Karl Eastwood, 33, is COO of Global Lingo, a leading translation and language company. In our interview, he talks about how completing an AAT qualification has enabled him to excel in a variety of finance roles.

Plus he discusses his five-year strategy for the company and describes his role as COO of the company where he started 11 years ago as a bookkeeper.

What is your role?

My role is Chief Operating Officer at Global Lingo. I was promoted into that role in 2019, having previously held the position of Group Finance and Operations Director at Global Lingo. I oversee the strategic direction and operational activities of the company. I am based in Chicago although I previously lived and worked in Romania for five years.

Why did you decide to follow this career route?

I started out as a bookkeeper at Global Lingo 11 years ago, and I have progressed through the company.

I left school at 18 and started my AAT training with Kaplan. My first role was with an accountancy practice in Bradford, and then I got a new job closer to my home in Leeds. Once I had qualified at Level 4 with AAT, I decided that I would go travelling for a while before I started another job.

Why did you choose to study with AAT?

I went to school in Woodkirk High in Leeds. I stayed on at sixth form to study A levels in Statistics, Business Studies and English Language. I took my A levels and achieved grades B, B, C and researched how to find an apprenticeship.

The part of Business Studies that I excelled at and that I was most interested in was accounting. I enjoyed working and earning money but I still wanted a career so I felt that the AAT qualification would be extremely useful.

I had a passion for accountancy and tax but I knew that I didn’t want to go to university.

What was your first accountancy role?

I worked at Auker Rhodes accountancy practice for the first year where I did AAT Level 2. I actually had an offer from PriceWaterhouseCoopers but I wanted the experience of working in a smaller practice and learning about all the different finance functions.

Then I moved to Frank W. Dobby & Co Accountancy Practice in Morley in Leeds, partly because the job in Bradford involved an hour’s commute each way. I had a big step up in salary and a saw the benefits of an AAT qualification. I spent three years there, where I gained AAT Level 4.

I didn’t have the experience of going to university so once I had successfully passed AAT Level 4 I went travelling in Southeast Asia and Australia. It was great to have the freedom to travel and experience new places and meet lots of new people.

After I got back from travelling I got a job at Capita in fund accounting, and I know that having my AAT qualification helped me get the job.

After a while I realised that I didn’t want to stay in this corporate world of fund accounting, and that I was more interested in business. I was 23 at the time and the opportunity at Global Lingo came up. I’ve now been at Global Lingo for 11 years.

I actually started as the organization’s a bookkeeper. While I was there I qualified with ACCA and went to work in Romania. I was there for five years and grew the organisation from that base.

My AAT knowledge was so fundamental in helping me to do that role, as well as all the other roles I have been involved in since then. I learned so much from my AAT training. It has helped me establish the finance department at Global Lingo.

How did you get your job at Global Lingo?

When I was travelling I used that time to build the “soft skills” of communication that are now so important in the world of accountancy.

I worked with camels on a farm and did tours for tourists and that meant meeting a lot of different people and talking to them.

The need to excel in soft skills such as networking and communication is one thing that people stepping into the finance industry really need to get their head around quickly. With the changing scope of technology, and different expectations of clients, accountants can no longer be just number bashers.  

When I came back to the UK I got a job at Capita Financial for a year. Then I saw a job offer for a bookkeeper for Global Lingo, a language services organisation that offers translation solutions, transcription and interpreting.

What appealed to me was the global nature of the business. I saw that there was the potential for a long-term career for me and that there could be opportunities to travel and work around the world.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

I moved to Chicago in 2018 from Romania because we were looking to grow the company in the US. Now I am setting up an office in Guatemala in Central America so I have the excitement of building up a business there.

My typical week would be communicating with my team members at different times of the day, depending on where they’re located. I have regular meetings with the global sales team, global project management team, and the senior leadership team.

I’ve established a five-year vision for Global Lingo so I have a weekly strategy review to see that we are on track. I’m also responsible for information security, and customer complaints, so I will review those and compile a response.

How has your AAT training helped you?

