Accountancy

[weakestlink]

I am thinking of retraining as an accountant.

I am 28 with a 2:2 degree in Politics from a "Russell Group" university.

I got married shortly after graduation and had my first child 9 months later. Two more children have followed and I've been working part time in an admin/reception role since graduation. I've been there 7 years and I am getting bored!

I have enrolled on a basic accounting course and I really enjoy it. I am starting AAT level 2 in September. I would then try to get a training place or enroll myself onto Level 3 the following year if needs be.

I am wondering what sort of work / life balance I can expect from a career in accounting outside of a major city. We live in a rural area although there are offices for several "big" firms and many medium sized firms.

I hope at 28 I am not too late to embark on a new career...!

Very sorry about your partner - amazing effort to carry on with the programme after such a trauma.

I agree about having children making you better prioritise. I am a very organised person anyway and I don't have an issue with childcare as already have systems in place. It helps that my husband works shifts 12-8 normally so can do morning school run and my DM lives with us and is happy to muck in.

To be honest, that sounds like an ideal set-up for this. It's worth contacting firms to ask about the 2:2. I know that there's some leeway for mitigating circumstances. Apply for everything and anything - it's definitely worth spreading your bets. Good luck!

I started my career in finance in purchase ledger a few years ago. I didn't have any qualifications, but you dont really need them for that.

Then I was out of work and did the SAHM mum role for a bit. I then decided I wanted to get back into a career and chose finance/accountancy again. I volunteered at a charity for a couple of months 1 day a week in their finance department and also started AAT level 2.

Now I have completed level 2 and have nearly finished level 3 (just two more modules to go, the first of which I have the exam for in March) then plan to go onto level 4. Im not sure which route I will take next, Im thinking Cima though my tutor did say you can do distance learning and turn it into a degree within another 6-8 months after finishing level 4 so that appeals too. I got another job in purchase ledger, but that didn't work out (due to the people I worked with and their nastiness) and now work in Sales ledger.

I think for me management accountancy is the route I will end up going down.

Im 35 BTW and I did a degree at a metropolitan university where I got a 2:2 in Sociology.

I am an independent ACA student. Trying to find training place. Somebody mentioned a 'point of no return'. What age is too late to get a job, would you say?

I'm CIMA with 7 years pqe.

I also have a 2:2, in commerce admittedly, but I don't mind telling you I didn't remember a fan thing I last saw in 1996 when I decided to start in the CIMA qual in 2001. So I did the first year to refresh as it were (just didn't need to do those first five exams)

I would recommend looking at CIMA/ACCA for your next step. Get on the train now if you are thinking of doing either of those, as they cover ground that AAT3 does, I believe.

As to your age... I was also 28 when I changed carreers. So no, it's never too late.

A degree... Is a degree in getting a degree. Unless it's microbiology or similar, what it is matters little if you then go and do a whole AT or CIMA/ACCA course. In fact, I wish I had skipped uni... CIMA would have been more than adequate by itself.

On the downside... Month ends can be hellish... Hope none of your dc have birthdays at the beginning of the month!!

Don't CIMA etc require practic experience for the case studies? I don't have any experience in the field so I wouldn't be able to go straight for that.
I am hoping at AAT qualifications will get me a trainee position though and then I can go from there...

*practical

Sure, they do. But as it will take a minimum of five years to do the whole thing, you can work at the same time. As a pp said up thread, get into it via purchase ledger and work up from there.

Your aat will easily get you into purchase ledger if not general ledger.

Limited employment opportunities in the rural area I live in but I will keep an eye out - thank you.

The case study is the very last exam (Topcima) and if you look at the way the exams are structured, it purposely takes years to get there, precisely so you can do it alongside a job in the field.

The case study can be anything (mine was based on Sunseeker Yachts, and God knows I'd love to have any experience of those) so it's more about applying common sense backed up with your knowledge to justify your points and recommendations.

If you want to pm me I have a shed load of old books and notes etc. Happy to pass them on make room in the attic

My AAT tutor has told us that with AAT you get automatically exempt with some parts of Cima. You will do OK by doing whatever it is you're doing now and maybe looking for accountancy work once you are into level 3 (or 4)

CIMA only requires the practical experience in order to get your letters. You can complete the exams, including the case study and become a 'Passed Finalist' Without the practical you could not call yourself qualified.

fastwindow i did sunseeker too, and failed Mearbatty rings a bell...but i did sit it three times!

I'm an accountant, just recently hired an assistant, my word of warning is that we had lots of applications from career change mothers who had done AAT in their own time around children and wanted to return to work with the qualification but not any actual experience.
We rejected them all and took on someone who had no official quals but plenty of experience. Study by all means but try to gain real life on the job training too.

Ah... Mearbatty... Wasnt that a past paper for Sunseeker?

Has anyone pointed out that many employers will part fund studies?

pengiun that's very interesting. I will apply for anything/everything once I have level 2 to try and avoid this!

I also have the luxury of time so I can volunteer my skills if needs be to try and gain some experience. I will stand down as PTA secretary and try and become Treasurer if I can.

I have two excellent contacts for "work experience" which I feel would be rather awkward at such an age...?
A fellow school mum is a partner in a local firm and I'm sure she would help me but I want to know what I'm doing a bit first before I embarras myself!

Secondly, my uncle is a senior tax partner in a top 5 company in London. We live miles away so not ideal with children etc. I haven't informed him of my current intentions, again, don't want to embarras myself before I've gained more confidence in the field.

Anyhow, two possible contacts.

My employer/s fully paid for mine..... I had forgotten that...it was a given at the time that they would! When you apply for roles they often say £x salary + study for part qualified - there was endless opportunities for PQ when i was working, much more than for qualified actually. Don't know if that is still the case...

I don't want to apply to early and be rejected due to my bad degree and odd a-levels.
All sites I have seen require 2:1 degree and 3 a levels excluding GS.

*too

When bigger firms recruit for ACA they actively dislike relevant degrees and other accountancy training - they like you 'green'

When I studied we had a student who was early 30's and had been a teacher. I think exam qualifications possibly matter less when you are a 'mature' candidate.

I would contact a few places and find out what their 'mature' applicants criteria are

I am nearly 20 years post qual and work in industry flexibly and PT. it took a big slog to get there though.....

Good luck

Interesting....
I will ponder that....

I would have an extra a-level in Accountancy (all be it not taken at the same time as the others!) to boost my CV as I couldn't apply realistically for any full time position until after the summer as I wouldn't want to put my youngest into full time childcare until then.

I don't think wanting to do tax necessarily means you have to be available at all times. I'm in tax now, after doing accounts during study for my ACCA qualification, and work part-time. I also got my CTA qualification while I had a toddler at home so it can be done. (Not saying it was easy, mind you).

If you want to do wealth management then this is a completely different qualification - most accountancy/tax qualifications specifically forbid you from giving any investment advice beyond explaining the advantages of pensions, ISAs etc

Interesting to hear that you were accepted onto a graduate program, BadlyStuffedWalrus

I'm trying to move sideways (not necessarily to accountancy) and graduate programs would be ideal but I'd written them off as I thought I'd be too old (I'm 33). Were you recently graduated though?