Think small, and it all adds up for Sally
ACCOUNTANCY is a vital profession needed in every industry.
Sally Lewis, is now the financial controller at drinks company Drink Me Chai, but was previously working as an accountant in fashion.
She says: ‘I was temping after a biochemistry degree when I met an accountant and realised it was a good career. Three weeks later, I had landed a job as an accounts assistant.’
Her employer paid for her to study for an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification while she worked, as did her next employer.
‘My practical experience helped me get the qualification within three years,’ says Sally, 41, who works in Farnborough, Kent. She slowly rose through the ranks to management accountant and financial controller.
‘Drink Me Chai is a small company, which means, as financial controller, I am an integral part of the company’s management and future.
‘It’s not just about sitting in your office with a calculator — I am involved in company strategy, working out where we want to be and how we can grow to get there. As a financial controller in a small company, you get all the passion and excitement of being involved in new business deals.’
John Williams, head of ACCA UK says: ‘A large number of our 188,000 members globally work in small to medium-sized enterprises where decision-makers need the best financial advice possible.’ So their advisers need a strong, holistic understanding of small businesses.
‘The ACCA qualification provides our members with a forward-thinking and strategic approach.’
Starting pay for accountants ranges from £28,000 to more than £50,000 and recruiter Robert Half says demand is set to increase in 2017.
There are many routes into accountancy. See prospects.ac.uk, accaglobal.com, icaew. com, cimaglobal.com, aiaworldwide.com, cipfa.org.