Analysis of Employability Skills and Career Development in Accounting

This report outlines a student's career development plan within the accounting field. It begins by establishing a career goal of becoming a senior accountant, supported by the analysis of a relevant job advertisement. The target role is identified as a bookkeeper, aligning with the student's AAT qualification. The report then assesses skill gaps, particularly the need to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, and the importance of staying updated with dynamic industry changes. Strategies for CV tailoring and professional networking are discussed, along with an action plan to address identified skill gaps, including researching current accounting trends and managing time effectively. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of employability skills for career success in accounting, with references and an appendix including the job advertisement.

EMPLOYABILITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Career goal..............................................................................................................................3
Target role..............................................................................................................................3
Gaps........................................................................................................................................4
Experience..............................................................................................................................5
Building of professional network...........................................................................................5
Action plan.............................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................9
Job advertisement...................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Employability is being defined as the quality of being able to employ oneself at the job to
have a professional career in life. It is very necessary for the person to have good employability
skills to have good career in life. The employability includes different types of skill, knowledge
and different attributes which are required to be inherited within the person (Artess, Mellors-
Bourne and Hooley, 2017). The present report will outline the career development plan for the
development of the career. The report will start by outlining the career goal and the target role
and the requirement of the role which is based on the job advert. Further it will outline the gap
which is there in the actual skills and the required skill for the dream job of accountant. Next the
experience of tailoring the CV for the required role and building the professional network. In the
end an action plan will be made in order to minimise the gap and the shortage of skills.
MAIN BODY
Career goal
The career goal is to go in the accounting field because of the reason that this is an
important and booming industry in the recent times. The accounting industry is the one under
which all the accounts are maintained in order to ascertain the profit or the loss suffered by the
company. In this world the companies can only survive if they earn good amount of profits and
this is calculated by the accountant (Williams and et.al., 2016). Thus, this is good career goal for
developing a life in professional world. In 3 to 4 years i need to be promoted to the post of the
senior accountant so that this builds the career in the field of the accounting industry. For long
term plan I need to attend some of the seminars relating to the accounting so that the skills of the
accounting can be enhanced and improvised. Thus, with the help of this advert I am more
confident that I will be able to work for this job position as an accountant.
Target role
The target role is to become a good and famous bookkeeper in the corporate world. This
is majorly because of the fact that I am a newly qualified AAT that is Association of Accounting
Technicians which is the world leading professional institute for the accounting technicians

(Bozionelos and et.al., 2016). This job advert attracted me to make my target role in accounting
because both my interest and qualification were matching to this job advert. In the corporate
world the competition is high and it is very necessary for the companies to maintain the profits
and for this the most essential thing is the maintaining of the accounts and all the financial
transaction. This is the most important role because of the reason that without the knowledge of
accounting and it is very important for developing the career in accounting. This is my target role
because of the reason that I have interacted with my peer members and colleagues and it was
outlined that this is a growing industry and a career in this will be very successful (Bridgstock
and Jackson, 2019). I visited a recruitment website and came across a job advertisement and that
attracted me. This is majorly because of the reason that i am also interested in the accounting job
and this advertisement is a very good career option.
This job advert will fit my forte because of the fact that I am very good in assessing
numerical information and recording of the transactions. Also, I am very good at use of
computers along with the use of Microsoft excel, word and other accounting software. Also, this
is my target role because of the fact that earlier I have been working as a sales assistant in a
supermarket where I was involved in the recording of the stock and controlling its movement and
the usage. With the help of this recording I became more efficient in the recording up of the
transactions.
Gaps
With the analysis of the requirement of this vacancy and the evaluation of the skills
which I possess I came to know that I am lacking some of the skills. Also, I was employed as a
sales assistant at a bakery shop but there I didn’t get much experience and I realised that I need
to gain more of the knowledge relating to accounting so that this will enhance my CV for the job
advert of accountant. This is majorly because of the reason that all my education and
qualification are relating to accounting. But the work which I was doing was of the sales
assistant. Thus, with the analysis of job advert I have to grab more knowledge relating to the
accounting and the different principles of accounting and recording. With this analysis the gap
which I found was that the theoretical knowledge which I was having was very different from the
actual practical working. Thus, there was a vast deviation between what I learnt and what
actually practices in the real-life world (Taylor, 2016).

