Any accountants around - what's the good and the bad about the job?

[Mog]

I'm a career changer and have, much to my surprise, got a job as a finance assistant and am thinking of whether to go for AAT or proper accountancy qualifications. Obviously to go for full on training I have to really mean it so what are the good and bad aspects to the job.
I was a scientist in pre baby life and what I like about accountancy now is the kind of orderliness of it (have 3 children at home so it's quite nice to sit in an office with a coffee and create order). Also like the problem solving, chance to do mini projects, the black or white solutions to things etc.
What are experiences, good and bad, of the job on a day to day basis?

[CeciC]

Hi Mog,
I have been working in finance for 9 years, and in my opinion, one of the good things of finance/accounts is that it is a job very easy to do from home ( if you need it to). Well I worked two hours everyday from home for 2 years after DD2, now I work from 7 in the morning to 2:30. One of the "bad" things is Year end accounts. At least in my business is the end of the calendar year, that means very busy December and January, and a lot of overtime, in my case it is paid, but I can't choose not to do it.
About training or courses, I did AAT and now I am "trying" ACCA. Very demanding, with family and kids. Courses are quite expensive if you have to paid your own. I do sit one exam every sitting, but is very hard, after a day of work at the office, work at home (as a mum) it is difficult to motivate yourselt to do some study, at least it is very difficult for me. But I do really like accountancy, problem solving and use your "logic" when trying to solve problems.
Good luck in your new job!!!

[CarGirl]

I'm part qualified AccA and I'm not sure I'll continue because I'm not sure I'd want the job that goes with it once I'm qualified. I'm not sure it's compatible with family life tbh!

[Mog]

I do find the study hard, not in terms of committment but that it is quite a dry subject to study after a day at the office/with children. Do like the practical side of it though.

[CarGirl]

whenever i had insomnia I would get one of my books out and would soon nod off.......

[Flum]

I am ACA which is Chartered Accountant. Qualified in practice. It was a career change for me at 28. I was a holiday rep before that for years.

The highs

Can be well paid. Can work anywhere in UK. CAn be good to combine with family.

The lows

It is boring. The studying is REALLY boring, which is what makes it difficult.

I work 2 days per week for a Financial Services firm which is great for me. I do find most accounts work deathly dull though!
I don't think I am a 'classic' accountant thoguh as lots of the people I work with do seem to actually like it. Wierdy geeks.

I would do something that lets you practice as a freelance bookkeeper to start with. SEe how you like that before committing to ACA or ACCA. Unless you know you are quite academic and good at exams and will slam dunk it. Then go for it.

Just to re-iterate. It is quite boring.

[Mog]

What type of accountancy are you doing Flum?

[CarGirl]

Yep I've stalled at the hardest stage 2 exam, you have to learn all the FSAs (?) by heart as well as apply them - WHY???????? The exams are designed to be very hard and they will only let a certain %age pass each one eg the top 40-50% if more than 50% are looking likely to pass they assume the exam was too easy and adjust marks awarded etc!

[katwith3kittens]

I would say audit is v v v boring, but there are other fields ......

[Mog]

I'm enjoying it just now because it is all new. But I am ancient so this would definitely be a last career change so want to make sure it's the right one.
Is it the repetitiveness you all find boring?

[katwith3kittens]

Just re-read your OP and if you were a scientist before you'd presumably be used to all the attention to detail, following current guidelines, regulations and SOPs the like.

Sorry.. didnt mean to put you off. It can be very exciting and very lucrative.

[CarGirl]

it really depends on the actual job that you do, I sadly really did enjoy the accounting/balancing/number cruching side!

[ViolentFemme]

Hi Mog.

I am one of the weirdy geeks that quite likes being an accountant.

I second the comments that it is an job you can combine with homelife as you can easily work from home (like today I finished at 3pm to pick up ds from CM as it was snowing really heavily. Finished my cashflow forecast at home ).

The studying is tres tres dull but a means to an end IMO. Get qualified and you'll always be employable. You'll probably be able to wing the training costs from your employer.

And as a little aside it was the accountancy qualification (I did CIMA) that got me the points to emigrate to Oz.

But again it can be dull as f*ck. But aren't all jobs?

[CarGirl]

that little thrill when it all balances and you find the £1.2m someone posted to the wrong ledger (just a shame it took you 2 hours)

[Flum]

Well I trained in Audit which is quite boring as it is really ticking other peoples home work. Right now I do have quite an interesting role. I calculate the Key Performance Measures that we report to the board on. ie How much profit we have made, how many of different prodcuts we have sold etc.

I have done Activity Based Costing in the past. That is quite technical.

I also do the accounts for two charities (about 5 hours a month), thats for free of course.

and I do the accounts for a local business. A couple of hours a week.

It can be satisfying. I reckon if you are enjohying it, it could suit you. I would start with AAT though, you can always move up to ACCA. It is really tough doing exams with kids. I was lucky and took my finals about a month before my first was born, so just managed to do it before any kids on the scene.

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

I'm doing AAT at the moment (just doing Technician) and then want to do ACCA.
I am working in a financial accounting team, I'm the team leader.
I'm really sad, I lurve my job

[Flum]

Yeah it can be satisfying when you balance somethign off. I'll give you that.

[ViolentFemme]

CarGirl you are talking my language LOL!

A bank rec that balances

[CarGirl]

I really compicated 20 page excel work book that you designed and it works and reconciles back to the ledgers beautifully

[ViolentFemme]

Yeah you should see my budget files. Works of art they are. Hyperlinks and everything

[CarGirl]

Hyperlinks, wonderful things and when you have 30 books all linked in. Meanwhile personnel won't use excel to work out pension & payrise increases.............because they don't believe it can calculate it, even after I explained about locking cells etc........

[Mog]

What would you say are the most boring areas of accountancy to go in to? I can see that audit would be. Anything else?
I'm also looking at this long term and thinkinhg it would be a good skill to take into retirement.

[Eddas]

[ahock] aat or proper accountancy qualification most offended by that comment.

Off to read the rest now

[wheelybug]

I'm ACA, trained and worked in Big 4 but didn't do audit - trained and worked in Corporate Restructuring.

Pros - er well paid, flexible - can be used to do lots of different things

Cons - dull as dishwater . Although I have to say, when I started doing CR work it was quite interesting as we worked on lots of small companies so were trading them in difficult conditions but then we started doing bigger, high profile companies which meant you only did a teeny weeny part of a big project and that was usually quite dull and tedious.

I used pregnancy as a chance to get out but 3 years later I am now setting up a business with a friend and i am quite pleased I have the qualification as it is making setting up the business much easier.

[Eddas]

nothing much to add to everyone's comments. I too enjoy the 'thrill' of reconciling something that's taken an age to find IYSWIM

I got half way through ACCA before dc came along and I realised that actually I didn't want to be a qualified accountant. I have AAT already which is a great qualification in itself and will get me lots of jobs.

But what I really want to do is set up my own bookkeeping business. In my job you see so many businesses with crap bookkeepers and I know I could do that job really well. I could probably earn lots too and work from home.