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Career Pathway

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  • Young professional
  • Developing
  • Expert
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  • Home/
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  • Professional & commercial skills
T1: Technical skills
L1: Leadership skills

PC1 This code refers to content for Level 1 Young Professional (0-3 yrs PQE) in professional & commercial skills ? Professional & commercial skills

What do they look like?

You are building a wide range of skills at this stage in your career that you will need to focus on equally, including ethics, diplomacy, resource management and more.

Professional skills include commercial awareness, self-management, and a recognition of the culture of the organisation and broader business, economic and political contexts.

Development activities
Career development support
Courses & publication
Future of the profession

Professional values

  • Possess professional values including integrity, impartiality, honesty, objectivity, respect and confidentiality
  • Show a commitment to quality, continuous improvement and accountability for decisions and actions
  • Continually acquires and apply new knowledge and learning to improve performance
  • Raise compliance, ethical or other issues to protect the organisation's reputation and obligations - Show your commitment to the public interest
  • Exercise professional scepticism and judgement

Resilience

  • Capacity to recover quickly from setbacks
  • Put matters in perspective and do not take criticism personally
  • Demonstrate a positive level of stamina and determination when dealing with obstacles
  • Be able to recognise the triggers and impacts of stress and then implement techniques to deal with it

Interpersonal effectiveness

  • Able to communicate cross functionally within an organisation
  • Listen and read cues from various sources to assess how to adjust and respond appropriately
  • Actively identify and nurture formal and informal contacts that will facilitate the achievement of strategic goals

Organisational knowledge

  • Understand organisational structures and the dynamics of the operations
  • Demonstrate awareness of how your area contributes to the organisation
  • Be aware of the needs of the organisation and the internal and external factors impacting the business

Team work

  • Ability to work as part of a team; working collaboratively with others to achieve goals
  • Resolve issues that arise with minimal direction
  • Take new initiatives aimed at improving team performance

Communication skills

  • Can write on complex and specialised issues
  • Convey critical financial information to facilitate complete understanding of financial matters

Diplomatic sensitivity

  • Maintain objectivity when your own positions or opinions are challenged
  • Encourage others to contribute by overcoming diversity issues and promote inclusion

Develop talent

  • Encourage the development of more junior team members
  • Provide constructive feedback and seek feedback for your own personal development

Career management

  • Invest time in considering and planning for the next stage of your own career. Seek professional support with the development of a career plan

Resource management

  • You manage your own work schedule, set and meet deadlines and involve stakeholders

Focussing on achievement

  • Set challenging goals for yourself and your area of responsibility

Networking

  • Able to develop networks and to manage professional relationships
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Development activities

How can you get there?

Here are our suggestions for boosting your skills in the three main areas at this stage of your career.
Don't forget, many of these are FREE!

  • Use this Career Pathway template to set goals, improve performance and identify gaps
  • Use the coach and mentoring services provided free by Chartered Accountants Ireland
  • Develop a career/personal development plan
  • Keep a reflective learning journal
  • Review performance appraisal feedback
  • Take some more CPD courses
  • Keep reading industry publications like Accountancy Ireland
  • Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
  • Refer to Harvard Business Review/Forbes articles
  • Volunteer for social committee and events
  • Get involved with sports teams or community groups
  • Review TedTalks
  • Develop your LinkedIn profile
  • Take on some exercise/yoga/mindfulness
  • Get involved in key projects within your organisation
  • Build your network
  • Explore the area of emotional intelligence
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Career development support

As a member at any stage in your career from newly qualified to post-retirement, our career service is here to support you. In full confidence, we'll coach you, help with your CV, give interview preparation tips, set up mentoring, help you find a role, or to find the best staff. Call us anytime you need us on +353 1 637 7331 or email us at careers@charteredaccountants.ie. We want to hear from you.

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Courses & publication

Recommended specialist qualifications

Title

Diploma in Data Analytics and Strategy
Read more
Diploma in Corporate Finance   Read more
Diploma in Excellence in Financial Reporting    Read more
Certificate in Leadership Essentials   Read more
Diploma in Strategic Finance and Business Partnering    Read more
Diploma in Taxation   Read more
Certificate in Cyber Security and Data Incident Management   Read more
Diploma in Risk Management, Internal Audit and Compliance   Read more
Chartered Tax Consultant
Read more
Diploma in Forensic Accounting and Investigation   Read more
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Recommended CPD courses

TitleStart datePriceCPD hours 
CPD Blitz 2025 (ROI) Online17 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 (NI) Online11 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 - (Dublin) In Person04 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 (NI) In Person27 Nov 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 - (Cork) In Person26 Nov 2025 10Read more
Risk, Governance and Leadership Conference 2025 (ROI/NI)05 Nov 2025 4Read more
Mercia Masterclass: Preparing for a Monitoring Visit (ROI/NI)27 May 2025 4Read more

Recommended CPD courses

TitleStart datePriceCPD hours 
CPD Blitz 2025 (ROI) Online17 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 (NI) Online11 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 - (Dublin) In Person04 Dec 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 (NI) In Person27 Nov 2025 10Read more
CPD Blitz 2025 - (Cork) In Person26 Nov 2025 10Read more
Risk, Governance and Leadership Conference 2025 (ROI/NI)05 Nov 2025 4Read more
Mercia Masterclass: Preparing for a Monitoring Visit (ROI/NI)27 May 2025 4Read more
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Recomended CPD online courses

TitleStart datePriceCPD hours 
Spring 2025 Company Secretarial Update (ROI) On Demand20 Mar 2025 4Read more
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Recommended publications

 TitlePrice 
A Practical Guide to Value-added Tax€40.00Read more
A Professional's Guide to Understanding Stress and Depression€5.00Read more
Client Science: The Five Cs Marketing Plan for Professionals€30.00Read more
Digital Marketing€16.99Read more
This Business of Writing€18.00Read more
Your Brand: Advance your Career by Building a Personal Brand€17.99Read more
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Future of the profession

IFAC

Title Source
Future-Fit Accountants: Roles for the Next Decade See PDF
Source
A Vision for the CFO & Finance Function See PDF
Source
Evaluating the Finance Function See PDF
Source

CPA

Title Source

What’s next for the profession? Listen to the forecast initiative podcast series

See page
Source

SAICA

Title Source

Leadership in a time of crisis series: Fact-based view of why the world is getting better

 See page
Source
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Professional & commercial news

  • The coach's corner - April/May 2025

    Apr 10, 2025

  • Building connections, careers and confidence through student societies

    Mar 07, 2025

  • “I am deeply committed to the vision outlined in our Net Zero by 2040 strategy”

    Dec 09, 2024

  • What does 2025 look like for newly qualified accountants?

    Nov 05, 2024

  • “I firmly believe that, once you become an accountant, you can do anything you want”

    Oct 09, 2024
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Back to choose your career pathway
Level 2: Developing [3-10 years PQE]

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