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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 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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Those of you that are regular readers of my articles will know that their content is often inspired by something I have recently read or an exchange that has taken place which I’ve been mulling over in my mind for several days afterwards. That was very much the case again, however thanks to a timely phone call from a long-term business associate, you have been spared a tale involving a white shirt, laundry day and a rather unflattering revelation – which I’m not yet quite over - from my wife.

During one of our regular catch ups, my client and I commented that we had both recently read the same article with some interest. The headline – and I paraphrase at this point – claimed that Yorkshire had seen 25 per cent fewer insolvencies in 2020 when compared to 2019. And whilst, at almost any other time, fewer companies going out of business year on year would generally be welcomed by many as a positive, we were both somewhat surprised, considering the year that was in question.

Let’s be under no illusions; 2020 was a year like no other and whilst some sectors found that lockdown restrictions offered them opportunities to grow there were many more that faced – and are still facing - countless struggles and uncertainty which will take months if not years to recover from. So how could it be the case that during the most unprecedented 12-month period for businesses ever, more somehow managed to survive when compared to the previous year?

Without wishing to get political, one of the suggestions that came from our conversation was that the Government support packages have done what they set out to achieve and – whilst not perfect, with many firms and individuals falling through the cracks- these were in the most part, widely available and quickly implemented, particularly if you consider the furlough scheme. But have they been too generous in some instances? Certainly if we were looking at the number of businesses that didn’t survive being on a par with the previous year – or even slightly higher – you could conclude that the support offered had been about right as the number of casualties showed no real differences and the equilibrium maintained.

However, and whilst I certainly don’t begrudge them their survival, are we potentially facing a situation where businesses have survived because of the support they have received and in any ‘normal’ year, when such packages would not have been in place, they would have found themselves without a future?

What would be the downside to this? Jobs have been protected and businesses have survived to see another day. But in doing so, does this hamper the ability of companies to recover overall?

Take any ‘normal’ year, not all businesses survive, and the stronger operations would move into the space they vacate and take advantage of the resulting opportunities in order to grow and invest. Jobs are created, expansion takes place and so on and so forth. However, what we could now see is an artificially false competition – businesses which in any other year would not have survived, have been given a reprieve and are now fighting for their lives and, in doing so, may potentially be prepared to lower their costs way below the rest of the market making the route to recovery for a far greater number of operations a much more drawn out and difficult journey to travel.

As we tentatively ease our way out of lockdown, hopefully for the final time, it remains to be seen if the support that has been so heavily invested – currently to the tune of upwards of £280billion and counting – has indeed ensured the country can recover as quickly and as painlessly as possible or if, for some, it has simply delayed the inevitable and once that support is withdrawn, they find they are unable to survive. The question remains, will their prolonged existence have far reaching consequences for companies on the next rung up the survival ladder from which they may struggle to overcome?

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment and executive search 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 recruitment needs or next career move.