career advice please - should I go into accountancy or teaching?

[olliebird]

I need to retrain - Anyone got any useful advice on my two career options.

1. Teaching - i could do a teacher training course in september (either primary or art secondary). I have 5 and 3 year old boys. Will I be able to cope with teaching and my own kids, everyone says teaching is such hard work, so stressfull etc. Is this exagerated or is it really true? Is anyone else managing to do this? Would I have any energy left for my own kids at the end of the day??

1. Accountancy - ive done a lot of bookeeping and am good at it, my accountant has offered me as much bookkeeping work as I want, to do from home. Would have to do proffessional acca exams from home and then I might be able to work 3/4 days per week and I imagine money would be quite good (true or false?). Are there part-time jobs in accountancy? Is it easy to work from home odd days when kids ill? Are the exams really hard? Any one else done this or doing this?? Not planning to be a highflyer, so would I be expected to do long hours in office?

Trying to make a decision - any advice would be much appreciated

[GreenandBlackOtter]

ACCOUNTANCY

[GreenandBlackOtter]

too many disillusioned teachers

[MuffinTheMule]

I have done both. Was a teacher for just over a year and have been an accountant for over six years.

I work 3 days a week. Studying was hard work (did that pre-children) but teaching (for me at any rate) was so much more horrible.

I would suggest the accountancy route .

[dustystar]

Accountancy - better pay and more flexible hours.

[indiajane]

I'm a p/t accountant for one of the big 4. It's great, very easy to do p/t - although some flexibility is nec at Y.E.

Exams can be hard - depends if you're academic or not - and what exams you do!. As a part timer you may be lucky to get a training contract which includes college fees but I'd try if I were you. To pass the exams takes quite a lot of study in your own time though.

Pay can be great -it's like everything, you can choose big city firm and rake it in with proviso that you are a career woman and on call... or I imagine you can keep it lighter (although this isn't something I've done so not really something I'm qualified to talk about)

My company has big city offices and we're encouraged to work from home as we mostly have to hot desk anyway. Trying to do it when kids are ill... dodgy (certainly not an interview question!)

[Judy1234]

I think equity partners at Enrst & YOung earn up to £1m a year. I doubt many teachers earn that and both jobs are fascinating so I'd go with the accountancy route.

[indiajane]

I believe our UK Senior Partner was on £3.2m a couple of years ago (highest paid ever).

I'd start at the bottom though and work your way up olliebird. You get to know the company so much better

[ChocolateTeapot]

My friend who has been teaching for 3 years now came round on Saturday, which was a late night for her. She is usually in bed at 9pm every night and works on Sundays to get all her lesson plans and marking done. She wouldn't swap it for the world but does find it very demanding and she doesn't have small children to fit in.

She also made the point about being ill. She took two days off as she was but went back before she was really ready. As she said, you can't just take it easy, the minute you are in the classroom it is full.

[Anna8888]

Accountancy.

Much more money.
More interesting.
Opens more horizons.

[ZZMum]

DH is a primary teacher and finds it very tiring, lots of prep etc but is totally fulfilled by it -- gives him loads of insight into the kids lives and of course all their holidays...

know nothing about accountancy other than the usual jokes about them...

Depends where your heart lies really as jobs are very different - you want a vocation or to earn some money?

[NoNoNoBodyInTheTomb]

I'm a disillusioned accountant, and I teach now instead. Love it. Hated accounting.

otoh, you could do the accounting now, part-time while the kidlets are small, and get the accounting exams under your belt, and then go into lecturing or something, where you're teaching real grown-ups with no discipline problems much

[olliebird]

