I’ve recently completed my AAT course, so I’m now a qualified accounting technician and looking forward to starting my career. I’ve decided I’d like to work for an accounts department, rather than for chartered accountants, and have a particular interest in the public sector. What methods can I employ to find the right job? Also, what are the risks and how can I avoid them?Firstly, it’s paramount you have a clear idea about what you wish to achieve in your career, and conduct your own market research, in this case into the public sector. This way you can have realistic expectations of what your new
job could be, what salary you can expect and where you may be required to work.
The three most effective routes to finding a new role at technician level are to apply directly, use an agency or use a recruitment website.
Applying directly can work well if the process is followed correctly, ie, you have researched the company, have the right contact name and your CV is of a high quality. The pitfalls however, are that it can be time-consuming, stressful and, depending on the organisation’s recruitment strategy, difficult to monitor.
The services of an agency can be useful, providing you find a good consultant. They should be able to market your skills in an efficient and professional manner to the clients you wish to work for. Before choosing a consultant, ask yourself ‘If I were a client, would I deal with this person?’. Ask questions about the clients and assess the quality of service. If you feel dissatisfied or uncomfortable with this approach, the chances are any potential employer will feel the same.
Any consultant is working for you, so stay in control of your CV and your career. This way you can avoid your details being sent repeatedly to the same clients or attending interviews that you are not suitable for.
Recruitment websites are excellent for building market knowledge; they can also help you find the right consultant. But most of the adverts are placed by recruitment consultants, so if you apply for 100 jobs you may receive just as many calls. You should also look at how long an ad has been running to assess if that job is still there.
For more articles and information, visit the AAT Website at
http://www.aat.org.uk/