Graduate Account Handler

South Yorkshire
£30,000-35,000 per year
Permanent
Full-time

19 days ago
Apply easily

Here at Sharp Consultancy, we know just how important it is to hire the right person-not just in terms of experience, but also personality and overall fit within your business.Getting this wrong can be costly, not only financially, but in terms of time and effort spent on onboarding and training someone who ultimately might not work out.To help avoid this, Soraya Downing has put together 5 key red flags to watch out for when reviewing CVs or interviewing finance candidates: 1. Vague or General Responses A genuinely interested candidate will come to job interviews prepared with detailed answers that clearly link their experience and skills to the role they're applying for. If their responses are vague or lacking depth, it can be a sign that they haven't taken the time to prepare-or worse, they're not truly engaged with the opportunity.Ideally, you want to hear specific examples backed up with figures or results. It's worth noting that bad answer doesn't always mean the candidate isn't prepared or doesn't have the required experience, it could be that your question is confusing and needs rephrasing.For example, asking “Can you walk me through your main responsibilities in your most recent role, particularly those related to [payroll/management reporting/credit control/etc.]?” is likely to generate more specific and useful answers than a vague question like “Tell me about your most recent role.”Try practising your question on a colleague or someone you manage and see if they struggle to answer. They will be able to help you scrutinise the question and suggest better wording or elaboration to avoid any confusion.If you require support with conducting job interviews or creating targeted interview questions, we're always happy to help. With a team of over 25 consultants who each specialise within different areas of finance and accountancy recruitment, we've interviewed thousands of candidates - and we know what works. 2. Inconsistent Career HistoryWe fully support career moves-most of the time, they signal progression and ambition, which is great to see. However, when a CV shows a pattern of short-term employments with no solid explanation, or recurring reasons for leaving, this can indicate potential issues with commitment, adaptability, or performance.There can be many reasons why a candidate has several short-term roles on their CV. For example, they could have completed several temporary or short-term interim contracts without making this clear on their CV or they may have experienced a series of redundancies beyond their control. Always dig a little deeper in these cases, they may be acceptably explained but there could also be something bigger at play.When you engage with us as your recruitment partner, we will never put forward a candidate that hasn't been fully vetted and their career history and suitability examined. We will have all already done the 'deep digging', so all short-term roles and employment gaps are explained to you from the get-go. It takes the guesswork out of the process and saves you valuable time. 3. Poor Communication SkillsIt's natural for candidates to be a little nervous in interviews, but for senior finance roles in particular, strong communication is non-negotiable. If someone consistently gives vague answers, struggles to explain their experience, or avoids eye contact, it could raise concerns about how they'll present to stakeholders or collaborate across teams. At this level, you're looking for clear, confident communication-even under pressure.If you're unsure about a candidate's communication skills, especially in a senior finance role, consider including a short task or second-stage interview focused on presenting or explaining a topic. For example, ask them to walk you through a recent financial project or prepare a brief summary of how they'd present key financials to non-finance stakeholders. This gives you a clearer sense of how they structure information, handle questions, and communicate under mild pressure. When you engage with us we'll work with you to understand whether a candidate's communication style will align with your specific team dynamics and stakeholder environment-something that is key to a successful long-term hire but often overlooked.4. Lack of Curiosity or InitiativeTop finance professionals are naturally curious and proactive. They're the ones who suggest improvements to systems or processes without being asked. If a candidate shows no interest in how they can add value to your business and the role, or doesn't ask questions during the interview, that could be a red flag that they're more reactive than proactive.Sometimes that might be exactly what you are looking for, but other times, recognising this about a candidate early on could be your saving grace in hiring someone unfit for the role in question. 5. No Signs of a Growth MindsetIf you're hiring with the goal of developing someone long-term, look for signs they're committed to personal and professional growth. This could be studying towards a qualification like ACCA, CIMA, or ACA or asking thoughtful questions about the business's future.A lack of interest in development can often translate into a lack of long-term engagement to the role and your company. Even when not looking for a long-term hire, a candidate who exhibits no desire for their long-term career and growth can be a sign that they might not even stick it out for a shorter period of time.As your recruitment partner, it really helps to understand what you want out of a hire. Don't be shy in telling us what skills and qualities you want and don't want a new employee to have for the role you are hiring for. If you give us as much information about the role and the company as possible, we can then use this knowledge in our candidate selection process to only suggest candidates which have the necessary qualities you are looking for. Final Thoughts Sharp Consultancy has been recruiting finance professionals across Yorkshire for over 30 years. Our proven process allows us to spot these red flags early, helping our clients avoid costly hiring mistakes. By keeping the above points in mind, you'll be in a much stronger position to hire the right finance talent for your team.If you're currently hiring, or planning to, and want to avoid the common pitfalls, we'd love to support you. From advising on interview strategy to identifying candidates with the right mix of skills and mindset, we're here to make the process easier-and more successful.Soraya specialises in recruiting for permanent Part Qualified, Qualified by Experience and Qualified finance roles with salaries ranging from £30,000 to £50,000 across Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Worksop, Hull and the surrounding areas. Get in touch with Soraya today - sorayadowning@sharpconsultancy.com - 0114 261 1700 or SUBMIT A VACANCY.×Job details Posted 15 August 2025 Salary £30,000 - £35,000 Competitive LocationBradford Job type Discipline ReferenceLOF41305ConsultantSenior ConsultantGraduate Account HandlerJob descriptionSharp Consultancy are delighted to be working with a long established Leeds business to recruit for a Graduate Account Handler. This is an excellent role for someone with a years previous experience to take on an amazing graduate level opportunity.As a key member of the team, you will have autonomy over a significant book of highly sophisticated and professional clients and will be the main point of contact, responsible for arranging and servicing their insurance requirements.You will have:

