ACCOUNTANCY

FINDING THE RIGHT JOB
choosing the right employer
choosing the right employer
Where you choose to train and work as an accountant will directly affect your day to
day activities, salary and career prospects. Make sure you know the differences and
relative advantages and disadvantages of different areas of industry and sizes of
firm before making an informed decision about where to start your career.
Deciding what type of employer you would like
to work for is one of those important choices that
you have to make when you start looking for work.
Different sectors all have their own advantages and
disadvantages: it’s down to you to decide what
suits your personality and career aspirations best.
An ICAEW Chartered Accountant can choose to
work in any sector and in all sizes of organisation:
there is no typical employer. Although the majority
of ICAEW training agreements tend to be offered
in public practice, there are a growing number of
training agreements in banks and businesses.
With over 3,300 registered training offices, recruiters
will look for evidence that you have researched the
sectors and specialist areas you are interested in.
Showing that you can differentiate employers by
size, by their services, their clients and what sector
they operate in will reflect well on you in interviews.
The ACA qualification remains the same regardless
of where you are working, so it is important to find
an authorised training employer who suits you.
Where can I train?
Public practice
Public practices provide a variety of accounting
and business services to clients. These are
accountancy firms that offer fee-paying services,
ranging from audit and tax to management
consultancy and forensic accounting.
Within public practice there are large
international firms, including large global
accountancy firms – PwC, EY, KPMG and Deloitte
– as well as medium and small accountancy firms.
Large firms have offices in major towns and cities
around the country and abroad, providing the
possibility of travel, and often have hundreds
of trainees at any one time, allowing you to
specialise in specific areas early on.
Smaller firms may be concentrated in one
location or specialise in a particular type of
client. At a smaller firm you will have the
opportunity to gain a broader experience,
providing an all-round service to clients on a
more personal basis and achieve responsibility
early on in your training.
Different sectors have different
advantages and disadvantages:
it’s up to you to decide what
best suits your personality and
career aspirations.
Public sector
The public sector includes local and central
government, charities and not-for-profit
organisations. Examples include The
National Audit Office, NHS and Department
for Work and Pensions.
If you work in the public sector you will quickly
develop commercial and decision-making
skills as you allocate and monitor resources
– helping to see that they’re efficiently and
effectively deployed to give value for money.
Many graduates look towards the public sector
to develop their career because it provides the
opportunity for a work/life balance and the
chance to give something back to society.
As well as training and working directly in the
public sector, there are many opportunities
with professional service firms to work within
specialist public service practices, advising
client organisations in the public sector.
Industry and commerce
After qualification many accountants move
into industry and commerce. This includes
major commercial companies, such as those
in the manufacturing, retail and telecoms
industries. Many of these businesses also
offer ACA training themselves, including
Centrica and McDonald’s.
Financial services can include global banks
with departments that offer ICAEW training
agreements. Examples are Goldman Sachs,
HSBC and Macquarie. Typically accountants
working within financial services work in
middle office banking roles, such as working
in control, monitoring trade activity.
Authorised Training Principal (ATP) scheme
The ATP scheme is a new way to train as a
chartered accountant and is ideal if you’re
looking to work for an organisation that is not
an ICAEW authorised training employer.
Your ATP will be responsible for monitoring
your progress through your ACA training,
reviewing your development, guiding
and advising you. If your manager or any
other senior manager in your company is a
qualified accountant, they may be eligible
to act as an ATP. As long as they can prove
they meet our eligibility criteria, it is a free
and straightforward process. Once they are
authorised, you can register as a student and
start your ACA training straight away.
For more information about
the ATP scheme visit:
icaew.com/employers
Beyond training
Three years may seem like a long time when
you are at university, but in the world of
work that time will pass quickly. Whatever
size or type of organisation you choose to
train with, your career opportunities are
endless; the ACA qualification opens doors
to all business sectors. Once qualified you
will not be limited in your opportunities
to gain exposure to larger companies or
experience within a specific sector.
In the meantime it’s really up to you to see
what you enjoy most and decide what type
of environment suits you best! •
50 For graduate jobs, internships & placements visit www.insidecareers.co.uk/acc
For graduate jobs, internships & placements visit www.insidecareers.co.uk/acc 51