AAT has given me a deep and fundamental understanding of finance and business. It has enabled me to take what I have learned and apply it to technology, information security and any other problem or challenge. It teaches you to think logically and solve problems.

AAT is globally recognised as a qualification and that has been important to me.

What are your tips for students and graduates?

A tip would be to aim high, because with your AAT qualifications nothing can hold you back in terms of achieving the career you wish for. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs which specify that you need a degree, because your knowledge will show through in the interview.

Be aware than an AAT qualification can be translated to any career field. I’ve managed technology teams, project management teams and now I am managing sales teams. It’s not about the world of finance – AAT gives you a good grounding in general business skills which are transferable to other roles and careers.

What are your interests outside work?

I am a music fan so I go to as many concerts as much as I can, and I have a passion for American football and English football. I also love to travel and experience new cultures.

Further reading:

• Career profile: Finance apprentice
• Career profile: Chief Executive of a charity
• Career profile: Forensic accountant

When you are thinking about your career in the early stages you often have the option of working for a small firm or accepting a role at a large organisation.

What are the pros and cons of each route, how can you decide, and what are the benefits in terms of career development?

Should you go for a small or larger firm when considering your career options?

Both small and large firms have their respective merits and differences and choosing between the two is a very personal decision, says Jo Howell, Recruitment Manager at Cathedral Appointments which places candidates in a range of accountancy and financial services jobs.

“In smaller businesses, your role will be much more varied, though your career prospects may be limited by the nature of how the business operates,” she says. “Larger organisations may have clearer career paths already carved out for you, they give you a wider pool of contacts to network with, and your role may be quite niche. However, that’s the flip side – it can be easy to fall into an area which is highly specialised.”

Typically, larger firms are well-versed in delivering training packages and the whole experience may feel more seamless – simply because they train new recruits so often. This may feel as though you’re receiving more support, as there’s stronger scaffolding surrounding you.

Chris Goulding, Managing Director of specialist finance, accountancy and HR recruitment agency Wade Macdonald, says it is important to assess your strengths and ambitions to make the right decisions accordingly. 

“The first thing to consider are your short and moderate-term goals,” he says. “Do you want to take on high-concentrated responsibilities or have many fingers in different pies? Companies of all sizes come with different benefits so, work out whether the company you are applying for will give you the short-term experience needed to get to your moderate-term goals.”

When making your first career choice, much depends on what experience you are after and whether you are looking to hone in on one area of interest or get a wider overview first.

“To figure this out, consider your mid-term goals and decide accordingly. It can be worth taking the time to experience both environments, especially if you are unsure,” he says. “Additionally, your personality may be better suited to a certain company size.”

What if I change my mind about my career choice?

The good news is that times have changed, and you won’t be committing yourself to the company for 25 years or more, says Jo Howell. If it doesn’t feel right after a while, you can try something new. However, if you’re absolutely sure of the direction you want to go in, then go for it and get in early.

Simply put, the most important aspect of how you choose to spend your working days is whether you’re working with good people.

“You will gain immeasurable experience by being surrounded with the right people, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time,” she says. “Once you’ve found your tribe and situated yourself in your natural arena, you’re sure to excel.”

What skill sets are employers looking for in today’s new starters and what type of first role will develop these?

The financial sector looks a lot different what it did 18 months ago, and it will continue to evolve.

“Young talent is the key to accommodating this as the finance demands more digital, data and analytical skills,” says Chris Goulding. “To nurture these skillsets, companies must consider offering their graduates ongoing learning and development (L&D) opportunities to upskill internally and keep their workforce ever progressing.” 

Digital skills have been essential in an era of remote working, and they’ll continue to be, says Jo Howell. You’ll need to be familiar with Teams and Zoom, socially nimble, and more generally speaking, literate in the latest technology. These skills can be gained through work experience, internships and even volunteering.

Jo Lozinska, Employability Manager at The University of Law Business School, says employers tend to look for the same skills and qualities. “A positive and hardworking attitude is all important, reliability, willingness to learn, teamwork, communication skills, accuracy and attention to detail, some commercial awareness and initiative,” she says.

