Career Tips for Accountants

· Carefully consider whether you want to progress within your own organisation or make an external career move. In doing so, visualise the role you wish to occupy in five years and then work backwards to determine the skills, experience and personal attributes that you need to achieve your aim. Establish an action plan.
· If you are currently in practice and want to assume a senior business role, think about taking a six month secondment to one of your clients to gain some line accountancy/finance experience. This means that you will have practical experience of being in a finance function coupled with your technical knowledge which will make your CV much more attractive to external organisations.
· Ascertain whether you want to be a senior finance generalist (eg Chief Finance Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive) or a technical specialist (eg Corporate Financier, Venture Capitalist, Tax or Structured Finance Specialist). It can be just as rewarding in career and cash terms to be an expert as it is to be a senior manager.
· What type of organisation best suits your personal values and interests? Think about finance roles in a sector suited to you such as charities, entertainment, financial institutions, pharmaceuticals, and then become acquainted with the accounting principles in your chosen sector.
· Fed up with being an accountant? Leverage these skills in other occupations such as School Bursar, Consumer Market Research Analyst, Business Advisor or Commercial Director.
· Reached the top and want to stop, but still want to be remunerated and intellectually active? How about part-time roles including Non Executive Directorships, Senior Consultant at a smaller practice, Business Coaching or Interim Finance role. Perhaps a more noble role might be suitable such as finance director of a small charity, help with fundraising or becoming a JP or Magistrate
There are two different types of CV in the main. The chronological CV and the functional CV (skills based). The chronological is the most suitable type to choose if you are aiming to obtain interviews for a job similar to previous ones.
The functional format is applied if you are looking to change direction in your career and want to emphasise achievements and skills above employment details. With this type of CV, you can even include experience you have gained outside the working environment. For instance, you may not have any committee representation experience in the office, but may have Parish council or specialist committee experience in the community