Newly Qualified Accountants….
Aspirations and opportunities for newly qualified accountants have changed dramatically over the past decade and this has had quite an effect on both supply and demand.
Many newly qualified accountants really enjoy the technical side of finance and accounting and want to continue to use these core skills and experience in more traditional accountancy based positions. Often they will look to utilise their qualification to help them develop (either internally or externally) and gain exposure to new aspects of finance. Examples of this might be a move into Management Accounting, Planning and Performance, Financial Control or taking on more responsibility in terms of people management. Others opt to specialise in their chosen fields such as Taxation, Risk or Corporate Finance.
However, an increasing number of accountants are looking for opportunities away from 'traditional' accounting and look to use their professional qualification (CA, ACA, ACCA or CIMA) as a commercial, financial and business grounding from which they can build their career. As such, many individuals are gaining experience in increasingly diverse industries and are switching to roles in Banking, Investment Management, Project Management or Operations, where accounting skills and knowledge are often a secondary skill, rather than a primary one. For these roles, inter-personal skills such as communication, influencing and relationship management tend to be even more important when interviewing and recruiting.
Whilst many use their qualification to help them switch career, others will make a geographical change, using their qualification as a 'passport' to experience working life and culture in a new location. opportunities in the Accountancy Profession and large multi-national companies are common place and popular destinations often revolve around financial centres where specialist skill sets are in high demand.
Cumulatively, this has meant that there have been an increasing number of instances where there has been an imbalance between the numbers of candidates and roles.A healthy demand for newly qualified accountants has opened up an increasingly diverse market for those looking to make a move although economic conditions and trends can vary this significantly. Picking the best opportunity for you is not always an easy decision.
Making the right move is extremely important and can shape and influence the rest of a newly qualified accountant's career. Do not be tempted to rush into the first opportunity that arises, but instead take time to assess all available options, play to your strengths and try to consider both the short and long terms view of what you want from your career. These factors are vital to achieving job satisfaction and fulfilling your personal and career development needs.
At Wilkinson & Associates we pride ourselves on offering all jobseekers impartial and constructive career advice and have a dedicated resource specialising in helping those at newly and recently qualified stage achieve their goals and objectives. We spend time understanding our clients needs and are able to offer in depth market knowledge and present appropriate opportunities accordingly.
