graduate accounting jobs - recruitment agency careers online

A career in accounting can broaden your long-term career prospects and enable you to work within different industries, while providing you with what every graduate strives for: a good quality of life.

You will also get to meet a wide range of people and enjoy a certain level of independence, even if you are part of a partnership.

What may surprise you is that you don't necessarily need a financial or accountancy degree to get into the profession. Angus Farr, graduate recruitment manager at accounting firm HLB Kidsons, said: "When it comes to passing professional exams, you actually find that graduates with non-relevant degrees fare as well, if not better than, graduates with a related degree."

Therefore, most large accounting firms will recruit from any degree discipline but you will need a minimum 2:1 degree and 22 UCAS points.

Training for this career is comprehensive - you will need to sit professional exams, which can be very tough and time-consuming. HLB Kidsons recently estimated its investment in graduate training over the course of a three-year training contract to be £100,000.

The skills necessary for the profession are consistent with what you would expect: accuracy, numeracy, ability to work as part of a team, logic, leadership skills, ability to remain impartial, general commercial awareness, good communication skills ... the list goes on.

So, to get through interview stage and give yourself a good start in the profession you should demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and a good commercial and business awareness. Prospective employers will look for signs of initiative so, if you are serious about a career in accountancy, registering as a CIMA student will certainly help.

Here are some handy links to professional associations you can contact for further information:

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW)

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)