‘WHY ARE YOU LOOKING TO MOVE?’

Celebrating International Day of Accounting with David Cameron, Vice President of the LCASS

International Day of Accounting is an annual celebration to commemorate the publication of Luca Pacioli's book on double-entry bookkeeping in 1494 which is the bedrock of modern day accounting. In the modern day, International Day of Accounting is about the appreciation of the crucial work Accountants do and the recognition of their importance for business longevity and success. This year, we caught up with David Cameron of EY's Restructuring Team and Vice Presidentof the Leeds Chartered Accountants Student Society (LCASS) to gather his advice for those in the early days of their accounting career and insights about all things ACA.Starting a Career in Accounting 1.What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in accounting?I would say the sooner you realise that all of the exams require a fair amount of work and can’t be blagged (no matter how easy you found A-levels or university), the better. ACA is tough but I think it is certainly passable for most people, as long as you put the work in. The next big piece of advice I would give is if you go into the initial mundane tasks, when you first start, with a positive can-do attitude, it goes such a long way. The people who go into tasks with that outlook often find they move onto much more interesting tasks, quickly. Finally, the last tip I’d give to anyone starting out in accountancy is start building your network straight away, not only will it benefit your career in the end when everyone climbs the ranks together, it is even more beneficial from a social point of view at the junior levels. People you meet at networking events will become your friends and just enhance your overall experience when you are starting out. 2.How can recent graduates make themselves stand out to potential employers?It sounds cliché but I think showing your personality in an interview and just being yourself is something people feel as though they shouldn’t do. I really believe that that’s by far the easiest way to stand out. The majority of applicants will also have a great CV, the way you will stand out is by the employer thinking that they will enjoy working with you every day. Picking an ACA Specialism 3.Can you share some insights on the different specialisms available whilst studying ACA?Audit and Assurance:Examining financial statements and processes to verify accuracy and provide confidence to stakeholders through regulatory compliance. Tax:Advice on tax planning, compliance or strategy, dependent on what department of tax you’re in. Transactions:This could be a role in Mergers & Acquisitions/Corporate Finance, Transaction Due Diligence or Restructuring. 4.How did you decide on your own specialism, and what influenced your choice?I work within the Restructuring service line and absolutely love it. I’d always had a big interest in how businesses work operationally, and Restructuring allows me to assist businesses through times of distress with the hope that we can help to provide a solution to save/improve the business. Being in the service line I am in, it has allowed me to think outside the box and use problem solving at work as there is never the same solution for each business in a time of crisis, with solutions ranging from running an accelerated sale process of the business to possibly refinancing its existing debt. What the ACA Has to Offer5.What are the key benefits of pursuing the ACA qualification?First and foremost, the comprehensive skillset you acquire through completion of the ACA qualification shouldn’t be overlooked as it allows you to apply knowledge you have learnt from topics/exams usually unrelated to your usual job role to situations where it is required or even personal situations. I believe that the practical work experience you gain (at least 450 days of practical work experience) whilst completing your ACA enables you to improve your technical skills at a far quicker rate as you are utilising knowledge you have learnt at work on a daily basis, to better your understanding of the technical aspects, something which you don’t get to do at university or school. I would say the largest benefit is realistically the career flexibility and opportunities it allows you to have access to. As mentioned above, there are so many different avenues that you can go down through having an ACA qualification. If you don’t like one role, you can quite easily try something different. 6.How does the ACA prepare accountants for the challenges both inside and outside of the profession?As touched on above, the comprehensive knowledge gained from an ACA qualification is fantastic and can be applied to so many different scenarios outside of an accountancy role, such as personal tax planning or even the strong financial acumen gained to assist with running your own business. ACA also of course reiterates the importance of ethical behaviour and integrity throughout your studying period which helps instil such traits into students. Learnings from this will help students make correct decisions at work or even in their own personal life when faced with difficult choices. Personal Journey into Accountancy 7.Can you tell us about your journey into accountancy and what inspired you to choose this career?I joined the EY Leeds Restructuring team back in 2020 via the school leaver programme. I probably got unlucky with the year I joined given we were in the midst of the pandemic, however, what I was certain of even back then was no matter what, I still just wanted to get into work rather than continue full time education. I was keen on the potential qualifications I would come out of university with; however, I knew that I had always much preferred working throughout school than the education side of things. I was drawn to the Restructuring apprenticeship due to the element of problem solving involved and the opportunity to leverage commercial skills. Admittedly, I wasn’t overjoyed about the prospect of 15 ACA exams, however, I knew the end goal was worth it and provided some incentive. Four years later and I have completed my ACA and my apprenticeship. I’d recommend this path to many, for the experience and level of qualification I’ve been able to obtain by such a young age, coupled with the opportunity to meet so many people that will be mates for life. 8.Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in your career path?Nothing I would change that’s in my control. It would’ve been ideal to have joined at a time outside of the pandemic as it did effect the social side of things for the first year or so. To find out more about the ACA click here.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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It’s one of the most common interview questions but from experience, it can be one of the most difficult – or at least uncomfortable – for candidates to answer confidently.

The temptation to seize upon the opportunity to be dismissive of your current employer – particularly if they are a close competitor of your potential new firm – can be great. However, delivering a well structured and thoughtful response as to why you are looking to make the next move in your new career will be more likely to pay dividends.

Let’s be honest. In more cases than not, someone will be looking for a new role because they believe they will be better served by moving to a new company – whether that is to achieve a better salary package, additional opportunities, better work life balance. With this in mind, you can be fairly sure that your interviewer understands that your desire to move will have, in some way, been prompted by a degree of dissatisfaction in your role; however, there is very little to be gained by talking about your current employer in a negative manner.

How you convey your feelings about your current role can give a potential boss an insight into your character and integrity – if they are prepared to speak about their employer like this, what would they say about this organisation in the future?

In addition, if you start to reel off a list of grievances – lack of opportunity, an unmanageable workload, promises of promotions that never materialised – you could, however valid those reasons may be, present yourself as someone who could be potentially difficult to work with. And if you work within a fairly close knit industry, there’s every chance that what you say could make its way back to your existing manager and colleagues.

When an interviewer is asking you to detail why you want to move roles, they are ideally looking for an answer which focuses upon what you see as the positive aspects of the position and the company you hope to join rather than what you feel isn’t right about your present role.

As part of your interview preparation, you should carefully consider your reasons and look at how you can expand upon your answers to demonstrate how you are well suited to the role on offer and your enthusiasm to become a member of the team. Some good starting points are:

I would like to take on additional responsibilities.....
I am ready to embark upon a new challenge....
The role available offers me the opportunity to challenge myself.....
I am keen to learn new skills.....
I am particularly interested to expand my knowledge.....

Ensure that you relate your answerback to the job description by selecting key elements which would illustrate how your career ambitions dovetail with the essential requirements of the role.

For more help and advice on how to deliver an impressive interview, take a look at our comprehensive Interview Guide

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for temporary, interim and permanent roles across the full spectrum of positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and speak to a member of our team about your next career move.