Accountancy and Tax
Research careers and find opportunities in accountancy and tax
About
Accounting and professional services firms are one of the largest recruiters of new graduates.
According to a report by High Fliers, 7,752 graduates were recruited by accountancy and professional services firms in 2022.
The same report shows that there is a targeted 6% increase in graduate recruitment during 2023. An extra 428 vacancies are planned, compared with 2022.
After securing a graduate role you may study for professional qualifications. Most accountancy employers will give you time to study and pay for your exams.
Job profiles
Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:
- Accounting technician
- Auditor - see case studies from Inside Careers
- Chartered accountant - see case studies from Inside Careers
- Chartered certified accountant
- Chartered management accountant - see case studies from Inside Careers
- Chartered public finance accountant
- Corporate treasurer
- Financial manager
- Forensic accountant - see case studies from Inside Careers
- Tax adviser
Skills employers look for
- analytical and problem-solving skills
- numeracy skills, particularly working with statistics
- a methodical approach, with accuracy and attention to detail
- communication and interpersonal skills
- leadership and effective team working skills
- initiative
Employers will want you to show a real interest in and awareness of finance and business. They will also expect you to be proficient with IT.
Most graduate roles in this sector require you to study while working. Self-motivation, commitment, time-management and working under pressure to deadlines are all important.
For roles in tax, you need the ability to interpret and explain complex legislation to non-specialists. Tact and discretion are also essential, as you will be working with confidential information.
Salaries
Starting salaries for graduate jobs can vary depending on the position and location of the role. According to a 2023 report from High Fliers, the average starting salary for graduates in accounting and professional services was £35,000.
For information about salaries for specific roles use the following resources:
- our Discover your Earning Potential Pathway offers access to The Pay Index. This shows you how salaries vary across different roles, industries and locations
- job profiles, such as those listed on Prospects or targetjobs
- vacancy sites such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn
For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.
Inspiration from people working in the industry
- Browse our NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes directory. See examples of what our graduates were doing 15 months after their studies.
- Use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13].
- Search our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.
- Attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates.
- Sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting.
- Attend events such as recruitment events and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs and placement schemes, build your network and ask questions.
Online reviews
Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.
Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:
· RateMyPlacement placement year reviews written by students.
· The Job Crowd – graduate job reviews
· Glassdoor – company reviews from employees
Not sure what you want to do?
If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.
Career guides
The following websites give advice about careers in accountancy:
- Accountancy, banking and finance (Prospects)
- Accountancy, banking and finance (TARGETJobs)
- ICAEW Accountancy careers blog
For tax and financial management there is:
- Tax: graduate area of work (TARGETJobs)
- Tax (Inside Careers)
- Corporate treasury (TARGETJobs)
- A Career in Treasury (Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)
Attend events
Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.
Many big employers and the professional bodies in this sector run events and other opportunities. EY and PwC advertise their student events on their websites.
ICAEW run careers events, including interview skills and improving public speaking.
See our events, including recruitment events and employer & sector insights.
Student societies
Join accounting or tax specific student societies. The Accounting and Finance Society often organises and promotes events and invites guest speakers to talk about their careers.
Social media
Use social media to find industry insights.
Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.
Find out more about how to use social media for your career.
Professional bodies
Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network
Professional bodies often:
- run networking events
- have specialist groups you could join
- post vacancies on behalf of their members
- have member directories, useful for speculative applications
Key organisations include:
The main professional UK institutes for accountancy include:
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW)
- Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
- Institute of Financial Accountants – for non-chartered accountants
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
- Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors
- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
There are also accountancy associations and financial regulation authorities, including:
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
- Association of Practising Accountants – for medium-sized firms
- Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
- Financial Conduct Authority – regulates UK financial services
- Prudential Regulation Authority – regulates banks, building societies, insurers etc
Organisations related to tax include:
- Chartered Institute of Taxation
- Association of Taxation Technicians
- Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) deals with financial management.
Finding professional bodies worldwide
GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.
Guide to finding opportunities
Many large recruiters, such as EY, Deloitte, PwC and KPMG, advertise summer internships, year-long placements and graduate training programmes in accountancy and tax.
You can also find opportunities within government agencies and public bodies, such as the NHS and the Civil Service.
There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.
- search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
- look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies
- attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
- contact employers speculatively – see Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach
- follow companies on social media for latest news and updates
- consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
- register with EmployAbility if you have a neurodivergent condition, mental health condition or another disability. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners.
- ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience
- consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
- create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance – see Work for Yourself
Search for internships and placement years
Use our resources to get started:
- MyCareer - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
- Internships, placements & shadowing - links to vacancy sites
- Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad
Search the following external sites for more opportunities:
NCL Internships
- The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.
- You can search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer - just type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.
Worldwide experience
Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:
- additional vacancy websites
- CV, application and interview advice
- Advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.
When to apply
The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them.
For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.
UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.
Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.
Vacancy sites
- MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
- Careers Service: Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites
Accounting and finance vacancy sites
- eFinancial Careers - worldwide jobs in all financial sectors. Site also includes examples of real interview questions, listed by employer.
- GAAPweb
- City Jobs
- Accountancy Age Jobs – search by experience level
- Guardian Jobs – under ‘job level’ select ‘graduate’ or ‘entry level’
Public sector, audit, tax and corporate treasury
Graduate schemes:
Graduate jobs:
- LG Jobs - vacancies in local government
- Civil service jobs
- Taxation - Jobs
- Careers in Audit
- ACT Treasury Jobs
Professional bodies – training vacancies and immediate start jobs
- ICAEW – training vacancies and jobs search
- ACCA – graduates and jobs board
- CIMA – Global jobs
- CIPFA – current opportunities
- ICAS – training vacancies and job search
- Chartered Accountants Ireland jobs listing
Worldwide vacancy sites
See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.
Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:
· additional vacancy websites
· CV, application and interview advice
· Advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs
Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:
- networking and making contacts
- developing their own business ideas
A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.
How to access hidden opportunities
Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:
- Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
- Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
- Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
How to find organisations
- Find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’.
- Use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page.
- Search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working.
- Browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed.
Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide.
Professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers:
Chartered Accountants Ireland – listed by county
Worldwide organisations
Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.
Specialist recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in accountancy and tax. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.
Specialist agencies include:
The Accountancy Recruitment Group
For more specialist recruitment agencies, search Agency Central.
See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies.
Finding overseas recruitment agencies
GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:
· Staffing agencies and temporary help firms
· Executive recruiters and search firms
Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.
Other ways to gain relevant experience
We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.
- complete a free virtual internship. For example, with Forage, you can filter by career interest to find virtual internships in accounting and client services.
- sign up for free online courses to develop new skills. Coursera runs free online courses in accounting and tax.
- attend events and network to make contacts and connections
- enter an accountancy related competition - prizes can often include internships. For example the ICAEW 100 includes the chance to win sponsored prizes.
- volunteer. Charities recruit volunteers for finance opportunities. You can volunteer as a finance assistant for Oxfam through NUSU. See Volunteering for more opportunities.
- Become an active member of a society. You could volunteer to be the society treasurer.
Work for yourself
Working as self-employed or freelance is common in the accounting sector.
Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:
- support with idea generation
- provide tailored advice
- help you develop your skills
- introduce you to like-minded peers
- refer you to further support from mentors
- award grant funding up to £3,000