One key reason why an accountant may change employer is for the opportunity to develop and accelerate their career. Often a career path in a business hits a glass ceiling due to many internal factors, like office politics within teams or department structure restrictions.
Naturally an ambitious finance professional may seek alternative options. But before you consider a change of employer, have you considered all possible opportunities internally? A secondment in another department or business unit could provide you with the career advancement you need at this moment in time.
Let’s review some of the advantages of a secondment:
- Expand your network
This may be particularly useful if you are with a large professional firm or a multinational. An increased network of likeminded professionals can really help to make and shape a career. They can offer advice whilst working with them but also assist with a big job move in the future, as you never know where they may pop up again in another organisation.
- Develop yourself, develop others
Not only will this be a big opportunity for you to learn from others but also for them to learn from you. Even if you have only been a qualified accountant for a few months, everyone has something they can teach. Finance professionals are attracted to this career as there is always something new to learn.
- Differentiate yourself from the competition
This may not necessarily be apparent now, but it will become clear that any additional experience gained on a secondment will set you apart from your peers when you do eventually look for external opportunities. Think longer term, not what will my CV look like in a year – but in five years’.
- Discover skills you didn’t know you had
Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone may put you in a position where you find yourself doing something you would not normally be doing. A secondment could see you leading a team, managing part of a project or working on your technical accounting knowledge. You may even love the change and it may be a new career path in an originally unconsidered direction.
- Simply enjoy the journey
As said many times – it is not about the destination but the journey. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Best of luck with any decisions you make in your career and if you wish to discuss any of the above, please get in touch.
To speak with a specialist consultant, contact Armont Recruitment on +353 1 556 3399 or hello@armont.ie
The Armont Approach
At Armont Recruitment we want to ensure we are adding specific value to the Accountancy & Finance community in Ireland. In doing so, we rely on and welcome your input.
If there is a particular insight you would like to see published, please feel free to get in touch. We will endeavour to research and publish any article of your choosing.
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