As part of our partnership with the ICAEW we hosted a webinar on how ACA accountants can get the most from their career, which you can view here.
As part of our partnership with CASSL (ICAEW) we try to add value to CASSL members and all ACA students/Accountants who are thinking about next steps or what the future holds in general. With this in mind we started producing ACA next steps case studies (which is a short case study from a qualified ACA who has made the transition to industry).
During the course of our ACA advice series, we’ve been lucky enough to speak to a number of extraordinary individuals and innovative entrepreneurs. We asked them to draw upon their wealth of knowledge and experience to answer the simple question – “What advice would you offer to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?”. They had the following insights to offer:
Senior Analyst at Amazon
“I think it’s important to be patient for the right role but at the same time you shouldn’t be afraid to take the leap. I stayed in practice for 6 years, and although the experience I got was invaluable, I felt by the end I wasn’t learning or developing as much as I wanted, which is when I left.”
Dominic Clifford, a Senior Financial Analyst at Expedia Affiliate Network
“Focus your search on an industry and/or role you have a passion for. This will drive you to perform above and beyond the responsibilities & expectations of the workplace so you can truly make an impact.”
David Tuck of Chaser
“My best piece of advice for a newly qualified ACA with aspirations to become an entrepreneur would be to quit practice now! I feel like I left it a bit too late. You think “Oh great, cool salary increase which is amazing”, when actually it’s really tough because you expand to that level of income. In terms of the skillset you have it’s really valuable, however your opportunities are at their greatest when you’re not requiring salary parity. It’s a great foundation to do the ACA but move before you start earning too much money as this naturally becomes a constraint.”
And if you’re thinking of starting your own startup…
Simon Gormer, Founder & CEO of Facewatch
“Be careful with your cash and invest in strong sales people! Learn to listen; I got a lot of good advice that I didn’t listen to. Remember that you have to fail to succeed – I spent money on things that I didn’t need to, but this taught me a lot about the market and helped me to build a network of invaluable contacts. Learn from your mistakes, keep pivoting and read all you can.”
ACA’s and Talentedge
Talentedge are partners of the ICAEW. On January 31st at 10am, we’ll be hosting a Webinar to help ACA graduates get the most from their career and stand out in a crowded market. Register for the Webinar here.
Talentedge specialises in placing finance people into media, marketing services, tech and lifestyle brands sectors in London. We’re happy to give advice to part-qualified ACA’s and consult with qualified ACA’s interested in the above sectors at any stage of their career, from newly-qualified to CFO level. Contact us for a confidential, friendly chat about your career on: 0203 879 9700.
