Job hunting FAQs

How do I make my LinkedIn profile ‘pop’?

• There are several things: 1) optimise the headline to your target role; 2) write a compelling summary; 3) create a customised URL; 4) optimise with key words and phrases; 5) include a background photo, 6) include achievements. More advice: How to make your LinkedIn profile memorable | A guide on how to ‘rock' your LinkedIn profile

What do I do when a recruiter goes silent?

• Understand why this might be happening. Recruiters are middlemen who answer to a higher power - their clients, your potential employers. They're very busy, don't take it personally, just continue with your job search. You should be patient, but you can also help yourself by speaking a recruiters language, convincing them that you're hot property. Ask for feedback, but don't chase or hound them. More advice: Do you believe in ghosts? What to do when recruiters go silent

How can I make myself more employable in a crisis?

• There are several ways, including being proactive and showing initiative, upskilling, gaining work experience (volunteering, internships etc), engaging on social media and via blogs, gaining qualifications, targeting healthy sectors and tailoring your CV and cover letter closely to every job application. More advice: 7 ways to make yourself more employable in a changing world

What are digital skills and why are the so important for accountants?

• Digital skills are more than just basic IT skills. Most accountants will work with cutting edge cloud accounting technology, as well as with big data. More advice: What does it really mean to be a tech-savvy accountant? | The digital accountant: digital skills in a transformed world | Digital skills have become even more important for accountants | Finance professionals must embrace the power of digital transformation

What are the most in demand skills with employers?

• These can vary from year to year, but the skills gained from the technical and professional ACCA Qualification are evergreen - they'll always be useful. This is because they provide to backbone of a professional accountant's skillset. Nevertheless, certain skills will be more sought after depending on the situation. For example, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, financial reporting, business partnering, financial analysis and cost management became highly sought after. As for soft skills, which are increasingly important to employers, accountants need to be good communicators and project managers, be capable of managing relationships with different stakeholders and technologically curious and capable. More advice: The most in-demand skills | Five essential post-pandemic skills | The skills employers want in 2020 | The most useful non-accounting skills

What are soft skills and how important are they?

• Firstly, they're very important. They can be the deciding factor when an employer decides to make a job offer. Imagine you're up against people who all have ACCA and some experience. There needs to be differentiating factors and these are often soft skills. Soft skills are interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively; teamwork, ability to negotiate and influence; ability to innovate; being open-minded and inclusive; leadership and many more. More advice: Achieve ‘the perfect blend’ of soft skills | Improve your soft skills and fulfill your potential

How employable are ACCA members?

• Very! In any given month ACCA Careers will list in excess of 100,000 global job adverts seeking ACCA members or students. Some of the big name companies that feature on the site include EY, Amazon, PwC, Nestlé, Deloitte, Credit Suisse, Balfour Beatty, KPMG, Cisco, DBS, State Street, Standard Chartered, Accenture, GSK, Shell, Morgan Stanley, and many more. More advice: Common questions about ACCA and employability | ACCA Qualification prepares future-proof professionals

How important are ethics to accountants and job hunting?

• Ethics are a core quality of professional accountant. Accountants are trusted to steer organisations along legally sound paths. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being an accountant, therefore ethics are certainly a quality to reference when job hunting, especially considering many organisations are seeking to learn from lessons of the past (eg the global financial crisis, Enron, Arthur Andersen and other finance scandals). More advice: Why ethics must top your skill set | Ethical decision making | Five top tips for ethical working | What does it mean to be an ‘ethical professional’?

I’m a new graduate, how do I get a job?

• Fresh graduates with a finance and accounting degree, and with ACCA or intending to complete the qualification, are often sought after. But this can mean strong competition, so it pays to be prepared. More advice: 6 ways to focus your job-hunt for new graduates and career starters | Which sectors will be hiring in 2021? | CV writing for early careers

How do I make sure my online presence is fit for job hunting?

• There is an element of common sense about this, or ask yourself the questions, would you want your mum to see this? Same applies to how employers view your social media and online presence, don't give them a reason to discount you. Keep it clean and respectable, even use your presence to show how proactive you are and display key qualities. More advice: Managing your online presence

What are transferrable skills and how important are they?

• Transferable skills are qualities and abilities you possess that can be transferred from one job to another and may be useful across different roles and sectors. Many of these you will already have and will continue to develop throughout your career. They are very important and very useful for you. More advice: The complete guide to transferable skills | How to present transferable skills in a CV | Transferable skills: The key to career mobility