Looking for part-time work? You’re in luck, as the accountancy industry is quite flexible when it comes to part time opportunities, especially in the small to medium sized firms.
So, what will I actually be doing?
Your job spec will be different depending on which arm of accountancy you work in. You can get more of a flavour for each role, from credit control to purchase ledger and payroll, by looking at each of our specific accountancy job descriptions.
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The nitty gritty
Your working week will really depend on your availability and your company's needs, so you'll have to negotiate on the number of hours or days of the week you are needed.
Part-time could mean you work fewer than five days a week or it could mean you work a full week on short hours - maybe 10am to 3pm instead of 9am to 5.30pm.
You've got plenty of opportunities to work up the career ladder into more senior positions. There may be a point when you decide to go full-time to increase your chances of getting the most senior roles in your field.
Money, money, money
If you work part time your salary could be broken down in several ways.
The job description might directly tell you the salary offered for the role.
It could tell you the full time salary and say that a part time position pays 'pro rata'. What this means is you'll be paid a percentage of the full time salary according to the actual time you work.
You could also land a role where you are paid on an hourly or project basis - this is most likely if you're a freelance consultant.
Your earning power will depend on lots of factors. Your job, your employer, your experience and the number of hours you actually work to name a few. Our specific job descriptions will give you an idea of the salary bands full time employees in your chosen career earn.
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The good points...
Once you have reached a certain level you'll have a great bank of transferrable skills which will allow you to move quite easily from an accountancy role to a more general management position or even into IT.
...and the bad
Most of the time you'll work a set pattern of hours and days each week, but there may be times when the office is busy and you are asked to switch your days or work some overtime.
Is there study involved?
The minimum entry requirements will depend on the job you are looking for.
It's safe to say that you need GCSEs, especially in maths and English to get started in any field, but with a mix of hard work, experience and professional exams you can work your way up from there.
If you're looking to get on the fast track to the top you'll almost certainly need a degree.
Even if you work part-time, the focus of your early years in accountancy will be on getting your professional exams.
The two courses you'll hear most regularly mentioned around the industry are the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA). Most companies will support you financially through your exams.
OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?
You'll need a good head for numbers to get into any accountancy role, but the following skills are also really important:
- Good analytical skills
- Good organisational skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- The ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
- Confident with IT (especially Excel and any financial software packages)
- Good communications skills (written and verbal)
- Happy working as part of a team and managing others
- Discreet and trustworthy
