From bookkeeping firm to a dynamic and versatile role as Bookeeping Consultant at TriFinance

A rapid growth curve

"After my studies in Accountancy & Taxation, I started working as a file manager in a bookkeeping firm right away. At the time, that seemed like a logical next step and a good start in my finance career. In this function, I have accumulated a broad basic knowledge and have learned a lot about booking invoices, payroll entries, preparing VAT declarations, corporate tax, annual financial statements,... but I was still curious about other possibilities within finance. And above all, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the financials in order to create real impact. That's why I chose to switch to a role as Project Consultant at TriFinance, to accelerate my growth thanks to different types of projects in all kinds of industries and at the same time discover which finance roles really suit me", explains Lissa. 

Thanks to the variety of project and roles, Lissa was able to quickly grow from AP/GL bookkeeper to financial controller. "During my first project as an AP/GL bookkeeper, my job consisted of booking invoices, GL bookings, monthly closing, VAT declarations and reconciliations. Since I already had a first experience with these types of tasks, I quickly gained the confidence of the client to grow towards Junior Financial Controller, supporting P&L analyses, the audit process and the transition to Dynamics365. These are realizations that I am absolutely proud of and are only possible if you dare to indicate when you are ready for an extra or a new challenge", says Lissa. 

Meanwhile, Lissa grew into a true business partner during her next two projects. Lissa: "The scope of my tasks broadened to performing financial analyses and reporting, monthly closings and implementing P&L analyses. Next to that, I also had the chance to make up a forecast and budget for the first time during my third project. That's what makes your role as Project Consultant so much fun: new challenges allow you to gain a lot of (new) knowledge in a short period of time. The more experience I gain, the better I know what I really like to do and what direction I want to take." 

Strengthening bookkeeping skills thanks to customized training

The labor market continues to cry out for bookkeeping profiles. It is therefore crucial to offer young bookkeeping professionals the right support to grow in their job. At TriFinance, we have fully understood this, which is why we strongly invest in the development of our employees. A prime example of this is the Finance & Administration (F&A) Academy. "Because of my role as a Project Consultant, I already had quite some experience with monthly closings for example, but I still picked up a lot of interesting tips from the training 'Closing activities and documentation' as a part of the F&A Academy. A tip that I surely take home? Including designating a person responsible for each task and mapping out the time needed to perform each closing task, as a lever to optimize the process," says Lissa. "Thanks to the F&A Academy, I have taken training sessions that I might not have chosen myself or thought I didn't need. In hindsight, these sessions turned out to be both interesting and relevant."

As Project Consultant at TriFinance, you also get assigned a Career Advisor. This is often a familiar face from your BaseCamp team with whom you can map out a career path in line with your ambitions. "Together with my Career Advisor, I discuss the next steps in my career. A Career Advisor is often someone who will hold up a mirror, making you actively think about which direction you want to go, but also can help you select the right trainings to reach those goals. This support, knowledge sharing and learning culture are TriFinance' strenghts and make sure that you can grow rapidly", Lissa explains. 

Indispensable skills

To be able to give the right advice, it is important to understand the business thoroughly. In finance, you often have to deal with tight deadlines so it is essential to proceed in an efficient manner. "Decisions are being made based on the financials. This means that you have a responsibility together with your team, to ensure that you deliver the highest quality of work possible. For me personally, there are 3 indispensable skills for every finance professional: planning accuracy and helicopter view", adds Lissa. 

• Planning: When a busy period approaches, it is important to plan ahead. If you follow this planning, you can avoid getting caught up in time constraints and prevent feeling stressed. 
• Accuracy: As a Project Consultant, it is your job to give advice to your client based on financials. This makes quality and accuracy key.
• Helicopter view: When financials are final, it is important to look at the whole picture and ask critical questions in order to provide explanations to the financials.

When you start at a new project as Project Consultant, it might be challenging to settle in quickly and efficiently. You have to learn (new) systems, meet new colleagues, learn to understand the business and discover what is expected of you to be able to both work in team and independently. "It's very satisfying to be able to help clients with complex challenges, which in turn gives a boost in your self-confidence. In addition, you learn to adapt quickly to different environments, discover a lot of industries, it's a plus to work with all sorts of programs and systems and you can build a large network. All of this enables you, as a Project Consultant, to create a particularly broad and interesting professional passport", concludes Lissa.