What Steps Do I Need to Take to Become an Accountant?
Accountants play a central role in the financial health of every kind of organisation, from small businesses managing cash flow to large corporations navigating complex regulatory requirements.
If you are considering a career in accounting, you are entering a field with strong demand, clear progression pathways, and genuinely competitive salaries. This guide walks you through the key steps to becoming an accountant and explains how The Manchester College can support you at each stage of your accountant education journey.
Step 1: Work out which area of accounting interests you
Accounting is not a single career. It is a broad discipline with a range of specialisations, each with its own focus, skill set, and career trajectory.
Public accounting involves working with multiple clients across different industries, typically within an accounting firm. Corporate finance sits within a single organisation, managing its accounts, budgets, and financial reporting. Tax accounting specialises in ensuring compliance with tax law and identifying efficiencies. Forensic accounting applies accounting skills to legal disputes and fraud investigations. Management accounting focuses on helping businesses make strategic decisions based on financial data.
You do not need to have made a final choice before you start studying. A Level 1 or Level 2 qualification will give you a grounding in accounting principles across the board, helping you discover where your interests and strengths lie before you specialise.
Step 2: Start with the right qualification
The most widely recognised route into accounting in the UK is through the AAT, the Association of Accounting Technicians. AAT qualifications are structured in levels, making it possible to start from scratch and work your way up at a pace that suits you.
At The Manchester College, we offer the full AAT pathway for adult learners aged 19 and over. Our Level 1 AAT bookkeeping course is the ideal starting point if you have no prior accounting experience. It introduces you to the fundamentals of bookkeeping and prepares you for progression to Level 2.
If you already have a basic understanding of accounting principles and good English and maths skills, you can begin directly with our Level 2 AAT Accounting certificate. This course is available as a daytime or evening course to fit around existing commitments. This covers bookkeeping controls, costing principles, and the business environment, and leads naturally into Level 3.
For those ready to go further, our Level 3 AAT Diploma in Accounting builds on the Level 2 foundation with more advanced topics. These include financial accounting, tax processes, and management accounting techniques. On completion, you can progress to our Level 4 AAT Accounting course, which is the final stage of the AAT pathway. This course opens the door to senior finance roles and further professional qualifications such as ACCA.
If you are 16 to 18 and considering accounting as a career, our T Level in Accounting is a two-year technical qualification designed in collaboration with employers. It includes a mandatory 45-day industry placement and provides a strong academic foundation alongside genuine real-world experience.
Step 3: Gain experience alongside your studies
Qualifications matter, but practical experience is what allows you to apply them with confidence. Employers consistently look for candidates who can demonstrate that they have worked in a financial environment, even at entry level.
Many of our adult learners study part-time while continuing to work, which means you can begin building relevant experience alongside your qualification from day one. Even roles that are not specifically accounting-focused, such as working in finance administration or payroll, help you develop transferable knowledge and make you a stronger candidate when you start applying for accounting roles.
TMC's careers team can also support you in identifying work experience opportunities and understanding which roles are a good fit for your level of qualification.
Step 4: Pursue professional certification
The AAT qualification is a strong credential in its own right, particularly at Levels 3 and 4, but many accountants go on to pursue further professional membership to access senior roles and higher salaries.
According to ICAEW, a trainee accountant in the UK can expect to earn between £22,500 and £37,000, while part-qualified accountants can earn up to £50,000. At the fully qualified level, the Robert Half 2026 UK Finance and Accounting Salary Guide notes that demand for professionals with specialised expertise is rising, particularly in areas such as digital transformation, management reporting, and compliance, with salaries moving upward as qualified candidates remain in short supply.
Professional bodies whose qualifications are recognised by employers include ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), and ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales). Completing the AAT Level 4 qualification exempts you from some ACCA exams, meaning your TMC qualification gives you a meaningful head start on the next stage of your professional development.
Step 5: Specialise
Once you have a foundation qualification and some practical experience, you are in a much stronger position to identify the specialism that suits you. The areas seeing the strongest demand right now include tax advisory, management accounting, and roles that sit at the intersection of finance and technology. These roles could include financial systems management and data analytics in finance.
Tools like Power BI and data analytics platforms are increasingly expected even in mid-level accounting roles. Developing these alongside your core accounting knowledge will make you a more competitive candidate as the profession continues to evolve.
TMC's business and professional subject area offers a range of courses that can complement your accounting studies, including qualifications in business skills, administration, and computing.
Step 6: Build your professional network
Accounting is a relationship-driven profession. Whether you are working in a firm, a large corporate finance team, or as a self-employed bookkeeper, the connections you build during your studies and early career can open doors that qualifications alone cannot.
Joining the AAT as a student member gives you access to networking events, online communities, and professional resources from the moment you start studying. LinkedIn is also worth developing as a professional profile early, connecting with tutors, classmates, and people working in the roles you are aiming for. Greater Manchester has a thriving financial services sector. Business, accountancy, and finance and insurance are ranked among the three highest-growing industries in the city. This means local networking opportunities are substantial.
Step 7: Plan your career progression
Accounting is a career with genuine long-term potential. Entry-level roles such as accounts assistant, finance administrator, and bookkeeper provide the foundation from which many people progress to management accounting, financial controller, or finance director positions over time.
Staying current with regulation changes, software developments, and industry trends is an ongoing part of the job rather than something that ends when you qualify. It is one of the things that makes accounting a genuinely interesting long-term career rather than a static one. The accounting profession is also adapting to increasing automation of routine tasks, which is shifting the focus of many roles toward analysis, strategic insight, and client advisory work. Those who combine technical knowledge with strong communication and analytical skills will be best placed as the sector evolves.
Start your accounting career at The Manchester College
Our accounting and finance courses range from Level 1 through to Level 4 AAT, with day and evening options designed to fit around your life. Whether you are an adult learner retraining for a new career or a school leaver taking your first step into the profession, explore our business and professional courses and speak to our careers team to find the right starting point. Find out about fees and funding to understand what financial support may be available.