Top 5 things to do post qualification.

Top 5 things to do post qualification :

If you completed a Masters prior to your 3 year training you are likely completing your contract now and becoming fully qualified members of Chartered Accountants Ireland. As such, here are a few pointers for you to consider as you move forward and start to put the framework in place for a successful professional career :

The top actions you should do after passing your ACA exams :

1. Grow your practical experience: Consider staying in your training firm for 6 or 12 months to bed in your experience to date as a qualified member.
2. Consider further education: Stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends, regulations, and technologies and start your CPD. You may want to do small punch courses that add to your cv and enhance your brand in a particular sector and add to your cv.
3. Build your professional network: Its never too early to start! You should attend industry events, joining professional organizations, and connect with Chartered Accountant peers in person as well as on LinkedIn.
4. Set career goals: You should set clear career goals and develop a career plan to achieve them. Whether you aspire to become a partner at an accounting firm, start your own business, or be a CFO in industry, setting goals can help you stay focused and motivated as you move forward in your career.
5. Connect with Mentors : Its important you start a relationship with 2 or 3 mentors for the years ahead as sounding boards and guiding lights for your career decisions ahead of you.

It can be useful to see the full spectrum of diverse roles and jobs available in the Market in 2024/5 for Irish Chartered Accountants. To get you thinking, a small subset of these include:

• Audit Manager  / Tax Manager  /  Financial Controller  / Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• Management Accountant  / Corporate Finance Manager  / Business Analyst
• Risk Manager  / Investment Analyst  /  Financial Planner  / Internal Auditor
• Forensic Accountant  / Insolvency Practitioner  / Fund Accountant  / Financial Accountant  /  Financial Reporting Manager  / Financial Modeller  / Treasury Manager  / Group Accountant  / Project Accountant.

You will also need to consider your approach to interviews in the years ahead and many interviews pivot on discussions around your core competencies for the role and your transferrable soft skills that you bring with you to new projects and jobs Here are some of the main competencies and soft skills you will need to talk about at interview in the time ahead :

1. Technical Accounting knowledge: You should be able to convey solid examples of accounting, auditing, taxation, finance, and business management.
2. Analytical skills: You should be capable of analysing complex financial information, identify patterns, and make informed decisions.
3. Attention to detail: You will convey excellent attention to detail and be able to identify errors and discrepancies in financial data.
4. Communication skills: You must develop your communication style to build relationships with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders and communicate in a clear and concise manner.
5. Time management: You will articulate your strengths at managing your time effectively and prioritising tasks to meet deadlines.
6. Teamwork: You will have stories about working collaboratively with colleagues and clients to achieve common goals.
7. Ethics: A Chartered Accountant should have a strong ethical code and adhere to professional standards of conduct and outline this at interview.
8. Leadership: You will likely need to lead teams, manage projects, and provide guidance to colleagues.
9. Adaptability: Build stories demonstrating how you are able to adapt to changing environments, technologies, and regulations.

As always, do connect with your Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team in the year ahead if you need a good sounding board for career decisions or if you are moving job and want an independent unbiased recruitment service to put you forward for interviews and hand hold through the process.

Dave Riordan (FCA)

Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie