How to Change Your Career Into Accounting – Even With No Experience

Thinking about a career change into accounting? You’re not alone.

Every year, thousands of people in the UK decide they want something different. Maybe you’re tired of your current job. Maybe you got made redundant. Maybe you just looked at your payslip and thought, “There has to be more than this.”

Accounting is one of the most popular career changes people make – and for good reason. It’s stable, it pays well, and every single business needs someone who can handle the numbers. But if you don’t have a background in finance, the whole thing can feel overwhelming.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need a degree. You don’t need years of experience. And you definitely don’t need to be a maths genius. Let’s break down exactly how to make a career change into accounting work for you.

Why accounting is a smart career move right now

Let’s start with the practical stuff. According to HMRC and Companies House data, there are over 5 million active businesses in the UK. Every one of them needs bookkeeping, payroll, tax returns, and financial reporting done properly.

That means demand for accounting skills isn’t going anywhere. It’s actually growing, especially for people who can use modern software like Sage 50 and Xero rather than just crunching numbers on spreadsheets.

Starting salaries for junior accounting roles typically sit between £22,000 and £28,000. With a couple of years under your belt, you’re looking at £30,000 to £40,000. Senior roles and specialist positions go well beyond that.

But here’s what really matters: accounting gives you options. You can work in-house for a company, join a practice, go freelance, or even start your own bookkeeping business. Very few careers offer that kind of flexibility.

“But I don’t have any experience” – that’s fine

This is the biggest thing that holds people back. They assume you need an accounting degree or years of experience to get started. You don’t.

What you actually need is:

• Practical software skills – employers want people who can use Sage 50 and Xero from day one
• An understanding of core principles – double-entry bookkeeping, VAT, management accounts, payroll basics
• A recognised qualification – something CPD accredited that shows employers you’re serious
• Real work experience – this is the big one, and we’ll come back to it

Notice what’s not on that list? A degree. Three years of prior experience. An A-level in maths. None of that matters as much as you’d think.

The experience problem (and how to solve it)

Here’s where most career changers get stuck. You finish a course, you update your CV, you start applying for jobs – and every listing says “minimum 1-2 years experience required.”

It’s the classic catch-22. You can’t get experience without a job, and you can’t get a job without experience.

This is exactly why we built a guaranteed 3-month work placement into our accounting programme. It’s not optional. It’s not “we’ll try to find you something.” Every student gets placed with a real employer to do real accounting work.

When you come out the other side, you’ve got a CPD accredited qualification, hands-on Sage 50 and Xero training, AND three months of genuine work experience on your CV. That changes everything.

What does the training actually involve?

Good question. Nobody wants to sign up for something vague. Here’s what a solid accounting training programme should cover:

• Bookkeeping fundamentals – understanding debits, credits, ledgers, and the basics that everything else builds on
• Sage 50 training – this is the most widely used accounting software in UK small businesses. If you can use Sage, you can walk into most accounting roles and hit the ground running. Our UK programme goes deep on this
• Xero training – increasingly popular, especially with startups and modern practices. Cloud-based, intuitive, and growing fast
• VAT returns – every business registered for VAT needs someone who understands the rules
• Payroll – another essential skill that makes you more employable
• Management accounts – this is where you start adding real value, not just recording transactions but helping businesses understand their numbers

The whole thing should be CPD accredited. If it’s not, walk away. Employers and professional bodies recognise CPD accreditation, and it gives your qualification real weight.

How long does it take?

You’re not looking at years here. A focused, practical accounting programme can get you qualified and placed within a few months. That’s training plus your work placement.

Compare that to a university degree (3 years, tens of thousands in debt) or trying to teach yourself from YouTube videos (possible, but nobody’s going to hire you based on that). A structured programme with a guaranteed placement is the fastest route from “I want to change careers” to “I’m actually working in accounting.”

Who actually makes a successful career change into accounting?

All sorts of people. Seriously. We’ve seen:

• Retail workers who were tired of shift patterns and wanted something more stable
• Parents returning to work after taking time out to raise kids
• Admin staff who wanted to specialise and earn more
• People who got made redundant and decided to use it as a fresh start
• Graduates who studied something completely unrelated and needed practical skills

The common thread isn’t background – it’s motivation. If you’re organised, detail-oriented, and willing to learn, you can do this.

Don’t just take our word for it – hear from our graduates who’ve made the switch themselves.

Steps to make your career change happen

Alright, let’s get practical. Here’s what you should do:

1. Research properly. You’re already doing this by reading articles like this one. Good. Keep going. Look at job listings for junior accounting roles in your area. See what skills and qualifications they ask for
2. Choose a programme with a work placement. This is non-negotiable. A qualification on its own isn’t enough in 2026. You need real experience to go with it. Apply for our programme here – it includes Sage 50 and Xero training plus a guaranteed 3-month placement
3. Start learning the basics now. While you’re waiting to start, get familiar with basic accounting terms. Look up double-entry bookkeeping. Watch a few Sage 50 tutorials. The more prepared you are, the faster you’ll progress
4. Update your CV. Even before you finish training, highlight transferable skills. Handled cash? That’s relevant. Managed budgets? Even a household budget shows financial awareness. Organised anything? Accounting is fundamentally about organisation
5. Network. Join LinkedIn groups for UK accountants. Follow accounting firms in your area. Once you’re on your placement, every colleague becomes a potential reference or future employer

What about the money?

Training costs money – that’s just reality. But think of it as an investment, not an expense. You’re spending money now to earn significantly more for the rest of your career.

A junior accountant earning £25,000 who progresses to £35,000 within a few years has earned back their training costs many times over. And unlike a university degree, you’re not spending three years out of the workforce.

If you’re currently on minimum wage or in a role with no progression, the maths speaks for itself.

Ready to make the switch?

A career change into accounting isn’t as scary as it sounds. You don’t need a perfect background. You don’t need to be brilliant at maths. You just need the right training, the right support, and real work experience to get your foot in the door.

That’s exactly what we provide at Swiss Training House – CPD accredited training with Sage 50 and Xero, plus a guaranteed 3-month work placement with a real employer. No guesswork. No “good luck finding a job on your own.”

If you’re serious about making a change, start your application today. Or if you’ve got questions, check out our guide to CPD accreditation to understand why it matters.

Looking for employers who actively take on career changers through work placements? Swiss Career House connects trained candidates with UK businesses looking for exactly your skills.