Industry and commerce offers dynamic and challenging career opportunities for newly qualified accountants keen to apply their skills and develop their experience in a commercial environment - the real world. There is a wide range of roles and responsibilities covering all aspects of Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Financial Analysis, Internal Audit, Taxation or Treasury.

If you want to get use your qualification as a springboard to get into the real business world then this may be the route for you. Battle-hardened commercially savvy accountants are worth their weight in gold, but you only get that experience if you work your way up in the right type of corporate environment. You will need to be resourceful and be a quick learner, as the one thing for certain is that in this environment where time and mistakes cost money there is little time to stand still as deadlines and budgets have to be rigidly maintained with a real emphasis on delivery.

Newly qualified accountants may work within head office functions, group functions or subsidiary operations. You may join a larger organisation (FTSE 100 companies have a continual need for the best newly qualified candidates) and be an important part of a finance team with specific responsibilities. Or you may prefer to work in a smaller business or team where newly qualified accountants can get involved in more aspects of the business including a more strategic involvement and be more 'hands on' with commercial issues. Which route you decide to take will be down to personal choice and so it is up to you to decide which type of role, industry sector and size of business would best suit you and your aspirations. And if you don't get it right first time at least you will know what you don't want!

But whatever choice you make the golden rule that all accountants in business should be aware of is:

• Turnover is Vanity
  
• Profit is sanity
  
• CASH is king!

Forget that at your peril, and remember that without a proper understanding of the cash flow and working capital needs of any business, whatever its size, you will head for the rocks. Many accountants have forgotten this golden rule to their cost. Rule 2 is that whatever the sales director promises halve it!

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