Beyond Manager - What’s Needed for the Next Step?
So you've become a manager at a public accounting or consulting firm and are wondering what the next steps are for your career. If you want to continue progressing your career, you need to understand that the role beyond manager level is defined differently at every organization. In fact, I would say that the title of senior manager is the most loosely defined role at the firms because the responsibilities can vary widely between the firms. Today, I'm going to outline the three things you should consider doing when advancing your career beyond manager. let's jump in!
Keep Doing What You're Doing, and Get Better
At some firms, the primary difference between a manager and The next level is simply seniority. The nature of the role and responsibilities may not change much, but a more seasoned manager would be expected to handle more complex clients. This advice is best applicable for the firms that have lots of managers and need to differentiate between their relative experience levels. While it's probably the most obvious piece of advice of the three I'm choosing to share with you today and it's also the easiest to execute on. However, the big drawback is that it's also the hardest to measure on your resume. The next two areas have you going out of your way to take on extra responsibilities to drive your career forward.
Extracurriculars
In many firms, advancing past the manager level involves taking on responsibilities outside of the job description. This expectation is typically not included in job descriptions because they are different for every individual. Extracurriculars at a firm allow you to participate in something you are interested in while utilizing and developing your own personal skill set. Here are a few examples of what I would call extracurriculars at a professional services firm:
Participating in business development activities
Serving on internal committees (DEI, Technology, etc.)
Supporting the professional development of other employees (teaching internal classes)
If you are committed to furthering your career, you should be able to find some extracurricular activities at your firm that you can participate in that matches your skillset. If they don't appear to be readily available, make them yourself.
Specialization
Many members of upper management got there because they chose to specialize in something that others are unwilling or unable to do. These specializations will look different at every firm, but they most commonly involve working with a particular industry, practice area, or subject matter. Here are a few examples that would make a manager stick out among the rest:
Understanding how to code and automate tasks using programming.
Understanding complex technical accounting area such as derivatives
Taking on most of the firms, international taxation clients and learning the complexities of these clients that don't apply to the rest.
Ultimately, the idea behind specialization is that you become the “go-to person” for areas that are not commonly known (but are still in demand) in your firm.
If you’re still here and still want to go beyond the manager level, congratulations for not being intimidated by these extra responsibilities. If you are serious about moving up, keep these three areas in the back of your mind and start working towards all of them as soon as you can. In the uncertain economic environment of 2024, you do not want to leave your promotion or resume progression up the chance. Get out there and take those opportunities for yourself!