Working Your Way To The Top: Four Ways To Help You Make It To Management

In the following post, Lewis Daidone discusses how CPAs can rise to a managerial position.

Even if you’re satisfied with your current position, there might come a time when you want a more challenging role. Although your excellence might inspire senior management to promote you, it’s more likely that you’ll have to do more to get ahead. Here are ways that you can get the appropriate experience and skillset for that senior position.

Work for a specific job title.

Map out a clearly defined career path. Rather than dream of more money and responsibility, work towards an actual job, like controller, senior financial analyst, or accounting manager. Once you’ve identified the role you want, you can begin to get the necessary qualifications.

Get the appropriate degree.

Having a graduate degree could help put you on the fast-track to management. Learn which credentials and certifications both appeal to hiring managers and provide the necessary knowledge and skills for your desired position. For example, if you want to be the head of corporate compliance, having a law degree could make you an extremely valuable candidate.

Hone your leadership skills.

If you want to reap management rewards, plant the seed of leadership. Don’t keep your ambition a secret; discuss your plans during your performance review, and ask which steps you might take in order to achieve your goals. Additionally, take on project team leader roles, and act as mentor to new hires.

Look the part.

It may seem superficial, but do your best to dress and present yourself in a way that causes people to think that you’re in a more senior role. If clients and colleagues look at you and think “manager”, then – if you’re performance is up to par – it’s only a matter of time before your supervisors think it, too.

Lewis Daidone, CPA, is a consultant to technology companies and financial services firms. For more on his credentials, click here.