If stereotypes are to be believed, accountants are straight-laced figures confined to computer screens. The industry has long struggled to shake off this outdated image and appeal to younger talent. In fact, 45% of UK accountancy firms are “severely” or “significantly” affected by talent shortages, while more than half (52%) cite a lack of interest from university graduates as their biggest recruitment challenge, according to research by accounting software group, Advancetrack.
Katie Collin, partner at medical accountancy firm Ramsay Brown, knows this perception all too well. She humorously recalls an incident early in her career when a group of men on the London Tube turned around and walked away in mock disdain after she and her colleagues revealed they were, in their words, boring accountants.
Collin is determined to challenge these damaging stereotypes. Accountants, she argues, are “not automatons behind screens, but dynamic professionals who understand people, interpret complex situations and build strong client relationships.” These soft skills, she believes, make modern accountancy both “intellectually challenging and deeply human”. They are also essential to attracting the next generation into the profession.
From the arena floor to the audit room
Collin’s commitment to rebranding accountancy is shaped by her own unconventional career path. She began in the pop music industry, managing bands including The Saturdays, before making the unexpected transition into auditing. While music management and accountancy may appear worlds apart, Collin insists the core skills translate seamlessly.
“Whether it’s handling a wardrobe malfunction at a concert or a tax crisis, the core of the job is the same: being a protective and reliable advocate for your client,” she says.
Her early career sharpened her ability to listen closely to people — a skill she now relies on to anticipate clients’ needs and concerns. Managing tours also demanded constant multitasking, balancing logistics, contracts and personal crises simultaneously. “The setting might have changed,” she notes, “but the pressure to solve problems and protect clients remains the same.”
A profession in evolution
The growing importance of soft skills reflects the profession’s broader shift toward a more entrepreneurial model. Clients are no longer looking for an accountant who “files taxes once a year and disappears,” Collin explains, but instead expect proactive, strategic business advice.
This transformation is reflected in ACCA’s 2025 Talent Trends survey, which found that more than half (52%) of young accounting professionals aspire to start their own businesses, a marked departure from the career expectations of previous generations.
“Modern accountancy isn’t staid,” Collin says. “Accountants need to be curious, creative and empathetic. Numbers are important, of course, but understanding clients, solving problems and building relationships is what makes the work rewarding.”
By reframing accounting as a career built on impact, innovation and human connection, she hopes to attract talent eager to challenge the profession’s old image.
Mentorship as a catalyst
Collin credits much of her own success, becoming a partner at age 31, to strong mentorship. “Having a mentor is crucial for career growth,” she says. “It allows young professionals to learn from someone else’s experiences and decisions, even if they don’t follow the same path. Mentors challenge your thinking, ask tough questions and show what’s possible.”
Yet mentorship is often left to chance. The rise of remote work has disrupted the informal relationships that once developed naturally in offices, making intentional guidance increasingly important. Collin advocates for structured mentorship programmes in which experienced professionals actively support junior colleagues, ensuring the next generation receives the insight and confidence needed to thrive.
At the same time, she believes the most effective mentorship still grows organically. “Creating the right environment is key,” she explains. Early in her career, working alongside senior colleagues she respected enabled informal conversations and small moments of advice, interactions that often become the foundation of meaningful mentorship. Remote working, she notes, can limit these spontaneous opportunities for learning.
Collin is also passionate about improving gender representation within the profession. With only 12 of the UK’s top 100 accounting firms led by women, she has made it a personal mission to support and encourage more women into the sector. She points to the collision between accountancy’s cyclical workload, particularly year-ends and self-assessment deadlines, and the continued reality of unpaid domestic labour, which can disproportionately affect women’s career progression.
“This profession has unpredictable peaks and troughs that are hard to navigate alongside family commitments, and many women are forced to make the really hard choice to sacrifice their career progression,” Collin says. “Navigating these hurdles makes female mentors exceptionally valuable, especially when it comes to succeeded authentically in a corporate environment.”
When accountants are empowered to think creatively, build strong relationships and learn from effective mentors, Collin argues, the profession becomes not only more attractive to young professionals but better equipped to meet the complex demands of a rapidly changing business landscape.
If stereotypes are to be believed, accountants are straight-laced figures confined to computer screens. The industry has long struggled to shake off this outdated image and appeal to younger talent. In fact, 45% of UK accountancy firms are “severely” or “significantly” affected by talent shortages, while more than half (52%) cite a lack of interest from university graduates as their biggest recruitment challenge, according to research by accounting software group, Advancetrack.
Katie Collin, partner at medical accountancy firm Ramsay Brown, knows this perception all too well. She humorously recalls an incident early in her career when a group of men on the London Tube turned around and walked away in mock disdain after she and her colleagues revealed they were, in their words, boring accountants.
Collin is determined to challenge these damaging stereotypes. Accountants, she argues, are “not automatons behind screens, but dynamic professionals who understand people, interpret complex situations and build strong client relationships.” These soft skills, she believes, make modern accountancy both “intellectually challenging and deeply human”. They are also essential to attracting the next generation into the profession.
