You’ve worked hard for your accountancy qualifications, you’re diligent in your job, you always give your best, and you’re determined to do whatever it takes to climb the ladder within your organisation to the pinnacle of Finance Director. And yet you’re left with the feeling that your abilities are, at best, not fully utilised and are, at worst, overlooked.
Here are some key signs that your financial abilities are not recognised by your current employer and that it could be time for a change.
You find your work boring
Consider the first year you spent in your new role within your employer’s finance department; did you find it exciting, interesting and exhilarating? Today, take a close look at your daily tasks. Do you find yourself feeling under stimulated by your work? Can you fly through each task in half the time it used to take? Have your responsibilities changed or are you still handling the same minor client accounts?
If you continually feel bored by your role and no longer find your accounts challenging, it is likely that you are not being used to your full potential.
Your client responsibilities and role haven’t changed for years
Despite the additional accountancy qualifications and specialist training you’ve undertaken over the years, your responsibilities have remained unchanged. Your new skills and finance qualifications are not actually utilised in your job, and you find yourself still looking after the same small client accounts with no opportunity to work on more complex or challenging client books.
Even if you remain in the same position, your employer should have handed you a wider range of responsibilities to challenge you and utilise the training that you’ve undertaken. Every organisation’s finance department is crucial to its ultimate success and it’s essential that employee’s skills are exploited to their best effect.
If your management has failed to acknowledge your new skills or advanced accountancy certifications you have achieved, you are being underutilised.
You have been passed over for promotion
If you’re ambitious and you have all the qualities that are desirable for a Finance Director’s role, i.e. great communication and rapport-building skills, a focus on cash flow, strong commercial acumen, and clear leadership ability, you should have been considered for promotion.
Your abilities should see you marked out as a rising star and you should have made steady progress up through the ranks. If you’ve seen others moving ahead of you, it’s likely that your abilities have gone unnoticed and you may find that your talents are more appreciated elsewhere.
Take action!
If you think that you are being underutilised in your current accountancy position, there are a number of options open to you in order to change things.
Start by having a chat with your line manager or finance department manager. Make it obvious that you would really like more of a challenge in your role or you wish to be considered for a promotion. If your request falls on stony ground, it may be time for you to move on.
If you have sufficient experience and you have entrepreneurial aspirations, you could consider setting up your own accountancy practice or working in a freelance consultancy role.
Another option would be to seek another position with a different company that will recognise your skills and abilities within the finance and accountancy field. BTG Recruitment are experts in recruiting for the finance and accountancy sector. For a confidential discussion on how best to achieve your career aspirations, contact one of their expert team today on 0115 960 7000 or email m.finch@btgrecruitment.com
At BTG Recruitment we specialise in accountancy and finance recruitment. We work with bright and effective individuals like you, who are looking to secure high-calibre interim, fixed or long-term roles. To see how we could help place you in your perfect role get in touch today.
Click here to download your free guide “The 6 Step System to Finding Your Perfect Accountancy Role”.
