What is your business resolution for this new year? Do you want to boost your career prospects and your salary? Do you want to win your next promotion? Do you want to climb the corporate ladder to partner? If it’s yes to any or all of these questions, we are sharing our top 12 tips for how to move up in accounting.
While the start of a new year provides us with the perfect opportunity to set new goals and aspirations, it’s not uncommon for these resolutions to fall flat despite our best intentions. Why? Because, more often than not, we’re trying to change too much, too fast. So what is the solution?
In this article, we not only share our tips to advance your accounting career, but we’ll also show you how to stick to these resolutions along with bonus tips to support your career planning and ensure your success in the coming year.
How to move up in accounting? 12 must-dos
When thinking about how to advance your accounting career, it’s important to think of your efforts as a marathon and not a sprint. It’s about the little things that you do consistently that will set you up for success, not short bursts of high performance.
1) Become a CPA
Gaining the CPA credential can give your accounting career a head start. Why? Because gaining one is an arduous process! Not only is this qualification widely recognised across the country, but it will also give you a clear advantage in both public accounting or the finance function of a large corporation. Once you have this, you can further differentiate to increase your value to potential employers or clients.
2) Improve your networking skills
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When thinking about how to move up in accounting, an extensive network of contacts can help massively! Making contacts as early on as possible means that you have multiple people to turn to for advice, ideas or guidance on business-related issues. It also means that you are likely to be at an advantage when you want to move firms as there are many hidden positions you may be the first to hear about.
Read: 12 tips to survive and thrive when you move to a new firm
3) Gain expertise in a variety of areas
One of the best ways to advance your accounting career this year is to gain experience in as many different areas as possible. If you do so, you will open so many doors for your long-term career prospects! While you may typically take part in traditional bookkeeping activities and the preparation of the financial statement, try to gain experience in areas that larger firms such as Big 4 firms want (e.g. reporting, auditing and taxation).
4) Focus on your soft skills
Technical competence is not enough to get you ahead in your career; to progress through the ranks, you need to hone and develop your soft skills. By soft skills, we are talking about any interpersonal skills that allow you to function effectively as a team member or as the leader of a group of employees. These are primarily communication, empathy, decision-making, time management, and conflict resolution.
5) Keep up-to-date with technology
Learning how to move up in accounting doesn’t end with passing the CPA exam. In fact, most of the learning happens after. To advance your accounting career, you need to remain updated on new technology developments that are relevant to your area of work. This, together with acquiring new skills and enhancing your existing expertise, will ensure you remain competitive.
6) Question your profession’s orthodoxies
If you want to know how to move up in accounting, sometimes not following the way things are usually done is the key. If you see any limitations to accounting or the way certain things are done, question them. Bring your own solution to the table and if it’s successful, your value will be rewarded.
7) Find a mentor
Having someone who you can turn to when your job is at a critical juncture can provide tremendous benefits, it doesn’t just have to be one person though. You could have a couple of people who are older and more experienced than you who have different strengths. Perhaps you need a mentor to help you with technical matters but another to offer advice and guidance on your career progression? I’ll be your mentor when you join Progress to Partner Academy
Read: How does a Mentor help you build your Business and Personal Case?
8) Manage your career
To move up in accounting, first, know what you want and then manage your career to get there! Do not attempt to excel in a position you dislike, instead find a career and job position that fits your personality, skills, and passion. Advocate yourself and seek advice and guidance from the more experienced.
9) Ask for a promotion
Not many accountants think of asking for a promotion when they think about how to move up in accounting, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If, and only if, you have a great reputation, you do high-quality work, you have a strong brand, a positive attitude, and you are a team player and a role model employee should you ask for a promotion. You also have to be prepared to give examples of great work that’s contributed to the growth of the firm and show your progress too.
