The news is full of economic doom and gloom these days, especially if you're a graduate or school leaver looking to get into work for the first time, and with the spending axe being sharpened to a diamond edge, ready to hack and slash its way through the nation's finances, it's probably not going to get any easier in the short term.

Therefore I thought I'd share a few pearls of wisdom (well rough pebbles) on how to get yourself ahead of the, ever increasing, pack when it comes to getting yourself through the accountancy door. To do this I've asked the people who make the hiring decisions for their input, so it comes from the horse's mouth.

One: get some (sector specific) work experience; the value of this really cannot be overstated. Not only will you have an insight on what it's really like in the sexy world of accountancy, you'll be able to show you've developed the beginnings of a work ethic, you'll have a much better knowledge of what the job's all about and you'll hopefully develop some extremely useful contacts within a firm that you can exploit at a later date for advice and a helping hand. Perhaps most importantly, if you make a good impression at the firm, you've put yourself way ahead of all the other applicants who no one at the firm has ever met, been bought a drink by or trusted with a piece of real work. It is also the easiest way of following all my other advice in one go!

Two: network, it's never too early to start. At the end of the day professional services is a people business; therefore it is the strength of your personal relationships, as much as anything else, that matters. For those of you still in or just out of full time education your list of contacts may be a little short, therefore you'll have to be creative. Think very hard about all your friends, family, family friends, people you've met down the pub, people you've worked with in part time jobs, tutors, teachers and the bloke who cleans your windows. Anyone who can get you a contact within a firm is your friend. Because once you can talk to someone who works there you have an ally. Someone you can impress and who can recommend you above other applicants because you've managed to make a good impression on them. It's not just what you know it's who you know!

Three: the early bird catches the worm so apply early, the earlier the better. With the sheer weight of applications, places will fill up fast, so don't leave it until after Christmas to apply, you'll probably be too late. That said, things change; some people drop out, new places become available, so check the firm's website every day for possible openings. Never give up.

Four: do your research before an interview. One of the most common failings at the interview stage is not knowing enough about the type of qualification you're letting yourself in for and the work you'll be doing. Employers are going to be spending a lot of money on your professional education. Show them that you really want it by knowing everything there is to know about the exams and the pressures of studying and working full time; do they do ACA or ACCA? CA or CIMA? Really impress by telling them how you'll deal with it, how you've dealt with similar situations in the past, and that you know the first couple of years might not always be the most exciting work but you're willing to roll your sleeves up because it's all worth it in the end.

Five: if you take a gap year do something useful. People who've 'travelled' are a dime a dozen. So you've seen the Taj Mahal, great, but so have 50 other applicants. Try volunteering, teaching, working - anything to prove you weren't just on a pub crawl of the world (although a little bit here and there won't do any harm...). Don't get me wrong, travelling should help round out your experience and personality, but it's so common these days that you need that little bit extra to make you stand out.

Above all it's about making you stand out from the crowd. Everyone's got good A-levels, a degree and all the rest of it, so you need something to make you special, whether it's something you've done or someone you know, and you need to apply now - or preferably yesterday.