Accounting Placements
Thinking about becoming an accountant? Listen up!
If you’re in your first or second year of university and looking to up your accounting game outside of lecture time, an accounting placement is exactly what you need. Placements are your golden ticket to becoming work-ready before you graduate. Here’s a quick breakdown:
DURATION: One year | FOR: 2nd & 3rd years | AVG SALARY: £22,400 | AVG RATING: 4.6/5 | WHEN TO APPLY: Sep-Jan
Read on for a crash course on accounting placements and how to get on board.
What are accounting placements?
Placements are a real job. As an accountant placement student, you’ll spend a year working with an accounting firm, usually between your second and final year of university.
During your placement, you’ll dive right into key projects and work on accounts, just like a fully qualified accountant. You'll also be paid a salary.
Once your placement is over, you'll go back to university in September to undertake your final year and complete your degree. But with the added bonus of one year's worth of work experience on your CV.
(If you can't give up a whole year, try an accounting internship instead!)
Why should you do an accounting placement?
There are hundreds of reasons why placements are the boss. Here are some:
GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
Apply your degree to real-life work projects and flex that university knowledge.
DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS
You’ll gain loads of soft and hard skills that’ll make you irresistible to employers.
BUILD PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS
Meet and work with industry experts, enriching your professional network.
BOOST YOUR CV
Adding to your work experience section before you graduate is a flex and will boost your employability by a gazillion per cent.
HAVE FUN
Work can be busy, but it’s a new, exciting world, and you’ll do SO much.
Plus, if you dazzle during your time there, there could be a graduate accounting job waiting for you after university. Many employers keep in touch with top placement students.
There are many more reasons why you should do a placement. But if you're convinced, read on.
Which companies offer accounting placements?
There are hundreds. Whether it’s a large company like Bloomberg or an SME like Experian, there’s plenty of opportunity to gain placement experience at whatever company takes your fancy.
Here are some of the top employers offering accounting placements:
Here’s what an accounting placement student had to say about their time with EY:
My placement has been a very interesting experience, the most enjoyment came from the individuals I had the privilege of working with. The work was the right balance of challenging but also doable. The most challenging part was the busy seasons as the work was heavily time-pressured. The teams and department I was part of held quite a few socials, which was also very enjoyable. Audit Associate, EY
How much do accounting placements pay?
One of the best parts of a placement is that you’ll be paid a full-time salary.
How much you’re paid depends on a variety of factors. However, as a placement student, you can expect your pay to be similar to any entry-level position.
According to student-written reviews on Higherin, the average salary for an accounting placement is £22,400 per year. That’s around £1,640 a month, which is a fantastic start.
There’s loads of potential to earn so much more, too. If you decide to do a graduate scheme after your final year, you could earn up to £32,000 per year.
Here's what a placement student had to say about their year with Volvo Group UK:
I have gained a lot of new skills on my accounting placement with Volvo. Firstly, using software such as Excel, SAP and Navision, which are used daily. Working within multiple finance functions, you will gain a better understanding of how a finance department works and the importance of each function. In your first two weeks, you will receive an induction to the business which gives a helpful perspective of how the financial services industry works. Assistant Accountant, Volvo Group UK
How do I apply?
Placement applications go live in September, so keep an eye out for the latest jobs to hit the placement market.
Do your research - It’s worth working at a company in a role you know you’ll enjoy or align with. We have lots of job reviews written by previous accounting placement students to help you decide.
Search for a role - Higherin has hundreds of placements! Filter by location and use our application tracker to keep abreast of all the roles you are interested in. Search and apply for a placement now.
Write a strong CV and cover letter - This will form the basis of every application you make.
Once you make it past an initial telephone or video interview, you’ll be invited to a placement assessment centre where you’ll meet staff and other placement students. The day will be stuffed with activities and a final interview.
We have loads more interview advice to help you snap up the placement you deserve:
READ INTERVIEW TIPSApply for Accounting Placements
Ready to enrich your career? We have accounting placements available right now. Search and apply now.
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at Volkswagen Financial Services
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- £22,900
- Milton Keynes
Register Your Interest - Actuarial Industrial Placement
at Deloitte
- Placement (10 Months+)
- United Kingdom
Register Your Interest - Audit & Assurance Industrial Placement
at Deloitte
- Placement (10 Months+)
- United Kingdom
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