Getting into financial services

Anonymous wrote:

I have recently been made redundant from my post in a 4 partner firm of accountants. I have 18 months of management accounting exposure in my first major accountancy role (NHS foundation trust) as well as 18 months of audit, accounts preparation, group accounts, sole practitioner and parnership accounts, as well as book-keeping from my most recent role.

Clients I have worked on have had turnovers up to £26m. From working with a variety of clients I had exposure to a wide range of accountancy/reporting packages.I am now trying to break into financial services as an analyst, management accountant or financial accountant. I am also 2 exams away from being ACCA part qualified, and have a 2.1 Bsc in Economics.

Simply, how do i get into this industry given my experience to date?


A senior manager in WH Marks Sattin's financial services team replied:

Breaking into financial services at a part qualified level is usually possible and most companies will be quite open to background, so long as you display the right personable qualities and can demonstrate tangible reasons for wanting to move into financial services. Roles vary but we often place a lot of part qualified people into financial or fund accounting roles with a range of companies from banks to small private equity firms and fund administrators.

At the moment the volume of part qualified roles has dropped off considerably as budgets have tightened and financial markets have contracted. The best advice we can give is to keep checking our website for opportunities but your background is not uncommon and provided you are determined enough and can present well at interview, moving into financial services without direct industry experience isn't as difficult as you might think.

Best of luck

WH Marks Sattin


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