Now that you are newly qualified you can shift your full attention to building your professional career and invest your time into putting the key building blocks in place.
If you are qualifying as an ACA in 2022 then welcome to the next phase of your career. Let’s call it phase 2 since the phase 1 hard slog of study and exams is over. You can now concentrate on what all qualified professionals do post exams and start to sculpt a working life or ‘career’ that works for you and meets your ambitions and life balance. The bad news is that the journey of career-build is as much art as it is science but its equally as much time and effort as when you were studying. So put in your gumshield and let’s look at a few actions and steps to help you build your ideal “Career Pathway” …
- Put an action in your diary to check out the ACA employment market every week and review the movers and shakers and what they are doing. Linkedin, Accountancy Ireland and industry publications and award ceremonies are good on this front. Here is a current status for Q1 2022. www.charteredaccountants.ie/Western/news-item/job-market-update-2022---young-professionals
- Decide what your personal brand looks like and what direction you want to take it – what you want to be known for.
- Decide if you want to spend time in Practice, Industry or Financial Services and further to that if there are specialisms or particular sectors that appeal to you or play to your strengths.
- Constantly gauge your remuneration level and ensure its reflective of the market and of your ‘value-add’ to your employer.
- Treat your career-build like a long term ongoing project with a centrally maintained spreadsheet of data / research and tracking. Set deadlines and milestones for your career as you would in any project.
- If you are stepping into the market for a new job :
- Do a career audit
- List out your key successes to date
- Identify your USP’s
- Refine a few ‘achievement oriented’ CV’s
- Link In with ACA’s who are 2 or 3 years ahead of you in their Career post qualification with a polite message like : “Hi Jenny, I am a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland like yourself. Delighted to connect if inclined. Kind regards Dave”
- Plan your career 2 moves ahead even if you don’t have a 5 year plan. As yourself ‘What happens if I take this job offer? How will it impact my subsequent career move in a few years?’
- Don’t rule out contract job options – Sometimes they can be the clever move post qualification.
- Build a Career Plan ! - www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/the-basic-elements-of-a-formal-career-plan-for-a-newly-qualified-chartered-accountant
- Make Linkedin a weekly habit : Like / Share / Join Groups / Comment / connect / Use KeyWords / Endorse people / Get and write Recommendations / Publish & Post.
- Networking is the spine off a successful career so start building your network now – (Ex)Colleagues, LinkedIn, Social Media, Events.
To some, when they qualify, it may seem like the perfect time to distance yourself from the Institute as you are relieved from studies and exams. However, being newly qualified is actually a fantastic opportunity to use the extra time to boost your personal brand by forming a closer relationship with the Institute and leveraging the networking and profile and other facilities that the Institute can offer you by way of career enhancement. Get involved with the different societies and Groups and committees.
Finally a reminder that your Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers team are here for you at any stage as a sounding board and an impartial first port of call when thinking about a career move and you can reach us on :
Dave Riordan (FCA) dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie careers@charteredaccountants.ie
Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team – Chartered Accountants Ireland
Phone: +353 1 637 7251 |
Mobile: +353 87 9674285
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