Rosscarbery's Sean says numbers add up for career in accountancy

A ROSSCARBERY man who works at the country’s eighth largest accountancy and advisory firm is encouraging Leaving Cert students to consider following his career choice. 

Sean McCarthy works with RSM Ireland, and as students consider their options for CAO, he is encouraging them to consider a career in accounting and with a global firm like RSM. 

RSM Ireland recently won a prestigious international award, which saw them beating off stiff competition from 120 countries to win the global RSM Member Firm of the Year Award for 2017. Since joining the RSM network 18 months ago, the firm’s client base has grown by 23% and it has experienced a 25% increase in fee income. Its staff numbers have also increased, it currently employs 150 people and will be recruiting 25 more in the next 6 months.

Sean graduated from University of Limerick in 2012, and following two years working in industry, where he sat the first of his accountancy exams, took up a trainee position with RSM Ireland in 2014. 

He is encouraging a career in accounting because of the diverse professional and travel opportunities it can offer. ‘I chose to work with RSM Ireland because I wanted a broader experience, and a more supportive learning environment with exposure to all tax heads. This was important to me as I did not want to specialise early in my career. A smaller team also gives you access to work directly with partners, directors on consultancy projects which is great from a learning perspective.’

He is currently working as tax assistant manager on secondment in the international tax department of the firm’s US Boston office. 

‘The opportunity to work and build professional contacts abroad is fantastic and it’s also giving me a greater understanding of issues like transfer pricing, an area of tax which is increasingly important in the current climate.  The US market is important to Ireland and meeting people in person, rather than via email, makes it easier to make valuable connections.’

After sitting his remaining ACCA exams, he began his professional taxation qualification and secured a first in Ireland in the Part 2s with the Irish Tax Institute in 2016.  In May 2017 he received a promotion to assistant manager.

Sean hopes to continue growing within the firm, with the aim of achieving a promotion to manager and senior manager. Sean’s advice to accountancy students is to think long term rather than short term when making career decisions. ‘In the current employee-driven market I have seen a lot of people making career choices based on a short-term benefits, for instance, a small salary increase, rather than making a decision that could influence where they are in their career in 10 years’ time. I believe that if you work hard, the benefits will follow.