Thus, I need to rectify this and need to work up on this so that i can have a good career in
the corporate world. Also, with this help I found that the business environment is very dynamic
and keeps on changing very frequently and because of this there are many new updataions within
the principles of accounting. Thus, I need to work on this and need to be very attentive and alert.
Also, at time of graduation what I learnt was different as compared to the current trends going on
in the market. This is majorly because of the reason that there have been many changes within
the principles and conventions of accounting and these needs to be considered as the older
concepts are not applicable in the current time.
Experience
With the difference in the past time that is the time of study and the actual or present time
there is a huge difference and this needs to be taken care (Clarke, 2018). This is majorly because
of the reason that because of these changes I need to develop many of the new skills and
information relating to this field. Thus, because of this I need to tailor or alter my CV in
accordance with the requirement of the job advert. This is majorly because of the reason that
there have been many changes and these need to be adopted and added in to the CV (Guilbert
and Rossier, 2016). This is necessary because of the reason that CV is provided to the employers
first and this CV is the first impression which is created on the employers. If they like the CV
then I will be called for the interview for the job. Thus, it is very necessary for the reason that
this CV will be provided as a description for my career.
Building of professional network
Thus, for developing my skills and knowledge I need to increase my area of interaction
that is the people with whom I meet and interact. Thus, for meeting the requirement of the job
advert it is very necessary for me to establish good networking. This networking will help me in
establishing strong relation with the people who are much experienced and knowledgeable in the
field of accounting. This is very necessary because of the reason that a person learns more from
the environment in which they live rather than by studying.
Thus, if in my environment there will be more of the good people who are having more
knowledge relating to the field of accounting and related concepts. Hence for this I will live
more with senior accountants and more experienced people in the field of accounting. Also, I
need to attend some seminars and online forums and lectures to upgrade my knowledge and

information base relating to the field of accounting. Hence, it is very crucial for me to build good
and professional network so that this will help me in developing my knowledge and information.
Action plan
Thus, from the above discussion it is clear that it is very necessary for me to develop the
knowledge of latest changes in the field of accounting for getting the job of which the
advertisement I liked and dreamt of. This is majorly because of the reason that this will enhance
my employability skill in the field of accounting. Also, some actions need to be taken because of
the reason that since my graduation many things have been changed and these changes need to
taken into consideration for my personal development (Sin and Neave, 2016). Hence, for this the
following step will be taken in order to improve my skills-
What I am
going to do
When I will do
it
What challenges I
might face
How I could overcome these
Research of
new and
advanced ways
of accounting
In the current
time as there is
many of the
changes since I
have completed
my graduation.
The major challenge
which i might face is
the cost of researching
for the new and
advanced changes.
This is majorly
because of the reason
that for learning the
new changes i need to
learn those new
changes. For this i
need to join some
classes or even have to
attend some seminars.
This challenge can be overcome
with help of internet. This is
pertaining to the fact that with help
of internet i can easily access the
new and advance changes taking in
the field of accounting and related
industries.
Time
management
This need to be
adapted as fast
as it can be
done.
The major challenge
which i will face is the
challenge at time of
planning of the work.
This need to be overcome and can
be done with help of making a list
of all the activities which need to
be included in the planning. This is
majorly pertaining to the fact that

this will assist in making the list of
important activities. From the list
whichever activities are of priority
are taken first and rest of the
activities later.
CONCLUSION
In the end it is concluded that having employability is the most essential part in the
professional world and career. Thus, it is the duty of the person to take care of all the skills
which are required for maintaining employability at work. The present report outlined the fact
that setting career goals and targeting some industry is the most essential thing for a person.
Further some gapes were identified and discussed in the report. In the end some of the ways of
overcoming these gaps was highlighted.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Artess, J., Mellors-Bourne, R. and Hooley, T., 2017. Employability: A review of the literature
2012-2016.
Bozionelos, N. and et.al., 2016. Employability and job performance as links in the relationship
between mentoring receipt and career success: a study in SMEs. Group & organization
management. 41(2). pp.135-171.
Bridgstock, R. and Jackson, D., 2019. Going beyond getting a job: Graduate employability
narratives and career development. In Education for Employability II: Learning for
Future Possibilities. Sense-Brill Publishers.
Clarke, M., 2018. Rethinking graduate employability: The role of capital, individual attributes
and context. Studies in Higher Education. 43(11). pp.1923-1937.
Guilbert, L. and Rossier, J., 2016. Employability: review and research prospects. International
Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. 16(1). pp.69-89.
Sin, C. and Neave, G., 2016. Employability deconstructed: Perceptions of Bologna
stakeholders. Studies in Higher Education. 41(8). pp.1447-1462.
Taylor, L., 2016. What is employability and what does it mean for you? How to Develop Your
Healthcare Career: A Guide to Employability and Professional Development, p.1.
Williams, S. and et.al., 2016. A systematic review of current understandings of
employability. Journal of education and work. 29(8). pp.877-9

APPENDIX
Job advertisement