This quiz will help you understand more about the main career paths available to you in the accounting sector. However, the sky is the limit in terms of where you could take your career and you will find that the skills required vary from job to job and from one organisation to the next. This is why we recommend you aim to develop as many skills and behaviours as possible and open up endless opportunities for your future.
Q1
How do you feel about Maths?
A: You absolutely love it and would happily have Maths as a big part of your job.
B: You're quite good at Maths, but you'd rather have a career that involves more interaction with people.
C: Maths isn't your greatest strength, but you enjoy solving problems.
D: You leave the Maths to someone else, and you can focus more on what the numbers mean.
Q2
A new fictional detective series has just launched - you:
A: will definitely watch it and pay attention to all the little details – making sure it all adds up.
B: will probably watch it but focus more on the characters rather than the mystery itself.
C: are the first to watch it, and have very likely solved the mystery in the first 20 minutes.
D: will skip it and watch a real-life documentary instead.
Q3
You've been asked to work in a group to deliver a project. You:
A: are a little anxious about it. You usually prefer to work on your own so you can rely more on facts rather than the human factor.
B: couldn't be happier about it. You thrive in team situations.
C: think it's a great opportunity to put your organisation and time management skills to the test to help the group succeed.
D: will probably be asked to lead the project and make the final decisions.
Q4
Your friends are talking about a current event that's been on the news lately. You:
A: have heard it mentioned, but you don't really keep up with the news. You prefer to spend your time on topics that interest you.
B: know quite a lot about it, but you actually care more about what's led to this event and how it impacts people.
C: feel confident in sharing your opinion on the topic, but try to remain objective.
D: are the one who's actually brought it up, so you're leading the conversation.
Q5
A friend of yours is going through a difficult situation. You:
A: do your best to find a practical solution to their problem.
B: instinctively know what they need, even if it's just a shoulder to cry on.
C: listen to them and help them look at their situation objectively.
D: try to think back to a time when you had a similar problem and decide what might help your friend based on your experience.
Q6
You've been planning a day out with friends for weeks, but when the day comes, it's pouring with rain. What's your reaction?
A: You are a little disappointed and decide to cancel. You'd rather not compromise on the quality of the day if it can be deferred to a later date.
B: You ask the group what they would prefer – cancel or go ahead as planned.
C: You go ahead and quickly find alternative activities.
D: It’s fine, you've prepared for such an occasion, so everything will still go ahead as planned.
Q7
You have a presentation coming up on a complex topic you know a lot about. You're hoping that the audience:
A: are knowledgeable, like you. This provides an opportunity for deeper discussions.
B: are completely new to the topic. You love introducing people to new things and communicating concepts in a simple way.
C: are a good mix of experts as well as people new to the topic. You can easily adapt the presentation to cater for everyone.
D: don’t necessarily know a lot about the topic, but they have challenging questions for you so you can demonstrate your skills.
Q8
Your computer has broken down. When you ask for a cost estimate to get it fixed, it seems quite expensive. You:
A: had already planned for it and had already extended the guarantee.
B: ask a friend if they can either fix it for you or can recommend a good place.
C: do some research to find a place that's still good, but less expensive.
D: negotiate the price based on research you’ve done - you know it shouldn't cost so much.
Q9
You're going out for dinner with friends and there are three great restaurants to choose from. You (personally):
A: look at the reviews on a third-party website and choose the one with the highest rating.
B: ask your friends where they would like to eat and decide on what the majority wants.
C: call the restaurants to check their availability and decide accordingly.
D: make a decision based on people's dietary requirements and distance from their homes.
Q10
When you were younger, what was your dream career?
A: A profession where you can apply law and take a logical approach, like a lawyer or scientist.
B: A career which allows you to interact or care for others, like a vet or teacher.
C: Something that requires good time-management skills and adaptability, like an author or a chef.
D: A profession that gives you the opportunity to make strategic decisions, like a business owner or a pilot.
The results
Mostly As
You seem to have some great analytical skills and usually take a logical approach to solving any problems. We think that a career in either Tax or Forensic Accounting would be great options for you.
Alongside the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, a career in tax offers the opportunity to work in a sector that evolves and provides new challenges. From helping your clients meet their legal obligations to ensuring there are strategies in place for any unforeseen changes in tax legislation, you certainly won’t be bored.
Forensic Accountants are the detectives of the finance world, ensuring justice and bringing criminals to account. In this line of work, you could end up investigating the misappropriation of government funds, money laundering or the funding of terrorism. Why not read a real forensic accountant’s story to see if this is the right career for you?
Mostly Bs
With your communication skills and your ability to show sensitivity and empathy in most situations, a career in Charity or Insolvency might suit you extremely well.
As a chartered accountant working in the charity sector, you could make a world of difference to support a cause you feel strongly about - by using your skills and financial acumen. The work ranges from raising the profile of fundraising projects one week to ensuring donations are accurately allocated the next.
Working in Insolvency can be an equally rewarding career, even if more emotionally challenging. More and more companies, especially after the pandemic, struggle financially. Your work as a chartered accountant in Insolvency would see you providing business owners with valuable advice at challenging and difficult times.
Mostly Cs
You would probably describe yourself as “adaptable” or a “problem-solver” and, based on your answers, you’d be right. We believe that your skills would help you succeed in Audit & Assurance or the Public Sector.
As an auditor, you can work in an environment of your choice – in an organisation or in an accountancy firm. Audits are independent checks on an organisation’s financial situation. You could find yourself working with staff in a large retailer one week and analysing the accounts of a wildlife charity the next – no boring days ahead!
Chartered accountants working in the public sector help to shape public spending at the local, regional and national level. You would have the chance to make decisions that ensure the best use of public money, and have an immediate, positive impact on society.
Mostly Ds
It seems you have some strong negotiation and planning skills, both extremely useful for a bright career in Business or Corporate Finance.
As a chartered accountant working in business, you’d be spoilt for choice depending on your interests – you could work for a football club, film production companies or drink manufacturers, to name a few. As an in-house accountant you would forecast and monitor revenue coming into and leaving an organisation, as well as having a broader operational role, such as providing advice on business risks.
Corporate Finance deals with the capital structure of organisations and how they source funding. The aim of chartered accountants in the sector is to increase the value of the company they for or the clients they are responsible for – by recommending the right finance options at the right time.