Am I too old to train as an Accountant/Bookkeeper?

JoJoArmani

Hello

For a good number of years I have thought about training to become an accountant/bookkeeper but have never got around to doing anything.

Now I have decided, I am fed up with doing nothing and having no proper career (been at home with my 2 youngest for over 2 years). I need a change and I'd love to work for myself doing bookkeeping/accounts.

I mentioned to my much younger friend, who is in her final year of AAT, that I might do the course and wanted to work in chartered accountancy. She said I might struggle with chartered as everyone goes into it straight from Uni and I'd be stuck for years doing mundane data entry and checking.

I feel a bit deflated now. I'm 33 and I think I have alot of working life left in me - even after all the training. I don't want to work full time as I need to consider my family... and I being unrealistic? Can I work and train part time?

Any advice gratefully received!
Jo

barginboyrob

Sure, you are not too old. My dad worked and trained part time, makes it harder though of course. AAT is not that hard I think, perhaps you should go for a different accounting qualification.

skylight

I'm 34 and starting my AATs full-time at college this September. So NO - you're not to old at all!

(full-time course, not actually being full-time, more 16odd hours spread across the week).

Pee

You are definately not too old. You may find that a lot of people doing the course are younger than you and you may find that as a result you don't have much in common, on the other hand, you might get on with them like a house on fire.

You will be doing your training whilst your children may need to be a priority, and setting them a good example in you studying or doing homework, meaning that by time you are looking for a better paid job you are in the enviable position of being able to set the employers mind at ease about the possibility of maternity leave. (I know you are not allowed to treat this as a consideration, but I know firms where they do.) Some employers may not choose to employ older staff, preferring someone they can train up to their way of thinking, but I think most firms appreciate that you will have picked up numerous other skills in your life experience to date.

pebblespop

barginboyrob wrote: »

Sure, you are not too old. My dad worked and trained part time, makes it harder though of course. AAT is not that hard I think, perhaps you should go for a different accounting qualification.

if you do not have any accounting experience or accounting degree i think aat is hard.

i have completed both aat and cima and whilst cima is very hard, i found aat quite difficult as well. there are some easy parts to it and difficult bits.

i would start with aat and try to get some kind of accounting experience as having the qualification without the experience, you may find it difficult be get a job.

it should take around 6 years to complete aat and cima (three years on each) so you have to be in it for the long haul!

edit: i have seen people in their 50's on the courses so don't worry about your age. lot's of people will be in their 30's!

JoJoArmani

THANKS GUYS!

Had to shout that.

Thank you so much for your pearls of wisdom. It is very interesting to hear about your full time course Skylight. Is this course shorter being full time?

I'm looking forward to the long haul, I should have done it years ago but I was too nieve and silly. Now I should be able to apply myself to learing more than I ever did back at school/uni, as I really want to acheive something. I want to feel worthwhile, I don't want to wake up at 50 and think I've wasted my life in random admin jobs going nowhere.

Thanks again!

skylight

JoJo

The college were offering a "fast track" course on their literature - which was the foundation and intermediate in one year. However, at the interview, they informed me that the majority of students (the kids I guess LOL!) were not able to keep up with the demands of the fast track so they were unlikely to offer it this Sept. If they don't offer the fast track then it will take me almost 2.5yrs to get to the certificate level, which is not a lot less than if I did it at home and went to college a few evenings a week. But I need the space and discipline of an educational environment. (Plus I have 5 kids at home, so I need space and time for my own homework!!)

Again, the fast track offered was 4 days a week, 9-3. So I would guess that if they are spreading it out, then I will be in college for less (but I neglected to ask them that!) Apparently, these days anything 12hrs a week or more is considered a full-time course.

Pee

The full tme course will be shorter, and students idea of full time is nothing compared to a full time worker and even less to a mum!! I have a friend who did a full time degree with her children in school... they were about 7 and 10 when she started. Obviously she found the time aspect difficult, esp as she lived over an hour away from the Uni, but she managed and did well. She was able to have the children with a child minder for a couple of hours a week under some free government scheme.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Look for a finance related job and ask the employer to help you do ACCA.

Once you have some experience very few employers would turn you down because you had ACCA rather than AAT/ICAEW/ICAS.

They are all CCAB which is what companies on the whole request.

Organic12

pebblespop wrote: »

if you do not have any accounting experience or accounting degree i think aat is hard.

Some students on the same course as me said they felt their Accounting degrees didn't really give them any huge advantage, maybe a few exemptions. They didn't feel it made the exams any easier as the material was new to them also. It was sheer hard work that got you through the exams.

OP, you're certainly not too old. I've worked with people (mid 30s) who have young families (children in infant/nursery school) and done CIMA/ACCA exams whilst also working.

They ultimately thought it was worth all the hard work and struggle as they went on to better paid jobs.

I wish you lots of luck.

Zazen999

I'm 42 and applying for my pgce this year....and once I've got tired of being a teacher [if 'tired' is the word], I'll probably retrain as something mathsy like bookkeeping..so no - you're never too old. Got to have a plan b and c....