What to do after AAT

[Herewegoagainok]

What have others done after AAT? I wouldn't mind doing some further studies but not to degree or chartered level. It's hard to know what's out there.

What are your career aspirations?

I did AAT then ACCA, it really depends where you want to go with your career. I needed the ACCA to get the job I wanted but have since changed focus so I don't utilise most of it now.
I think AAT gives you most of what you need for compliance work and the management/strategic side is more experience than anything anyway.

CIMA?

Career wise I'm not entirely sure! I'd like to earn more and would like an up to date qualification as there's a bit of a gap since I last studied. I was hoping for something to top up and challenge me a bit without going chartered. My current role doesn't demand that level of qualification and so I'd have to fund it myself which I've vowed not to do again unless I have the experience to back it up! I struggled for jobs when I initially did AAT as I lacked experience but the reason I did it was to prove myself in leiu of experience so was a bit catch 22. Got there in the end and now after a few years I'm considering what my next step is.

I would have a think and a research about what direction you think you’d go in with it, e.g. if you’d like to end up doing management accounts then make sure you’re well brushed up on excel pivot tables and making lovely shiny presentable graphs and reports.

Or you could do courses on specific accounting software like Sage, Xero etc, or general database management and GDPR principles if you’re looking to maximise employability. Maybe look at ICO for best practice on handling the accounts data you’re dealing with. Credit control processes and skills.
It depends where you want to end up!

I want from AAT L3 into being the one woman accounts department for a medium sized company, accs payable, receivable, VAT returns, checking payroll & paying wages, month and year end reporting. I’m now a PA in the financial advice sector which I don’t care for as it’s all schmoozy and subjective and trying to keep an over enthusiastic boss within process and regulatory requirements when he’s always out to lunch. It would probably be ok in a bigger firm.
My dream job would be working for a high street traditional accountants where people would bring me endless carrier bags of receipts and I would sit in a room alone and produce beautifully organised and evidenced year end tax returns

Well way back when I did my studies I loved doing final accounts but I couldn't break into that so have zilch experience still. I like the methodical side and also the problem solving when things don't balance! I'm just dealing with invoices now so do none of that and it's so dull. I've just done a skills check on aat website and they've suggested I do level 2 I knew I was rusty....I learned these things totally hypothetically and have put none of it into practice.

I might look into one of the bookkeeping courses as it will give a good refresher on what I enjoy and avoid budgeting and variances and see if I can look at jobs on that side then. Does this sound like a good plan? I want to aim higher but i guess that skills check has just proven I'd find it incredibly difficult!

@Herewegoagainok I really don't want to dampen your enthusiasm for returning to accounting, but I would be hesitant to spend money on a course without a clear idea of where you're going.

Can you take on a bit more work at your current employment? If you were able to take charge of producing some MI and maybe doing some suspense reconciliations (or reviewing a colleague's) it could provide the experience and knowledge refreshment that you need to get you into a more interesting and varied role.

I am quite aware that the AAT and other courses push that you 'must have' all their certificates and you 'must' have done the accounting software courses, but in my experience this isn't true, and often people end up bloating themselves with courses with nowhere to climb or move to use them.

If you have no current aspirations to set up on your own or leap straight into something new, I think it is much more worth seeking out a middle stepping stone.

@ClaudiaWankleman thanks for your honesty. I should be careful as I know from doing AAT that I didn't walk into jobs following that. I think it's true that I'm interested in book keeping and financial accounting. I always found that area of the course satisfying as there was a goal that you could see through to the end, and if things didn't balance I liked investigating why. I don't have any real life experience though so that's a sticking point! I'm also at quite a big organisation where everyone's role is very defined so I couldn't really take on any extra without it being considered a conflict of interest.

I think I will get a few books and go over old ground to boost my confidence a bit and then keep my eyes peeled for some opportunities. Its rare that jobs come up but when they do, I'm a bit bewildered by some of the jargon used which isn't a good start.

How long ago is it since you did AAT? And do you have any accounts related experience other than raising invoices?

@Herewegoagainok I did level 2 AAT and then abandoned my level 3 after 2 units as I had a job offer!
In terms of that first job in accounts, I went through a recruitment agency temp to perm and bargained hard on salary against my (lack of) experience. It was very much pay me what you think I’m worth to start off with, let me prove myself but I want 6 monthly pay reviews because I will learn quickly.

One piece of experience I had was doing my own self employed accounts and tax returns for a number of years before re training. Do you have a little eBay business you could practice with or anything like that?

Clubs, charities, churches etc all need Treasurers which is very much a bookkeeping role so perhaps some volunteering could be as useful as more qualifications.