What is a trainee accountant?
Trainee accountants work with senior accountants to develop their knowledge of the accounting industry and to gain practical experience at the start of their career. They are also responsible for administering payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable to keep records up-to-date.
How to become a trainee accountant?
The first step of learning on how to become a trainee accountant is to first earn a degree and then further professional training to qualify.Relevant subjects include Accounting, Business and management, Finance, Statistics, Auditing or Personal and business tax.
Entry requirements are as follows:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Trainee accountant duties
Trainee accountant duties are diverse and depend on the employer and specialty, but some responsibilities are common to most:
- Assist with financial and management accounts preparation for Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies
- Assist with managing client expectations and deadlines
- Assist with the preparation of personal and business tax returns
- Carry out bookkeeping activities including journal postings and ledger reconciliations
- Process client records accurately using Xero, QuickBooks and other accountancy software
- Preparation of VAT returns and management accounts
- Assist with general administrative duties including meeting and greeting clients, filing, answering the telephone and supporting the team to meet deadlines as required
Trainee accountant skills
To be an effective trainee accountant, you’ll need certain skills and competencies. The following are often cited in job vacancies:
- Willingness to learn
- Productivity
- Computer literate
- Analytical skills
- Integrity
- Detail oriented
How to find a trainee accountant job
These jobs are advertised online, in local newspapers and at your local jobcentre. To find all the trainee accountant jobs near you, you need to:
- Search for trainee accountant jobs on popular job websites such as; Indeed, Total Jobs and CV Library
- Use the DWP’s Find A Job Service
- Check local newspapers and local Facebook groups, especially groups dedicated to local jobs
What does a trainee accountant do?
The job of an assistant manager varies depending on the job role and the company you’re working for. Check the duties and responsibilities of trainee accountant job advertisements to find jobs that best suit your skills and experience.
The day-to-day tasks of a trainee accountant include;
- Post and process journal entries to ensure all business transactions are recorded
- Update accounts receivable and issue invoices
- Update accounts payable and perform reconciliations
- Assist in the processing of balance sheets, income statements and other financial statements according to legal and company accounting and financial guidelines
- Assist with reviewing of expenses, payroll records etc. as assigned
- Update financial data in databases to ensure that information will be accurate and immediately available when needed
- Prepare and submit weekly/monthly reports
- Assist senior accountants in the preparation of monthly/yearly closings