Making the leap: Essential steps for newly qualified accountants post training contract

The end of your training contract is a transitional period. Niall O’Keeffe, Senior Associate at Barden, outlines some key areas to focus on as the countdown towards your new career as a qualified accountant begins 

For anyone approaching the end of a training contract and thinking about switching roles, there are a few things you should start to consider in these final weeks and months. 

1. The CV

The CV is an important document that can take you from aspiring applicant to sitting in front of the hiring manager. However, a weak CV can act as a blocker to this, so it is of the utmost importance to get it right.

When creating a CV, people often just add a section to the top of their old CV from college. You’re a qualified professional now and your CV should reflect this. We usually find that it is better to start fresh rather than copy and paste some content on top of your old CV. 

Your CV should be unique, detailed and specific to you. Avoid anything too generic. 
For example, if you trained in audit and are looking for a financial accounting role in industry, avoid bullet points that are too audit-focused (“I was involved in audit planning, substantive procedures, controls testing, dealing with stakeholders, training my juniors….”).

Instead, keep it specific and detailed. (“During this engagement, I was audit senior for a team of five and was responsible for testing the following technical areas: Revenue in line with IFRS 15, PPE, Deferred Liabilities etc.”)

If you have trained in practice, we also recommend breaking your experience up by engagement. Pick three to five of your most prominent clients/projects and have four to five bullet points specific to that engagement. 

If you have trained in industry, consider breaking your experience up by the various rotations or areas you got exposure to – financial reporting, tax, FP&A etc. This gives your CV a clean structure and makes it easier to digest. 

2. Networking 

Never underestimate the power of your network. A lot of people secure roles through the people they know, rather than agencies or LinkedIn. 

But what exactly is networking and how can newly qualified accountants develop this skillset?

Networking is defined, broadly speaking, as “the process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts”. A well-connected professional network can greatly benefit your career growth and aid in advancement.

Networking involves forming relationships with colleagues, managers and industry peers. Your network isn’t just about long-term relationships with friends and colleagues; it also includes more distant connections with business leaders and casual acquaintances, such as those met through clients.

Even though these connections might not be as close, they can be extremely valuable, often offering information or links that can broaden your reach and learning opportunities. 

Anyone whom you have built up even a slight rapport with, make sure to be proactive and add them on LinkedIn – whether that person is the office intern or the Finance Director of your main audit client. 

As you approach the end of your training contract, make a conscious effort to build genuine connections in every interaction you have with colleagues and clients, so that you can lean into this network when looking for your next role.

3. LinkedIn 

There’s no getting away from it. If you haven’t already, it’s time to embrace, build and promote your online presence, predominantly through LinkedIn. 

As a newly qualified accountant, your LinkedIn profile is your online personal brand and should be thought of as a tool to catch the eye of in-house talent acquisition teams, agency recruiters and hiring managers alike. Here are a few tips to get started.

Quick impression

Recruiters scan LinkedIn profiles in 30 seconds. Use your summary title (the title under your name) and profile summary to fully communicate your skillset. 

For example, instead of placing "Tax Senior" in your title, write “Tax Senior, Commerce & Industry | Chartered Accountant FAE” – the more keywords, the better. You have 120 characters so use them! 

Complete and accurate information 

Update all academic and career information to reflect your current qualifications and stage in practice. If you don’t show you’ve passed your FAEs, a recruiter might think you’re not qualified yet. 

Ensure employment dates are correct and match your CV, to avoid any discrepancies. Your LinkedIn profile should mirror your CV.

Public profile and personal touch

Don’t be afraid to promote yourself – but be personal – think of your LinkedIn summary as the landing page of a website: you need to give people a reason to stay and read on. 
Be mindful of what you share on LinkedIn. Avoid sensitive details like client names. 

Use LinkedIn

Now that you are set up, don’t be afraid to use LinkedIn! 

Connect with colleagues and clients, and join groups such as professional accounting organisations, your university alumni, etc., and make sure to research interviewers’ backgrounds and career paths, which will look impressive in an interview.

You can also switch your profile to “#OpenToWork” which can be set to only be seen by users with specific LinkedIn licences (i.e. recruiters and in-house talent acquisition teams).

Finally, don’t forget to include a (professional) picture! But not a selfie. Never a selfie.