Accounting and finance degrees offer a broad range of career opportunities.
Whichever of the above subject areas you’ve studied, it’s worth remembering that many different types of business may be open to you as a future workplace. For example, you could choose to work for a large accountancy or finance firm as well as having the option to work in a small- or medium-size business, that may function in a completely different sector, in an accountancy- or finance-related role. Other job options that relate directly to these degrees include:
- Chartered accountant
- Forensic accountant
- External auditor
- Risk manager
- Stockbroker
Related job options to these degrees include:
- Actuary
- Business development manager
- Civil service fast streamer
- Data analyst
- Economist
- Management consultant.
You could also apply the broader skills developed during your degree to many other opportunities: it is estimated that although graduate employers often specify a minimum degree classification as part of their shortlisting, approximately 70% of graduate employers do not specify that you must have studied a particular subject to work for them. However, graduate employers do highly prize skills such as logical thinking, analytical skills, problem-solving and commercial awareness which are some of the key skills you can develop during your course. Therefore, you could use your degree to access work in almost any sector or industry.
Researching your career options
With such a wide range of careers open to you as a graduate, it is important to make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that you can make informed decisions about your future.
Employment opportunities
Below is a snapshot of what some of University of Plymouth accounting and finance graduates told us they were doing six months after graduation, based on the last Destination of Leavers in Higher Education Survey. For some graduates, these jobs serve as ‘stepping stones’ to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.
- ACA Trainee (Accounts Assistant)
- Accountant
- Associate
- Audit Associate
- Auditor
- Cost Modeller
- Delivery Consultant
- Finance Analyst Graduate
- Finance Graduate
- FP&A Analyst
- Graduate Management Trainee
- Graduate Tax Trainee
- Junior Accountant
- Management Accountant
- Police Officer
- Relationship Manager
- Senior Investment Helpdesk Consultant
- Shift Manager
- Spare Interface Controller
- Special Education Needs and Disabilities Teacher
- Tax Associate
- Tax Consultant
- Trainee Accountant
- Underwriter
Employers
- Albert Goodman LLP
- Aspen
- Azets Holdings Limited
- BDO
- Bishop Fleming LLP
- Buzzacott LLP
- Cloud International
- deVere Group
- Devon Audit Partnership
- DNA Payments
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Fluor Ltd
- Goringe Accountants
- Hargreaves Lansdown
- Harry Walker Accountancy
- Inspire Education
- Leonardo
- Milsted Langdon
- Network Rail
- Old Mill
- Optima Products Ltd
- PCI Pharma Services
- PKF Francis Clark
- PwC
- St Austell Brewery
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Media
- Wetherspoons
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2018/19 – 2020/21. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.