Entry-level accounting jobs in Kenya: how to get your first finance job

Many adverts for accountants ask for experience, which is frustrating when you are trying to get your first job. The good news is that Kenya has clear entry routes into finance, and employers do hire graduates and CPA students for them. This guide explains where to look and how to stand out.

Which entry-level finance jobs are there?

• Accounts assistant or accounts clerk: invoices, payments, petty cash, filing and reconciliations.
• Audit trainee or audit associate at an audit firm, often with support for CPA.
• Graduate trainee programmes at banks, manufacturers and large companies.
• Internships and industrial attachments in companies, NGOs, county governments and SACCOs.
• Bookkeeper for small businesses, often part time.
• Tax assistant at a tax consultancy, especially around the June filing season.

What do employers expect from a beginner?

A relevant degree or diploma, or progress in CPA. Good Excel. Accuracy and honesty. Basic knowledge of iTax and the main taxes. And the willingness to learn the systems they use. You are not expected to know everything; you are expected to be careful and quick to learn.

How do you stand out without experience?

• Show your CPA progress clearly. Each level passed is evidence of discipline.
• Learn one accounting system, such as QuickBooks or Sage, and say so on your CV.
• Get strong at Excel. Many entry roles include an Excel test.
• Use your attachment well: record what you did, with numbers, and ask for a written reference.
• Do real work: keep the books for a family business, a chama or a church group, and describe it on your CV.

Where do you find entry-level finance jobs?

Audit firms and banks advertise graduate intakes once or twice a year, often early in the year. County governments and NGOs advertise internships. Many small businesses hire accounts assistants without advertising widely, so tell people you are looking. On Monica, browse accounts assistant and bookkeeper jobs and get new ones every morning with a free account.

How do you write a CV with no experience?

Lead with your education and CPA level, then skills and systems, then attachments, volunteer work and projects. Read our guide to writing an accountant CV and build yours with the free CV builder.

How do you move up from your first job?

Finish CPA, join ICPAK when you qualify, and ask for wider responsibilities: reconciliations, payroll, tax filings, month-end. Read our guides to CPA Kenya and ICPAK membership.