Vibe shift: Gen-Z accountants ditch partnership ambitions for start-ups
The majority of Gen-Z accountancy students now aspire to start their own business, marking a generational shift away from the traditional aspiration of climbing the ranks at a Big Four firm.
New data from Intuit suggests that 75 per cent of students studying accountancy plan to start their own accountancy-related business such as a tax consultancy, tech business or strategic services provider.
The data, based on a survey of 500 students currently studying accounting, highlights that young people, especially those aged 20–24, are embracing accounting as a gateway to entrepreneurship rather than pursuing the traditional career ladder.
Nearly six in ten (59 per cent) surveyed felt their accounting training equipped them for an entrepreneurial future thanks to a focus on strategic advisory skills and fluency in digital tools.
Social media influencer and founder of Hardy Accounting, Grace Hardy, said: “Accountancy gets labelled as male, pale and stale — but for people my age, that’s not the vibe at all.”
Hardy added: “What attracted me to the profession is the emerging tech being used, the career prospects and the opportunity to build my own business from the ground up at only 21 years old.”
The aspiration to own a business is strongest among female students, with almost three-quarters (73 per cent) aiming to set up their own company.
The data highlighted that the profession has become a destination of choice for women, especially those seeking flexible professional careers, with 29 per cent of female students citing job security as a significant draw.
Expensive qualifications
However, nearly one-third of students said the profession still needs to improve in terms of work-life balance, closing the gender pay gap, and providing mentorship opportunities.
The sector has a gap in inclusion, as 27 per cent of young people cited balancing study with other responsibilities as a barrier, and over one in four (26 per cent) said the cost of professional qualifications is too high.
Accountancy and finance senior lecturer and YouTuber James Wright said: “As the accounting sector grows increasingly appealing to both students and career-changers, it’s time for the profession to acknowledge and address the barriers to entry.”
CityAM reported yesterday that the UK’s Big Four accountancy firms are cutting hundreds of jobs and pulling back sharply on graduate recruitment, as AI begins replacing the junior roles once filled by college leavers and university graduates.