Useful advice thanks - more please!
If I did the accountancy I imagined it would be near- impossible to get sponsorship through 'cartered accountant' exams and also with 2 young boys I probably couldn't copy with fulltime job and tough exams. Feel I could manage acca (certified chartered) exams as I can do it at my own pace and don't need to be working at the same time. Aparently my existing bookkeeping over last 10 years will count towards relevant work experience. Thought i could get part qualified then start doing part-time work and then try to finish exams. I have a natural aptitude for accountancy but don't plan to be high flyer prefering to work 3-day week if possible and earn good money as well - is this realistic? Don't mind doing a few years full time.
I am 36 and have hist of art degree and good languages (french, german & norwegian)
Is there a lot of difference between certified chartered and chartered??
thanks

[piglit]

If the money is a big issue then accountancy is the way to go. My dh is a partner with a very big firm and earns squillions. A number of his staff are part time (lots of WOHMs who job share) and they are very well paid and get lots of benefits - good pension, healthcare etc. They have good support and training too. They have all been there a long time so I guess they must enjoy it.

[olliebird]

yes it would be lovely, but I worry I would have no energy left to do my own sculpture and to enjoy the kids. Am I better to earn the money to pay to get some domestic help (housework gets me down so much) and to give me a free day? I'm helping out at son's school and bit shocked how little the teacher is able to achieve in an afternoon. So thinking also about setting up after-school art clubs which could be more fun and make more money.
difficult

[olliebird]

how much might I earn in a job share as a late starter?

[Ali5]

Being a primary school teacher my first instinct was to say don't even consider a PGCE, but having read what people have written about a vocation I thought again.
I love and hate my job. It's incredibly rewarding, different every day, challenging and fun. But it's long hours, hard work, and there's no having an easy day if you feel rubbish (learnt this the hard way with severe morning sickness whilst p/g). Dealing with hopeless heads and difficult parents can really get you down and you always feel like you're playing catch up, you never ever get everything done. The money is good, the holidays are great and if you get a good school, you'll never have so much fun or make such good friends.

I did a whole variety of other jobs before I jacked it all in and went to uni and although I was ready for this time off with ds, I don't think I want to do anything else other than be a teacher.

[NoNoNoBodyInTheTomb]

ACCA is a fine qualification (Mine was chartered, so I'm not biased)

CIMA is also good

But teaching art .....

Imagine yourself in 5 years time, with the kids at whatever ages they'd be then, up and running a little. Think about your day, and see if you'd prefer to be going in to an office to save some millionaire lots of tax, or to a school to teach some surly teenagers art (I@m deliberately choosing the least attractive aspects)

[Ladymuck]

What were you doing before kids?

Although I know several accountants who are in the process of retraining as teachers I am always slightly surprised - I have great admiration for anyone who can teach! And i'm not alwasy convoinced that the characteristics that make up good accountants also make good teachers - but clearly there are exceptions!

If I were you I would ask to do a couple of days work experience in a state school of your chosen age range and see how you feel.

[HullaBalloo]

I think accountancy would be the most flexible option, but why do you need a qualification ? Can't you just be 'qualified by experience'? I am an ACCA qualified accountant and feel that you shouldn't underestimate the time and costs involved in qualifying - it is tough and needs a big commitment. Have you considered starting off by doing the AAT qualification ?

[NoNoNoBodyInTheTomb]

yeah, Fio, lecturing ......

[REIDnotREEDorREAD]

i have been teaching secondary school children for 6 years, i have a 7 month old ds. it is bloody hard work but i really wouldnt swap it! the training is very demanding though! a lot of paperwork and planning which is obviously a lot more time consuming when you are learning how to do it.

Being organised is a huge help too, that can savea lot of time!

On the bright side, it gets much easier the longer you do it for (obviously) i am not an art teacher (Geography) and find that the majority of my time is taken up marking. My best friend however is an art teacher and she openly admits that there is less marking involved in her subject. Although i'm sure there is more work needed in other areas (before all the art teachers start having a go )

Sorry to go on... i think teaching is certainy a vocation! i really love my job but yes, it is very hard work and time consuming at times.

Holidays are great though!

[Ali5]

Something to consider is that you would find it difficult to find a position in a school as a part-time NQT - you may have to teach full-time for a year. Someone may come along and contradict me on this though!