Being in your first job will hone and develop most of these skills to some extent and you will of course get an experience of the technical side of accountancy. When recruiting staff, employers are often more interested in your soft skills as they can teach you the more advanced technical skills.

“Their recruitment processes will reflect this in the type of exercises they use in an assessment centre,” she says. “For example, getting you to work as a team on a particular problem and the types of interview questions they ask.”

How much support are you likely to get when you first start?

A key consideration when you are looking at different options for your first or second job is to think about how much support you are likely to receive in your new role.

“The support offered to graduate and junior staffdepends on the company policy and line manager, not the size of the company,” says Chris Goulding. “Some multinational firms have unfavourable support processes while smaller firms can invest heavily in their teams’ wellbeing, and vice versa. It is worth asking the company on the structure of their mentorship programmes to figure out if the level of support suits you.”

Mandy Watson, Managing Director at recruitment experts Ambitions Personnel, says there is no such thing as ‘the best way’ to start your career. “You only have to speak to a few top finance professionals to soon see that they have all got to where they are via very different routes,” she says.

“Careers generally don’t follow a straight line and that’s what makes it interesting. This should be reassuring to people starting their career or even those looking to change careers.

“In a small company, you’re potentially going to be exposed to a wider range of areas which can help give a greater understanding of what goes into running a business and the chance to broaden your skills. Within a smaller team you’re also more likely to be given more responsibility within a shorter time frame. However, opportunities to progress up the career ladder may be more limited and you could hit a ceiling fairly quickly.

“In a larger firm, you may find the environment to be more structured with more opportunities for formal training. Your career path may also be more defined with a clearer route for progression and you’ll perhaps specialise in a specific area. That said, within a more defined role you may have less chance to be exposed to other aspects of work or the wider company.”

Is it a bad idea to specialise too early?

There is no such thing as bad work experience as skills and proficiencies will always be gained, as will a clear understanding of what you want and don’t want from a company, says Chris Goulding.

When considering specialising in a certain field of finance, it is important to understand what your midterm goals are. Do you want to be in this area in five to ten years’ time? If not, perhaps another opportunity would be more worth your while. However, one opportunity has the potential to open doors to a completely new one, so don’t shy away from stepping out of your comfort zone. At such early stages, all relevant experience can work towards getting to your goals because each step leads to another.

Liz Sebag-Montefiore, career coach and Director of 10Eighty, an HR Consultancy, says going for a larger firm (i.e. a graduate for one of the Big Four) is a fantastic way to get into the industry and working for a well-respected name will stand out on your CV and help with the next role.

“A larger firm is also more likely to have structured mentoring schemes so individuals can work on competencies to develop and learn off their mentor,” she says.  In a smaller company it is easier to get involved in things outside your strict job description.

“With fewer people in the company it is easier to volunteer to get involved in career enhancing projects. That way once you’re ready to leave when you know what you’d like to do, as well as specialising in that particular area, you have a whole host of other skills and talents that you can bring to your new role above and beyond what’s required.”

Jo Lozinska, says it is important to think about what you really want out of a job and your future career. “It’s not always about the money, it’s about work life balance, being part of a team, feeling supported, taking a risk even,” she says.

Key takeaways

• A large company will offer structured training and progression within an established system of support.
• An SME may give you more responsibility earlier on, you may get to do a wider range of tasks and work more informally.
• Look at each company individually and think about the kind of person you are- someone who likes to be a part of a well-established organisation or someone who thrives on more responsibility early on?
• As you study for your accountancy qualifications what options do you have in terms of mentoring, work experience, study leave and support?
• Other considerations include whether there is an active social life involving staff. Does the company provide opportunities to socialise with colleagues, does it encourage voluntary work?
• Think about the culture of the firm, and whether it sits well with your personality, aspirations, and career goals.

Further reading:

• How hybrid working will affect accountancy job roles
• How to be indispensable at work
• How Personal Learning Accounts and AAT could change lives