Completing your ACA qualification is a huge milestone. It marks the end of a demanding training period and the beginning of a wide range of career possibilities beyond audit. For many newly qualified accountants, the obvious question is: what’s the best first move into industry?
While the pull of FP&A and commercial finance is strong, the smartest first step for most newly qualified auditors is often group accounting and financial reporting. It’s a route that capitalises on your strengths, builds critical experience, and lays the groundwork for future success across industry finance.
As an ACA qualified auditor, you're already equipped with deep technical knowledge of IFRS, statutory accounts, internal controls, and financial statement reviews. You've likely worked with large, listed clients and understand the importance of accuracy, deadlines, and audit standards. Group finance roles allow you to translate these skills directly into an internal, business-facing setting.
Unlike commercial roles where the learning curve can be steep from day one, reporting-focused positions offer a blend of familiarity and challenge. You're still working with numbers and standards, but you’re now owning the outputs, not just reviewing them.
It’s also worth noting that these roles are often more open to newly qualified auditors, especially compared to roles that require prior commercial exposure. Many hiring managers in group finance value technical ability, attention to detail, and an audit background, making it a natural next step.
Hands-On Consolidation Experience
Consolidation is a core component of any listed or multinational finance function. You'll take responsibility for combining results from multiple entities, often across geographies and currencies, and managing complex areas like intercompany eliminations, non-controlling interests, and FX translation. These are technical processes you may have reviewed in audit, but in group finance, you own them.
Exposure to Senior Stakeholders
Working in group reporting often means preparing board packs, investor reports, and external financial statements. You’ll engage directly with Group FDs, Financial Controllers, and sometimes CFOs. These relationships build your visibility and influence early on.
Mastery of Systems and Processes
Unlike audit, where testing is selective, in group finance you need full ownership of outputs. That means learning systems like SAP, Oracle, or Hyperion, and mastering Excel at an advanced level. You'll also get comfortable with month-end pressures, tight reporting timelines, and the demands of being the client rather than the auditor.
A Springboard to Future Roles
Many of the best commercial finance leaders, including FP&A heads, divisional finance directors, and CFOs, started in financial reporting. The experience gives you a top-down view of how the business works, builds credibility with leadership, and equips you to speak confidently about the numbers when you move into more forward-looking roles.
While audit gives you the technical grounding, group reporting teaches you how to apply it commercially. You’ll shift from reviewing financials to producing them, from compliance to ownership.
Technical excellence
Continue refining your understanding of IFRS and complex accounting areas like revenue recognition, impairment, and lease accounting.
Commercial awareness
Learn what drives performance behind the numbers. Ask questions. Get curious about what’s changing in the business.
Systems literacy
Develop comfort with consolidation tools, ERPs, and automation platforms. You’ll be expected to work efficiently and accurately at speed.
Clear communication
You’ll be expected to present financial results to stakeholders who aren’t accountants. Explaining clearly and concisely is key.
Collaboration
Build relationships with tax, treasury, FP&A, and business ops teams. Group finance sits at the heart of the business, so use that visibility wisely.
Group Reporting is rarely the end point. It’s a launchpad. Within 12 to 24 months, many ACA qualified accountants move into:
• FP&A or commercial finance, with a solid understanding of how numbers flow through the business
• Investor relations or technical accounting, where financial rigour and communication skills are vital
• Divisional business partnering or project finance
• Senior leadership roles, ultimately leading to Head of Finance or CFO
In a competitive job market, the smartest move is the one that builds on what you already do well while giving you the tools to grow. For ACA qualified auditors, consolidation and group reporting roles offer just that: structure, challenge, visibility, and momentum.
And importantly, these roles tend to be more accessible than heavily commercial ones for your first move. Many companies are specifically looking for technically strong accountants who can get to grips with consolidation, reporting, and internal controls without requiring prior industry experience.
At Goodman Masson, we’ve helped hundreds of newly qualified accountants make successful transitions into industry. If you're exploring opportunities we’d love to talk.
Get in touch to hear more about current roles: ollie.jeffcoate@goodmanmasson.com
Click here to check out our ACA Careers Hub where you'll find live ACA jobs across all industries, career resources, success stories, our team of experts and exclusive ACA events!
Completing your ACA qualification is a huge milestone. It marks the end of a demanding training period and the beginning of a wide range of career possibilities beyond audit.
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