It's never been a better time to be a newly-qualified accountant.

Recently it has been revealed that as a newly-qualified accountant you can now earn record sums with the Financial Times quoting salaries of up to 65,000 a year in the city, and it is not only salaries that have spiralled but bonuses will also see a sharp increase this year. Some claim this increase is due to the massive demand in newly-qualifieds and this in turn is the result of a relatively small intake of graduates into accountancy practices in 2002-2003.

Another reason for the increase in demand of exceptional newly-qualified accountants is that they are becoming more integral to companies decision-making processes than ever, no longer are they simply bean counters. Rather than just collecting numbers and figures and reporting it back to managers, accountants are analyzing these figures and then explaining to management how a company is actually performing, how they anticipate it will perform in future and what steps and measures can be implemented to improve performance.

Due to the constantly changing business world with incidents such as the Enron scandal affecting the way businesses have to operate, new accounting specialties are emerging in response to this, and thus the need for accountants with a specialisation in international accounting is growing. Increased regulatory inspection of businesses means that forensic accounting as a discipline is on the rise. All this has lead to financial services holding chartered accountants especially those with a wealth of experience in high regard. Total compensation packages have continued to rise in response to the value placed on securing these qualified individuals in this current candidate market.

As a newly-qualified accountant you can now more than ever expect to command a higher salary - so that's why you need good recruitment advice.

Temporary & Contract Work

If you're a recently qualified accountant one option open to you is to consider temporary or contract work. You may not have decided on your long-term career path so temping is a great way to get a variety of experience and try it before you commit yourself. Some people never go back into full time permanent employment once they have got the taste for contract and interim work. In fact if you like having your independence maybe this is the career for you.

Many companies see temporary and contract staff as an essential and vital resource to help meet the demands of the business. You will be the type of person who relishes new challenges, enjoys meeting and working with new colleagues and who is not afraid to get stuck in and hit the ground running. Some of the benefits of becoming a contract worker include:

• Develop your technical and commercial skills whilst working across a range of industries gaining exposure to different working environments and working cultures.
  
• Only work when you want to/need to - take time out to enjoy yourself.
  
• Give yourself the opportunity to earn day rates with paid overtime that can be higher than the equivalent permanent employees.
  Don't get stuck in that rut!

Opportunities for overseas accountants

Contract work also provides great opportunities for overseas accountants to work in the UK. Research shows that a significant number of the UK's financial centre temporary workers are overseas professionals. With a buoyant economy and thousands of jobs in the UK's financial centres the attraction is obvious.
Over 6,000 newly qualified accountants come to the UK each year from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Because of the flexible nature of contract work, overseas candidates can easily combine a number of short-term contracts with periods of travelling in Europe making it the perfect option for individuals wanting to combine work and play.

Career Options for newaccountants

What kind of job are you interested in? For many of us accountancy training was a stepping stone from University and a great way to be paid whilst getting a universally respected professional qualification, as well as putting off the evil day when hard choices had to be made; what type of career or specialism let alone the location whether in the UK or overseas. For many of us that qualified in the profession the first question to be asked when qualifying was "how do I get out of audit!

Consultancy Jobs
Corporate Finance Jobs
Financial Control Jobs
Fund Accounting Jobs
Industry and Commerce
Internal Audit Jobs
Private Equity and Venture Capital Jobs
Professional Practice Jobs
SOX Jobs
Tax Accounting Jobs