NATIONAL STRESS AWARENESS MONTH – STRESS IN THE

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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April is National Stress Awareness Month. According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), there were 822,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2020/21*.

It is important to recognise the signs of workplace stress; if left unaddressed, workplace stress can have a huge impact on both employees and employers and it is vital that steps are taken. Understanding the cause – which may stem from work or possibly something occurring outside the workplace – is essential.

Identifying the cause of what triggers the feelings of being overwhelmed is the first step; has your workload dramatically increased? Have you taken on a lot of additional responsibilities? Are you dealing with resourcing issues within your team? Do you have a poor relationship with another colleague or your line manager? Once you understand what is at the root of problem, you can look to adopt tactics and strategies to try and manage the situation.

Here are our tips and suggestions to dealing with stress in the workplace:

Communicate: It is important to speak with your line manager if you are finding that your workload is unmanageable. Consider whether this is caused by a potentially temporary situation – such as a particularly busy period at work – or if this is something which has been building over a longer time period due to an allocation of additional tasks or resourcing issues within the team. Highlight key areas which may have become more challenging and have suggestions to put forward on how these can be better resourced or solutions to address the issues that have arisen.

Be realistic: You may be keen to show that you are a willing and capable employee and a good team member, but that doesn’t mean that you should always say yes to every request that is asked of you. If it is not feasible for you to take on additional tasks or meet the deadlines put forward, be honest and outline the reasons why and offer a feasible timeframe as an alternative.

Talk to others: As well as speaking to your line manager, a frank and honest conversation with friends, family or a trusted colleague to talk through the way that you are feeling bring clarity to a situation which may have initially felt overwhelming by enabling you to filter out which parts are the most important and focus your attention more clearly.

Take regular breaks: During the working day, make sure you are taking regular breaks away from your desk to refresh your mind. It is important to take a proper break at lunchtime to eat a healthy, nutritious meal that will set you up for the afternoon and make time to get outside and take in some fresh air. On a weekend, ensure that you use your time outside of work to relax and look after yourself.

Use your holiday allowance: Not taking your full holiday allocation – or feeling like you are unable to take time off – can be an indication that you are feeling overwhelmed at work so it is important that you schedule in regular holidays and days off to recharge your batteries.

Time for a new role?: If the things that are making you stressed cannot be addressed, then it might be time to think about whether a different role or organisation may be a better fit for you. Stress can be damaging to a person’s confidence so it is vital that any move is considered very carefully to ensure the opportunities available and culture of your potential new company is right.

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 or recruitment needs.

*HSE Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, 2021. Published 16 December 2021