How to get a Trainee Accountant position? Please help!! :D

Hi all,

I am a recent psychology graduate with a first class honours. I am interested in going into accounting but I would really like some experience at a company, ideally I would like a trainee position where I can gain some proper experience, whilst studying to do an ACCA qualification or ACA I don't mind either one! But I am finding it hard to find positions, I have been searching online but I can't seem to find anything suitable!

Do you have any advice? Or anyone in a similar situation/ been there done that?

Please let me know! :biggrin:

Thanks!!

Reply 1

Ice_Queen

Go to an agency. Apply to every grad scheme you can find.

You'll get something :smile:

I started out in purchase ledger but now have a nice lucrative CIMA training contract inc. tuition!

Reply 2

Cyberfizz

Original post by Ice_Queen

Go to an agency. Apply to every grad scheme you can find.

You'll get something :smile:

I started out in purchase ledger but now have a nice lucrative CIMA training contract inc. tuition!

Nicee good for you! :biggrin:

How did you get the purchase ledger position? was it tough getting the training contract?

Reply 3

AW1983

First class honours degree in Psychology? Have you got 320 UCAS points and decent grades for English and Maths at GCSE? If so, for the time being, I would only consider ICAEW training contracts at these places:

Deloitte & Touche, PwC, EY, KPMG..... and maybe also Grant Thornton and BDO.

If you don't get into any of these then start looking wider but you should aim high.

Reply 4

Ice_Queen

Original post by Cyberfizz

Nicee good for you! :biggrin:

How did you get the purchase ledger position? was it tough getting the training contract?

Through a friend of a friend. I was just finishing my MSc and needed quick cash. They said there would be plenty of progression opportunities for me so it was perfect.

If you show promise, a lot of big companies will be prepared to pay for you. Often it will be written into your contract that you have to pay a certain percentage back if you leave before a certain period of time, but that's not generally a problem.

Original post by AW1983

1. The ACA qualification is not the only one out there. Different qualifications have different advantages.
2. The OP hasn't stated a preference for financial accounting or management accounting. Deloitte, PWC etc. are all very good for some people, but I would hate working there. I work in industry with management accountants, I see different things from day to day, such varied roles. I love it.
3. Controversial it may be, but I don't respect accountants who 'started high' as much as those who didn't. I have worked right at the bottom of the food chain in PL, so when I get into better positions I will have a better understanding of the industry and how accounting departments work. At my last place, the financial director was a lot better to the PL team than the financial controller simply because he had PL experience and understood our day-to-day work better.

Reply 5

Ice_Queen

Original post by maskofsanity

I think the ACA is best for graduates as it is the most versatile and keeps your options open. As the OP hasn't stated a preference for financial or management accounting, it would make sense to go for the ACA, especially as he's a graduate with a non-related degree and therefore probably has limited knowledge/experience of the profession.

Anyway, you're a little late in the cycle now but I would see what's available at the top ten firms. You don't need to join an agency, just go to their websites, e.g. apply to the Big 4, BDO, Grant Thornton and a couple of others like Smith & Williamson, etc.

That's true. I am just not a fan of people immediately saying 'do ACA' or 'do CIMA' without considering the merits of them all.

An agency is more for if you want to get into industry - working within a business rather than in practice. If you decide to take the practice route, I agree with maskofsanity; definitely apply for the grad schemes. They are tough to get through, but you can reap rewards from them.

Reply 6

AW1983

1. The ACA qualification is not the only one out there. Different qualifications have different advantages.

Yes, but the ACA is by far the most versatile and the most portable if you want to work abroad. In other words, it is by far the best qualification to keep your options open. That said, I'm doing CIMA myself, although my reasons are 1) I'm not a recent graduate and 2) I would not be prepared to a training contract at this stage of my career! I don't generally judge accountants on which professional body they trained with, if at all, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit ACAs tend to earn more or have swiftest access to the best PQE jobs.

2. The OP hasn't stated a preference for financial accounting or management accounting. Deloitte, PWC etc. are all very good for some people, but I would hate working there. I work in industry with management accountants, I see different things from day to day, such varied roles. I love it.

I'll assume that you were unaware that you can study from the entire range of ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA, CIMA and CIPFA with big four firms + 2 (Grant Thornton and BDO) in the UK and Ireland.

3. Controversial it may be, but I don't respect accountants who 'started high' as much as those who didn't. I have worked right at the bottom of the food chain in PL, so when I get into better positions I will have a better understanding of the industry and how accounting departments work. At my last place, the financial director was a lot better to the PL team than the financial controller simply because he had PL experience and understood our day-to-day work better.

Maybe, but let's note here that your making that observation as a subordinate and not a superior. In other words, you're forming an opinion based on how you perceive people senior to you, rather than comparing people who work for you and their value add. Your judgement then is on who makes a better boss rather than who makes a better accountant. Your opinions may well change as you rise through the ranks.