From apprentice to boss: Relationships and stakeholder management reign supreme

Interpersonal skills are essential to develop if you’re ambitious.

As seniority increases, roles become more focused on relationships and less on technical work, which can be passed to more junior colleagues. That means anyone who plans to climb the career ladder should learn interpersonal skills alongside technical ones.

Become a buddy

Karen Young, Director of accountancy & finance, Hays, the recruitment expert: “Many apprenticeships have a ‘buddy scheme’, which can be great for developing leadership skills. Even if your firm doesn’t have a formal scheme, suggest you’d be happy to act as a buddy to a new hire and steer them through their apprenticeship.”

Gareth John, Policy Director, First Intuition, the training provider: “Sometimes I see 20- and 21-year-old school-leaver apprentices being buddies or even managing graduates who are older than them.”

Find a mentor if you can

The training provider: “A mentor can help turbo-charge your career. If your company doesn’t have a mentorship scheme, try approaching your CFO, FD or department manager to see if they’ll mentor you.”

Chris Argent, Founder, Generation CFO, The CFO: “Some budding CFOs might think they don’t need mentors because they can just ask ChatGPT for professional advice.

However, if you want to be exceptional and get to senior roles quicker, a mentor can help you stay motivated on your path towards these jobs.”

Work the room: Network whenever possible

The recruitment expert: “Networking early in your career can set you up for the future. Start building relationships with your immediate circle such as colleagues, managers or fellow apprentices. These connections can lead to opportunities now and in the future.

Attending events and webinars hosted by the AAT or others can help you meet more experienced professionals. Try preparing a short elevator pitch to introduce yourself confidently – which you can draw on at any networking event.”

Join a community of your peers

The CFO: “Things are changing so quickly in the world of accountancy right now. One of the best ways to get a consensus on what’s happening is speaking with a peer group or community outside your organisation.

Communities such as Generation CFO can also act as therapy: they’re a super-powerful ‘tribe’ who you can discuss things with that you wouldn’t be able to with your partner or colleagues/boss.

Shout about your achievements

The training provider: “With hybrid and remote working, it’s important to ensure your achievements are visible. At the end of the week, send an email to your boss updating them of work you’ve finished and are proud of.”

The recruitment expert: “Create a strong LinkedIn profile. Join professional groups on the platform and engage with industry content to raise your visibility. If you’ve done a good job on a project, don’t be afraid to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation from colleagues.”

Christian Koch is an award-winning journalist/editor who has written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, The Independent, Q, The Face and Metro. He's also written about business for Accounting Technician, 20 and Director, where he is contributing editor.