Could I just borrow anyone with a job in bookkeeping please?

[DaveyJonesLocker]

Iabu to use aibu for traffic. Feel free to ignore if you aren't interested

Trying to get my life together after leaving abusive exDH.

is this AAT qualification legit and will lead to a career in book keeping?

www.aat.org.uk/qualifications-and-courses/bookkeeping

Thanks for your time!

AAT is a good qualification. You need practical experince too so why not try and get a job that will support you in this study and get paid at the same.time as gaining both theory and exams?

Write to every Chartered Accountant or Chartered Certified practice that you can get to. Say what you are looking for and express your passion.

Chartered Accountant here, AAT is a very respectable bookkeeping qualification. Go for it!

Thank you both!
I've been technically working as a bookkeeper for my ex for nearly 10 years. But very much bodging it I think.

DS is still only just turning 2 so I will start the qualification when he goes to nursery so I can study then I'll be able to start work again when he starts school. I still do the work for my ex but it doesn't take much time.

It's a pretty flexible job right? I've been working from home for years and at any time that suits me. I know it won't be that flexible but I'm hoping to work it round school hours.

Yes, it can be flexible. It's also a very responsible job so I would do it as an employee, personally.

Another ACA here.

AAT is a very respected entry-level qualification, and it's doable, provided you put in the hours.

Bookkeeping and accountancy can be very flexible. As with everything, it depends on the employer, but it would be a good fit for your circumstances if you're interested in numbers.

I wouldn't ordinarily recommend jumping into it without experience, as being book smart without practical experience puts you in a weird place in the marketplace, but as you've done something for your ex before, you would have some experience behind you.

Sounds good. Good qualification to have.

It is a really good entry point. You can go onto full accountancy qualification but it is a great qualification in its own right. Google accounts officer type jobs and you will see loads that require AAT.

Awesome! Thank you all for your advice.
🤞🤞

Id recommend AAT, I did a city and guilds but have been very lucky to have been 'thrown in at the deep end' on my last few jobs which means I am qualified by experience and can produce a set of year end accounts ready for the accountants to finalise. I am very unusual that I earn a good salary because I have a Ltd company and very good people I provide services too who I have worked for for a long time - all small businesses. However, if I had done AAT and worked in practice and gone on to ACA I could have earnt more and been more secure so I would totally recommend this route - I think its a bit late for me now! Good luck!

Are you planning on going on further with qualifications in future, maybe to chartered?
the AAT is really well recognised but they are they’re own body with a subscription, so if you then went to ACCA for example you would then have another subscription to pay each year, ACCA do have a similar qualification called the CAT which would mean you only paid one subscription each year.

ICB is another good option but more limited to bookkeeping.

AAT is the industry standard for practices, it is also likely to be offered by your local college as both full time or part-time courses. Level 4 AAT is also recognised as an entry to higher level accountancy qualifications such as CIMA and ACCA

Ah I didn't know about ACCA. I'll do AAT then ACCA then! Thanks!

Depending upon your qualifications and experience, direct entry to ACCA possible. AAT better for bookkeeping and ACCA takes the role further into preparing and submitting accounts etc.

I am a qualified accountant, I did AAT then CIMA. I would highly recommend AAT, the people I have working for me who did AAT first before ACCA or CIMA seem to be much better prepared for an accountancy role than those either from college/uni or going straight into a foundation level cima or equivalent.

If you are only looking todos a book keeping role then AAT is more than sufficient, if you want to become an accountant then you'll need to CIMA or ACCA, you will be exempt from the beginning parts of them.

I should have added I did AAT to level 4 without any accountancy experience, I was just doing admin work with no finance work at all. I got straight into an NHS band 5 role with AAT and no experience other than admin and did CIMA whilst working in a trainee accountant role.

I’m an FCCA and did my AAT first, I gave up paying my AAT subscription years and years ago, can’t see the point in having both, it’s like A-levels become unimportant once you have a degree, one supersedes the other. I hate paying the ACCA subs (all I get for that £285 is endless spam emails from them), definitely ain’t paying both!

I have an AAT qualification. I didn't complete my A Levels or go to uni so it was my only route to ACCA while holding down a full time job. It's actually very practical so you'll likely end up more experienced than those who followed another route. If you already have other qualifications and wish to progress within finance you may not need it (at ACCA you can even be exempt from the first few exams depending on what qualifications you already have), but if you just want to be a book keeper or at least start there and see where it takes you then AAT is perfect. If you find a job in practice they may even fund your exams. Good luck!

It’s a great qualification BUT nothing can compete with on the job experience and training. I would look for an apprenticeship alongside if you can.

The practical experience is what will get you the job. I’ve just been trying to hire an accounts assistant and several candidates were AAT qualified but couldn’t apply their knowledge practically.

I would hire an experienced skilled bookkeeper with no quals over an AAT who has no practical experience.

I did AAT then ACCA whislt working im bookeeping /management accountant role.

ita a great entry qual if you want to progress but also as a stand alone qual to a specific level. I found their modular approach quick and easy to complete as frequent exams and 'relatively' cheap.

As per PP... AAT level.4 exempts you from some ACCA exams. Unless you have a burning desire to be an auditor ACCA or CIMA are perfectly.acceptable routes to being a fully qual accountant.

AAT is widely recognised internationally as well as nationally. It's a great stepping stone for many potential careers. I was in Finance for years but job re-structures over the years ended with me moving into Estates Management and onto Health and Safety where I got the NEBOSH qualification. The world could be your oyster!! Good luck

I would just say that bookkeeping and accountancy whilst obviously are related are quite different.

And generally, the best accountants I’ve met are great at the nuts and bolts but their real skill lies in understanding business needs, the strategic requirements of a business.

Bookkeeping is a more transactional role and is absolutely vital to a business, but requires a different skillset even if the technical basis is the same.

We had a new girl in the office years ago who was fully trained in all things beautywise but wanted a complete change. My boss and I took a chance on her and understood that she would be pretty much green about office procedures. We encouraged her to go to evening classes and she started off with AQA Book keeping but while she could do the theory, she actually struggled to understand where it would fit in within her working environment. We proved this when she gave me figures in her homework and could not get to the answer she had been given to work to. My boss and I had this worked out within minutes and then had her apply the theory to the office procedures. The light finally went on!!
This is something I have come across frequently over the years - some people are brilliant at passing exams but cannot cross the bridge into the real world. This is the reason that many people struggle to find jobs to take them on when they have a great qualification but not the experience needed.

I do also agree with this. Most of the people I have employed have done AAT whilst working, I have never actually had someone who hasn't had the relevant work experience. We aren't allowed to employ people without qualifications at specific levels due to strict requirements to even get an interview but if I could I would definitely go for experience over a qualification.

Are you thinking of being self employed or getting a job with it?
If looking for a job, lots of employers sponsor the qualification so I would talk to an accountancy specialist recruiter and see what they say.
If looking to be self employed, my understanding is that AAT will rightly expect a certain amount of practical experience first, so also look at ICB.
Look at Facebook groups like six figure bookkeeper and accountants and bookkeepers support which might be helpful to you.
Good luck