No two accountancy careers are the same and there’s no rule book that says at what point you should be looking to progress your career to the next tier on the practice hierarchy.
But in our role as trusted career counsellors, we do encounter lots of accountants who have become complacent in their roles and haven’t twigged that the skills and experience they’ve gained mean that they are more than ready to stretch themselves and be seeking new opportunities at the next professional level.
In this article we thought it would be helpful to showcase 5 signs that it’s time to stretch your reach and start applying for more senior roles in practice.
5 signs it’s time to S-T-R-E-T-C-H…….
1. I know most of the things that I need to do on a daily basis in my current position and the skills I use come naturally to me.
In this instance you’re autonomously completing your workload to a high standard and those in senior positions to you trust that you’re able to get the job done and trust you to get on with it with minimal supervision.
You’re ready to stretch!
2. You would like to increase your professional and technical knowledge but you’re limited due to the experiences that you encounter when undertaking the tasks in your job description.
For example, perhaps you’ve built up specific knowledge in the field of tax advisory by gaining new qualifications, listening to your senior colleagues at work and engaging in continued professional development activities. But the expectations and limitations of your current role mean that you’re not able make use of this knowledge and showcase how you might be able to deliver it to enhance client relationships.
You’re ready to stretch!
3. Your colleagues who work alongside you often come to you for advice and guidance.
This is a sure fire sign that you’re perfectly poised for supervisory or leadership positions. Regardless of whether you’re an experienced Semi Senior or a Director looking to move to Partnership, if the people who are working at your level look to you for a nod of approval, you’re ready to step up and STRETCH!
4. You feel like you’re ready for more of a challenge.
There’s nothing more dangerous to your career than boredom. If you’re a talented accountant, then you’ll thrive under pressure and often produce your best work when adequately challenged. So being bored with the work that you’re undertaking is a really important sign to recognise. Don’t allow yourself to become complacent, instead focus on achieving some stretch in your career.
5. A trusted recruitment partner (aka Public Practice Recruitment Ltd) tell you you’re ready for more.
And we see a lot of CVs and talk to a lot of accountants so believe us when we tell you it’s time to be applying for bigger and better things as we really do have our fingers on the pulse of what opportunities are out there and how you can be adequately rewarded for the skills, experience and qualifications you’ve worked hard for.
‘We meet lots of accountants who have self limiting beliefs that they shouldn’t progress to the next level in their career. Often it’s their employer who wants to retain them without offering the reward that they deserve that is to blame. And we’re perfectly positioned to act as your professional cheerleader and help nudge you to achieve that little bit more.’
Garry Howling, MD
If reading this blog has inspired you to limber up ready to stretch yourself to achieve big things professionally, then be sure to upload your CV today or email our team to book a confidential registration call so we can help you identify where best to start your search.
We’re excited to help you know your true worth!
