Am I too old to launch myself into an accountancy career?

[Toomuchocolate]

I have a 2:1 degree, a levels not great though (B,C,D). I' graduated in 2007 and only recently started part time work as a carer. Am I wasting my time? I'd really like to be ambitious and work hard and climb the ladder.

I'm about to do the AAT level 2 qualification to get me started while continuing my care work. Next yeast though I'd like to be working full time in the field whilst looking for sponsorship for the other exams.

AIBU to think this is doable? Has anyone got any advice to help me? Thanks so much.

How old are you ? I don't think it's ever to late tbh.

I'm actually thinking of doing the same course part time soon.

So ten years out of uni, early to mid 30s? Definitely not too late!

I'm 36 and doing my ACCA exams. I've got another 30 odd years of working so thought it's better late than never! Go for it

Hi OP,

I graduated from uni in 2009 and have just started my AAT qualifications. I decided to go for book keeping level 2 because I can get that done before baby number 2 arrives!

Are you doing level 2 accountancy?

I like to think I have a few brains but some parts I'm finding pretty challenging!

My nephew went to work for an accountancy firm after A levels and he trained while working.

How about that route?

Definitely not too late! Go for it. If you can pass all the exams, you'll be able to find a well paid job in a couple of years. I'm an accountant (ACA) and there is never any shortage of work around the £60-80k mark for qualified accountants with a couple of years experience (I can only speak for London/south east)

Are you too old? No idea op...you haven't told us how old you are!

I was wondering about this recently. Could I do this part time? I have A-Levels ABC (B in maths) but am 36. The public sector career I'm in at the moment my earning potential is about £40k, it's fairly family friendly but high stress. I really like the numbers/budget part of my work.

Do you need to be linked to a company (who might not want part time) or can you just study and do the exams yourself?

Weirdly enough my dad is a (recently) retired chartered accountant and has lots of links in this area but I'm a bit loathed to ask him about it.

Sorry! I'm 32, but with no work experience apart from part time care work.

That is no age at all, OP! Get out there and get involved. If that's what you want to do after due consideration I think you should get started immediately if not sooner.

When I've been browsing jobs with support for aca/acca/cima they seemed to be aimed at those just graduating or still on their undergraduate degree.

Would it be worth self funding? What would I do about gaining experience for the ACA route?

Go for it. There is ALWAYS work as an accountant.

Good luck.

S x

My dh is an accountant and did his qualification at 28. I'd advised you look at cima aswel to decide what type of accounting you'd like to do. As my dh says one is more strategic forward planning and one is more what has gone before. He did cima and much preferred it over atta.

Sorry to be nosey op, but you graduated ten years ago with a 2.1 but you've only done part time care work which you started recently? What have you been doing for the last ten years? By the way, please don't answer this if you don't want to...I'm aware I'm being nosey..just surprised because a 2.1 is pretty high for a degree so I'd be surprised by your lack of work experience.

By the way, I don't think you're too old...go for it!

My mum (now retired) did AAT qualifications through evening classes, and started her accounting career at 40. She ended up very senior in a university. So at 32, you've got plenty of time.

My only thought is, how is your maths? It doesn't need to be degree level, but if you struggled at GCSE, you might find accountancy tricky. Could you talk to someone who could give you some guidance on whether accountancy is a good fit for you? You didn't say what your A Levels were in, for example.

I did AAT via distance learning and have had a career in finance for about 7 years now because of it. Whether this career path will suit you definitely depends on your personality type too! I'm great with numbers, and really enjoy the work that I do, but fuck me are accountants boring. I've worked in a few different places and they are all the same - quiet, dull, banterless. This is just my opinion (I'm sure there are other MNers out there that have worked in lovely finance depts) but my experience has been a miserable and boring one. I'm on mat leave now and have no plans to return to finance when I go back to work. I just can't take 40 hours of silence a week!!!

Become a bookkeeper. There's a national skill shortage (if my experience of trying to recruit a staff member is anything to go by !!). If you're in the Midlands I'll give you work experience 😂😂

Thanks for all your input. Sheepy - my B at a level was in maths so I should be ok. Plus I really like numbers and problem solving and things like that.

Where should I be aiming after my aat? Should I go straight for a role in a big firm that offers sponsorship for the bigger exams?

I'm CIMA, qualified 2003. A factor I found significant was that different roles have different demands in terms of travel and overtime. An ACA training contract with a big firm will require you to go all over the place, often abroad, and you won't get much say in where they send you while you're training. An accountancy role in banking or law firms in the city is generally likely to have long hours. Conversely, CIMA or ACCA with a small company or public sector is likely to have less travel and better flexibility if you have children. So it depends quite a lot on where you are in life and what your lifestyle can accommodate.

Is it possible to do work experience now whilst studying the AAT? Voluntary perhaps so you have something to talk about at interviews for real jobs?

Definitely go for it - AAT is a great qualification and it opened up some opportunities for me. I was 29 when I completed it - I've just started CIMA now 4 year later. X