Accounting is a career that involves the management of financial data for a company. This includes many different elements such as recording financial transactions, audits, tax returns, payroll, preparing budgets, presenting financial reports, and making financial recommendations.

Why Should I Work In Accounting?

A career in accounting is a challenging yet rewarding career. There are so many benefits to working in accounting, including:

  •  Accountants are always in demand
  • It’s a stable career to have
  • It requires specific skills, so not just anybody can do it
  • You can work in any industry
  • There are many growth opportunities
  •  Accountants can earn a great salary

Career Opportunities in Accounting

Accounting has an extensive career path, which means you have plenty of opportunities to progress as you develop. You can find out more about roles within accounting and salary ranges here.

How to Start a Career In Accounting

There are some steps that you can take in order to make sure you are fully prepared to start your career in accounting.

Research Accounting Careers

In order to make sure accounting is right for you, you first need to research the role. Understand what accounting consists of, and what day-to-day activities you will have when working in this industry. It’s also important to understand what the role involves within each level, from a trainee accountant level up through to a fully certified accountant, so you know what to expect as your career progresses.

Choose a Course to Study

You will need to have the relevant qualifications when working in accounting. Accounting qualifications can be gained through college and university, or you can study them remotely via distance learning. AAT qualifications are high sought after by employers, you can find information on AAT courses here.
If you are looking into accounting for the first time, the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting would be really beneficial to gain a foundation of knowledge in basic accounting principles.

Update Your CV

The way you write your CV largely depends on the type of job role that you’re applying for. If you have decided to go down the accounting career path, make sure your CV reflects this. You can do this by listing any accountancy qualifications that you are completing. Even if you haven’t completed the course as yet, you can list your final grade as “pending” with an expected completion date.
To make your CV stand out in the accounting industry, you’ll also need to identify skills that you possess that are beneficial to have when working in this particular industry. For example, you may have strong analytical or critical thinking skills, or you may be skilled at writing reports and presenting results.

Gain Some Experience

Volunteer opportunities or work experience can be a great way to gain some experience in the world of accounting. You could also apply for an apprenticeship which will allow you to learn while you work and receive a wage. Companies will advertise positions like this on their website, via job websites, or via LinkedIn. You could also reach out to companies directly on platforms such as LinkedIn to see if they would be willing to offer work experience for a set period of time.

Search for Job Roles

You can start looking for full-time positions as soon as you’re ready. Where you are with your knowledge and skills development will depend on what type of job would be appropriate for you to apply for. For example, if you haven’t started an accounting qualification and have zero experience, it would be suitable to look for trainee accountant roles or apprenticeships. If you are working through a qualification and have gained some work experience already, you will be able to consider job roles at a slightly higher level such as an accounts assistant.

Utilise all of the major job websites and LinkedIn for your job search. In the UK, the top job search websites include Reed, Indeed, Monster UK, TotalJobs and Glassdoor.

If you’d like to find out more about a career in accounting and our AAT qualifications, book a call with our course advisory team today.