UK Accounting Job Market Sectors

UK and London recruiters typically separate the Accounting & Finance job market into four key industry sectors -  Public Practice, Banking & Finance, Public Sector and the Commerce Sector. Your accounting skills will often be targeted towards one of these core sectors so it pays to put some thought into your career direction, keeping in mind where your accounting strengths lie.

Public Practice Accounting

Public practice recruitment teams fill vacancies within accounting firms. Employers are usually referred to by size starting with the Big 4, obviously being the largest, second tier firms such as Grant Thornton and BDO and the remainder are generally referred to as small to medium size firms. As you can guess, small firms in London are often much larger than what we would call small firms back at home. When arriving in a foreign country with different social cultures, different systems, and new transport networks many accountants choose to slot into a job role that they feel immediately comfortable with such as public practice.

Banking & Finance

The banking and finance team recruits into the five hundred banks in London plus finance companies, insurance companies, investment companies and brokers. Often viewed by accountants as a prestigious industry to work in, it is always an advantage to have prior experience working within the industry back home, whether directly or indirectly through clients.

Accountants In The Commerce Sector

Commerce can be broken down into a large number of subcategories and every recruitment firm varies in the way that they split their teams. Common industry subsets are Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Telecoms, Property, Legal, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing and Media. Many people from public practice branch out into commerce and never look back.

Accountants In The Public Sector

Public sector recruitment teams will recruit accountants into central and local government. They often also cover charitable and not-for-profit organisations. Many people with a strong interest in the social and environmental objectives of society often have experience that bodes well for working in this industry. For those coming from a public sector background, your best UK job opportunities will normally arise within the same sector and it can take some time if you want to break into a new sector.