Any accounts/finance people know how I can move up at work?

[redrovers]

I've been working in accounts (in industry) for 10 years now. I started as a finance assistant and now I'm a senior finance assistant, I've had a baby in the middle of that and gone part time which obviously hasn't helped me climb the career ladder particularly, but I did get the AAT qualification in that time.

Does anyone have any advice for how I can step up and try to become more of an assistant accountant?
I know I'm capable of more but I just need to know how I can get there! Thank you!

Apply for Assistant accountant jobs?

have you looked at starting CIMA / ACCA?

what promotion opportunities are there at your current work place? Do you have a mentor/line manager to approach?

What industry are you in?

The obvious way, I’m afraid, is to apply for a job with a new company that’s more senior. Being part-qualified will be a block eventually (from my experience) but shouldn’t be yet (and maybe shouldn’t be at all…but that’s another question). Who have you worked with who’s now elsewhere? Talk to them. Can you talk to your manager? Mine is forever helping people up (and that sometimes does mean out).

I work for a professional sports club (well known), although the pay and job is no different to any other finance role.

I would like to study CIMA or similar at some point in the next few years when my child is at school, but feel I could probably step up a bit before embarking on that.

Maybe I should chat with my manager about it, I think there is scope to take on a more evolved role at some point in the next couple of years, given she is going part-time soon.
I just feel like I'm stuck in a bit of a rut where I've been an assistant for so long I'm not really being considered iyswim?

Apply for assistant accountant roles. The local council where I am take finance officers/assistants. Make sure you know excel pretty well, as they might test. Things like pivot tables. They promote really quickly at our council. Most of the assistants move up to accountant within a couple of years.

What level AAT have you completed? If you've completed all of AAT, I'd say you should be fine to start applying for other roles. Have you enquired of your line manager what they would want, or your desire for promotion? What do you do in your current role? If it's (say) purchase ledger, perhaps ask if there are other tasks you could do, or if you are in the accounts payable department, enquire about moving department to obtain wider experience.

Hi!

Are you looking at getting a further qualification? I'm an accountant working in industry, we require people to be either ACCA or CIMA (prefer CIMA) qualified to progress past a certain point, although AAT is definitely a great starting point for people to progress from and shows a really good foundation of knowledge.

Can you get experience in some other areas in your current job role? What sort of assistant accountant do you want to be?

When I was an accounts assistant I asked for further "stretch" experience - went from just doing invoicing / bank recs / payroll, to doing hedging / monthly reporting which helped me get my next job as an assistant accountant. You could do with being hot on excel (as PP said pivot tables, dashboards, large data sets).

I’d speak to your line manager or mentor about it in the first instance. They should be able to let you know what level you should be at, how you can improve on what you’re already doing etc. I’d keep an eye out for a new job too, it’s often the best way to get a promotion.

I finished AAT level 4 a good few years ago now, before I had my son.

After I had him I was made redundant (which worked out well because it gave me a good pay off to buy a new house, plus I'd grown bored of the job) and now I've been at this job for 2 years.

I have probably 'fair' excel skills - I can do vlookups etc and pivot tables, maybe on a more basic level, but I'd say I am experienced with using excel, and quick.

It's difficult because I don't necessarily want to leave the place I'm at now, but equally if I were able to step up more easily that way maybe I should..

www.astranti.com/cpd/courses/mos-excel-course/

this is a course I recommend my team.

it may be worth investigating starting CIMA / ACCA as soon as you can. You can study at your own pace so it can fit well around family. More so with CIMA with the computer based exams that can be taken at any time, although there are three exams you must take within a window which is open 4 times per year.

sounds like you should speak to your line manager, see if you can take on more responsibilities or shadowing to learn more within the finance function before looking what else is on the market.