10) Learn to think (and act) like an entrepreneur
Every accountant is in business for themselves, so if you can learn to think and act like an entrepreneur, you can greatly accelerate your career progression. The sooner you take responsibility for your own skills, growth, integrity, reputation, brand, service, and business development, the sooner you can start winning your own clients and wow them.
11) Understand your firm
A big part of career progression comes down to understanding how your firm generates profits as well as firm politics and the way things work. If you understand this, you can learn to master one or two key areas to demonstrate to your firm’s senior partners that you want to and can help grow the firm.
12) Don’t limit yourself
One of the best pieces of advice for 2025 is to not limit yourself. The limits on the value we can deliver are often self-imposed so learn to think differently. Open your mind and aim to learn as much as you can about the firm, the industry, the skills you need to develop, and your specific clients’ needs.
How to actually stick to your career resolutions
Now that you have a list of clear and attainable goals to advance your accounting career, we are now going to look at how to actually keep them. Here are five strategies to help you stay committed to your professional goals:
1) Follow up good intentions with action
We all start with good intentions, but to truly advance your accounting career, action is essential. Begin by scheduling dedicated time each week to focus on career development, whether it’s building new skills, networking, or pursuing new qualifications. If you find it hard to stay motivated, consider investing in professional development courses or online coaching for extra support. You can get both of these when you join Progress to Partner Academy – where each small step you take will bring you closer to achieving your accounting career goals.
2) Break your goals down into smaller steps
Setting new resolutions can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re aiming to make significant changes this year. Our advice? Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable milestones. For instance, if your goal is to earn a new certification, start by allocating time each week for study and practice. By focusing on smaller steps, you can make steady progress and avoid burnout.
3) Make your resolutions specific and measurable
Vague goals are hard to achieve. To move up in accounting, make your resolutions specific, measurable, and actionable. For example, instead of saying “I want to expand my network,” set a target such as “I want to connect with five new accounting professionals each month.” The more specific your goals, the easier it will be to track your progress and see tangible results.
4) Share your resolutions and seek support
When you keep career goals to yourself, it’s easy to let them slide. To truly advance your accounting career, share your resolutions with mentors, peers, or even colleagues who can hold you accountable. Their support and encouragement can make a big difference, helping you stay focused and motivated.
5) Understand why you want to make these changes
Without a clear reason behind your career resolutions, it’s difficult to sustain momentum. Ask yourself: Why do I want to advance my career? Do I want to take on a leadership role, gain more financial stability, or increase my expertise in a specific area? Knowing the “why” behind your resolutions will keep you motivated when challenges arise.
Bonus tips for long-term success
Remember that positive habits and consistent effort can make a lasting impact. Here are a few additional tips to keep you on track:
- Take care of yourself: Prioritise your physical and mental health, especially during demanding periods like tax season. Get adequate sleep, maintain a balanced diet, and incorporate exercise to ensure you’re performing at your best.
- Free up headspace: Set aside regular time to reflect on your career, identify areas for improvement, and strategise your next moves. This will allow you to stay aligned with your long-term vision.
Read: Why habits, not goals, are essential to progress your career
Fast-track your accounting career
Professionally speaking, setting career resolutions (and sticking to them) can increase focus, improve time management and boost productivity. However, vision without action is merely a dream!
To advance in accounting, start making a conscious effort to manage your career starting with these top 12 tips to learn, develop, and grow in 2025.
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Need more help to progress your accounting career?
Remember that your job success isn’t determined by your technical knowledge alone! To boost your career prospects or progress along that partnership track, here are some essential resources:
- Download our free career action plan! This is everything you need to finally take your career in the direction that you want and to achieve what you set out to do.
- Sign up to my weekly tips packed full of advice and knowledge on how to progress your career in your professional service firm – click here!
We have a great course in Progress to Partneer Academy called “How to Truly Commit to Moving your Career Forward“. It’s a game-changer and will get you focussed and help you to create the time and space to work a little on your career plan every.single.week. Find out more about the How to Truly Commit to Moving your Career Forward course here