excellent communication, negotiation and people skills and be capable of developing and maintaining long-term personal relationships;

a professional, flexible work ethic and desire to invest in professional development via both formal and informal training;

an inquisitive and problem-solving mentality, a proactive attitude, and the skills to manage a wide variety of different tasks and responsibilities to deadlines.

You will be surrounded by a team of experienced insurance, finance and legal professionals. Your agile working environment will be an ultra-modern, newly refurbished office complete with outstanding technology/equipment and an on-site gym. You will be rewarded with a highly competitive salary and benefits package. We are committed to working for the benefit of our clients, colleagues and the company. We expect you to be an excellent ambassador for our company displaying our core values of impact, passion, innovation, curiosity, courage, kindness, and integrity.Responsibilities:Autonomously manage client relationships and accounts, providing the highest standard of serviceReview of client underwriting information, conducting detailed client due diligence/KYC to wholly understand their business and insurance requirementsBroking to the London/Lloyds financial institutions insurance market and negotiating best available insurance terms for the clientPreparing policy documentation and information documents for the client and slips for the insurer (with appropriate business support)Continuing development of detailed technical knowledge of the financial institutions sector, financial lines insurance products and the insurance marketDeveloping and maintaining good working relationships with both team members and the insurance marketPerson SpecificationA strong educational background including a first-class or 2:1 degree, preferably in a relevant subject matter e.g. Finance, Maths, Economics or LawMinimum of 3 years professional experience in a client-focused roleMinimum Diploma CII qualified (or similar level in another professional qualification, including practising legal qualification)Reliable and trustworthy with i.e. strong work ethic, presentable, approachable, engaging, a well-rounded personality and a “can-do” attitudeAn eagerness to continually learn and succeedClear client focus and commitment to providing an outstanding professional serviceAbility to build rapport with an eclectic mix of professional senior individualsHigh levels of attention to detail, time management and organisationHigh quality spoken and written communication skillsAbility to remain calm under pressure and manage multiple enquiries simultaneouslyProblem solver, demonstrating initiative and commercialityBeing known for candour, authenticity and transparencyIntermediate technical sector and product knowledge and desire to develop furtherRewards: Our client is offering competitive salaries and a market leading benefits package.

Competitive salary (based on experience and professional qualifications)

Generous holiday allowance starting at 25 days plus bank holidays, with the ability to purchase more days and volunteering days

7% employer pension contributionsPrivate Medical InsuranceIncome ProtectionLife AssuranceCycle to Work SchemeIf you're a graduate ready to take the next step in your career please, apply now, or call Liam O'Flaherty at Sharp Consultancy and become a key player in our client's team!Sharp Consultancy is a finance and accountancy recruitment specialist assisting accounting and finance divisions of businesses in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire area. With over 30 years' experience we pride ourselves on sourcing excellent finance professionals across all divisions of an accounts function.Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK full time without restriction. To apply please send your CV to the e-mail address stated, quoting our reference and specifying which website you saw this position advertised on. Due to the high volume of applications, we receive it is not always possible to respond to unsuccessful applicants. Therefore, if we have not responded to your application within seven days, please note that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Sharp Consultancy