It's tougher than ever to get to the top

The financial crisis is thwarting the ambitions of Ireland's accountants. The number of vacant senior roles has switched from feast to famine, and fewer accountants than ever aspire to make the move up to chief financial officer.

A survey of Irish accountants by recruitment firm Robert Half found that less than half (46%) were interested in attaining the dizzy heights of CFO.

Behind the raw statistics, however, it seems it's not a case of lack of ambition, but more accountants being realistic about the shifting job market.

Ken Harbourne, country manager for Robert Half in Ireland, says: "The economic crisis has, for the short term, dimmed the likelihood of CFO level progression for many accountants and finance professionals."

Part of the reason for the lack of activity is the falling away of many small and medium sized companies, particularly in the property sector, which could have provided a lucrative opportunity for a senior accountant with years of experience under their belt, says Paul McClatchie, director at financial recruiter Careers Register.

"Two years ago, there were not enough accountants to fill the number of CFO roles," he says. "From April to November last year the balance of supply and demand was about right, but now the number of candidates far outweighs the number of jobs."

Barbara Donnellan, manager of financial services at Eden Recruitment in Dublin, says a lot of good candidates on the market are largely being ignored currently.

"I know one senior accountant who has been out of work since October, when a year ago she would have been snapped up," she says. "However, accountancy as a whole has not been as affected as other areas and roles are still coming up, just in fewer numbers than previously."