Dear Students: This Is the Best Time to Enter Accountancy 

I was at Newcastle University recently, hosting an event for Sage alongside the Finance & Accounting Society which look at the evolving future of accountancy. 

It’s a real topic of conversation: AI is accelerating and technology is reshaping how work gets done. Firms are evolving their operating models and the skills they prioritise. For students considering the profession, it’s a fair question: what does the future of this career look like and how can they best prepare for it? 

Spoiler alert: In my view, yes. In fact, it may be one of the most exciting times to enter the industry. But you need to understand what is changing. 

The Role Is Shifting, Not Shrinking 

Ten years ago, much of early career accountancy was about data capture. Typing up receipts. Processing journals. Preparing historic accounts. Paper everywhere. 

Today, many firms are fully cloud-based and paperless. Bookkeeping is daily. Data is live. Some practices can tell clients where their business stood at midnight last night. 

That shift matters. 

If technology captures and processes the data, your role moves up the value chain. You are no longer a recorder of history. You are an interpreter of insight. One practitioner shared a story of spotting a client selling imported goods at a loss because freight and duty had not been factored in. Real-time data exposed the issue before it became terminal. Three weeks later, and the business would have failed. 

That is not compliance. That is commercial impact. For graduates, that is the opportunity. The entry point is evolving from processing to problem-solving. 

The Evolution of Graduate Roles 

As firms integrate AI more deeply into their workflows, the nature of entry-level work is evolving.  After all AI can automate repetitive, structured tasks, flagging anomalies and accelerating analysis, which frankly changes how entry and junior roles are structured. 

What it doesn’t change is the need for judgement, trusted relationships and professional accountability – all things that are truly built into the foundations of the profession. 

In fact it actually opens up a new avenue: the risk is not that AI replaces accountants. The risk is that accountants who do not understand AI become less relevant. 

For students, that is empowering. If you enter the profession comfortable with technology, curious about data and willing to embrace new tools, you are not competing with automation. You are directing it. 

Modern Firms Are Tech Businesses 

Another theme from the panel was clear. Accountancy firms today are as much technology businesses as they are finance ones. Cloud platforms, workflow automation, domain-specific AI models, sustainability reporting tools. The firms that win will design smart processes and use tech responsibly. 

That opens broader pathways. Data analytics. ESG advisory. Automation leadership. Tech-enabled audit. Product roles within accounting software providers. 

If you are commercially minded and technically confident, this is fertile ground. 

Human Skills Matter More, Not Less 

Every practitioner on that stage came back to the same differentiator. Yes, you need technical competence. Yes, you should learn the software and understand AI tools. 

But what really sets people apart is curiosity, communication and empathy. 

Clients do not want to be told what happened last year. They want to know what to do tomorrow morning. They want someone who can translate numbers into decisions. Someone who listens. Someone they trust. 

Accountants were described during Covid as first-line responders for small businesses. When revenue fell overnight, the first call was not to an algorithm. It was to a human adviser. That responsibility is not going away. 

Why This Is Exciting 

You are not entering a declining profession. You are entering one in transition. Transitions create opportunity. 

In the next five years, advisory will continue to outpace pure compliance. Sustainability reporting will grow. Real-time forecasting and scenario modelling will become standard. AI will be embedded in everyday workflows. 

The graduates who thrive will be those who blend digital confidence with commercial awareness and strong relationship-building skills. If that sounds like you, then this is a profession to lean into.

Thank you to Emily Rose, Newcastle University and the team at Sage for supporting this event.  

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