Here at Gibson Hollyhomes we know that finance is integral to business function and development. The good news is careers in both finance and accounting provide challenging yet rewarding possibilities and both fields show faster than average career growth, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
Often graduates don’t know where to start their finance and accounting career so with this in mind we’re sharing our top tips on how you could land your first job after graduating.
Experience
Fresh from graduating, experience levels can be lacking, so evidence of work experience can be very beneficial in helping you to gain the skills and experience that employers seek. From part-time work in a local accountancy firm or work experience in the finance department of an organisation, experience that will demonstrate you have office and admin skills, as well as the ability to work with numbers and budgets, will be a big plus on your application.
Continued Professional Development
Although you may have just completed your degree do not be surprised if you are faced with roles that require you to further your professional accountancy qualifications. Common qualifications that may be offered alongside roles are the ACCA or AAT qualification or CIMA certificate. Don’t see this as off putting but instead as an opportunity to further your skills or even go into an area of specialism that you may not have considered within your degree.
What track to take?
It’s important to take the time to explore the differences between the possible roles available to you, although much of what you learn from finance and accounting will overlap. A good way to look at it, is that accounting looks at past financial transactions and finance looks forward to future financial plans.
Traditionally an aspiring Accountant will develop in the following manner; Assistant Accountant – Management Accountant – Finance Manager (thereafter Financial Controller and Finance Director to follow). However, along the way there are various roles which will help further your career. Roles that have transactional elements will always be a strong starting point to springboard from (Purchase/Sales Ledger), don’t be afraid of being too niche, as long as you are on the front foot, making sure your development coincides with your studying. In addition, there are a variety of roles that can play to your strengths; more analytical Accountants can look at Finance Analysts role and Business Partnering positions, linked in to Commercial Accounts. Or another route would be to look at Project or Corporate Accountant roles dependent on your skill set.
Be open to the world of accounts and think about what you enjoy/what you are best at to get the most out of your career
We have been recruiting into the Accounts and Finance market since 2015, including businesses from family-run SME’s to global law firms, all of which are based in the Manchester and Leeds areas. Whether you are focusing on finding a new role immediately, or you are intrigued by the possibilities of a career move. Contact Christian or Craig for an honest evaluation of appropriate roles and salary levels. We pride ourselves on being honest, and ultimately, we are motivated by helping people find the right working environment. See our available accountancy and finance roles.