The early career and mid-career changes in the local accountancy profession : a survey

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the current status in the profession of accountancy graduates who have graduated in the last ten years and to study what paths they end up taking in their early and mid-careers. More importantly, the dissertation aims to study the motivations underlying changes in the graduate’s career. For this reason, the study sheds light on aspects of job satisfaction, work environment, further studying, remuneration issues, working life vis-a-vis social life issues, all this from a perspective of the newer graduate working in the latest market scenario. Consequently, one would be able to gain insight of these phenomena, which are of concern to the profession and to the Maltese accountant in today’s world. The findings of the study are based on a research questionnaire which was mailed to the target population which mainly encompasses graduates from the B.Accty. (Hons.) course at the University of Malta, and individuals having completed the equivalent accountancy courses offered by recognised institutes. The results obtained led to the conclusion that there seems to be a pre-structured early career designed for all accountancy graduates alike. In general, it seems that an accountancy graduate commences his accountancy career as a junior auditor where the remuneration is not perceived to be a high reward but this path is deemed to be a good way to become knowledgeable on the job and amongst the most competent in the profession. With a shift from the early to the mid-career, generally denoted by the award of the warrant, the accountant is in a better position to design for himself the rest of his career path and to experience the necessary career changes that enable him to follow pursuits that he deems more fulfilling.