As the job market improves, we are being asked about 2021 and what Accounting jobs will be most in demand. There is no doubt that there will be more prevalence of some jobs than others, especially after last year when jobs were in short supply!
Currently, we are recruiting more for certain job roles than others and believe that this will continue throughout the coming year. In no particular order, here is what we believe to be the top 3 in-demand accounting jobs in 2021 and why.
Month-end reporting is still ‘king’ and if you are a technically strong, CA/CPA/ACCA/CIMA qualified candidate then your financial accounting skillset is highly sought after.
In the first part of 2021, the reasons our clients have been recruiting for this role have been mainly due to internal promotion, staff relocating to other cities, and finally parental leave cover (contract and permanent).
COVID-19 certainly allowed companies the luxury to re-evaluate their finance teams and plan for the future. What COVID-19 didn’t seem to do was release an increased number of job applicants into the marketplace.
The supply of Financial Accountants, especially on the contract side has seen fewer immediately available candidates on the market. One reason is the lack of regular working holidaymakers travelling to Australia. The other is there was no risk-taking over the past year. Few employees were leaving their jobs without another to go to, therefore making themselves available for short-term contract opportunities.
Across all industries and companies, we are seeing an increase in this mid-level role and don’t think this will change this year.
The most common reason we are currently seeing it and don’t believe it will change is due to the incumbent moving on to a new challenge. It’s interesting and optimistic that candidates now feel secure enough in the job market to make that move.
Clearly, there were finance professionals who were ready to find a new opportunity last year but stayed in their positions for job security who now feel optimistic enough to look externally to find that next adventure.
If you have weathered the COVID-19 storm and can demonstrate your involvement in the financial management of the situation over that period, there is no doubt you will be in demand.
This is a highly sought-after role for candidates who enjoy analysis and being able to make a positive contribution to the company's decision-making and direction. Often in a downturn, analytically focused jobs are the first to go but it’s exciting to see them coming back with a vengeance.
The current theme for the increase in these analytical roles seems to be that companies are looking to grow. FP&A Analysts with experience implementing the latest BI tools and business partnering skills are going to be in short supply and there will be significant demand as organisations look to achieve their goals.
In 2020, there were few of these types of analytical roles in the Sydney accounting market so it’s encouraging that companies are hiring Analysts to provide insights and analytics to assist with the start of the economic recovery.
Irrespective of whether you will be looking for one of these roles over the coming year, or looking to hire, we are seeing positive signs across most of Sydney’s Accounting job market. Contact us here if you are looking to hire your next accounting professional or want to register for opportunities.
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