelham Island which featured 4 key speakers. Three of which are finance leaders
Lee Sweeney, Colin Molyneux and some clients at a Clay Shooting Event.
Aaron, Adam, Charlie and Jack standing next to our Sharp Consultancy branded banner at our annual golf event at Sickleholme Golf Club.
Sharp Consultancy

Get in touch.

Recruitment offers an extremely challenging and rewarding career path. If you're interested in discovering how we can assist you in achieving your career aspirations, please reach out to us.

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