Accountancy jobs - what's yours?

Truegho

Hi. I was very interested to read your post on your AAT course. I want to get into book-keeping myself, but am unsure which would be the best course to take that would enable me to get an entry level job in book-keeping (I have no experience at all in the field).

I am unemployed and want to study at home. So should I do a basic book-keeping course first, or jump right into AAT Foundation?

Icey77 wrote: »

I finished my AAT about 5 years ago and went straight on to ACCA, now I'm a chartered accountant - it's a slog but sooooo worth it!

I started as a hotel receptionist, moved to an admin role in a PR agency where I helped out in the accounts dept for several months. On that basis I signed up for the AAT and then got a billing role in a multinational company - dull work but for 2 years it got me in the door and from there I moved to another billing role with more responsibility and then was promoted to a management accountant during which time I finished my ACCA and qualified.

I've been involved in some recruitment and perhaps I'm biased but I would nearly always choose an AAT person over a graduate with no/or little accountancy experience. AAT is a brilliant course and teaches you the basics of accounting which is critical in my view.

Hope you manage to get yourself a job, once you do and if you consider continuing with your studies you will always be able to work - people always need accountants! Good luck! :beer:

Ps - if you wanted to ask anything about ACCA or accounting in general don't hesitate to ask

Any

geek84 wrote: »

Hi

Many thanks for your reply.

Sorry for being a bit 'thick', but what would be the natural progression from an accounts assistant?

Thanks

Most likely Assistant Accountant. ie-main accountant's right hand.

Accounts assistant is more of a admin role, learning the systems and ins and outs, but Assistant Accountant is hand on full blown accounts with supervision of main accountant (usually).

Next step could be Financial controller (ie main accountant) reporting to FD or Management accountant or Project accountant... basically once you are past that stage of doing full blown accounts, the world is your oyster.

geek84

Hi

I am studying the AAT at the moment and then hopefully be doing the ACCA in the near future. Are there different qualifications in order to become say, a Financial Controller?

Also, what do you mean by saying the 'World is your oyster', after gaining the qualifications?

Thanks

Any

geek84 wrote: »

Hi

I am studying the AAT at the moment and then hopefully be doing the ACCA in the near future. Are there different qualifications in order to become say, a Financial Controller?

No.
Financial controller is different word for accountant really. Financial controller is a person who in industry (rather then in practice-practice is firm of accountants) type of job is usually the head of the department and makes sure that the accounts assistants (or admin clerks) keep their ledgers in order, they report to him/her and FC in turns reports usually to Finance Director. This can involve wilde range of responsibilities, depending on the size of the company and it;s accounts department. You can only be in charge of the accounts clerks and make sure that everything is running smoothly and report only on the ledgers, situation of money in/out and preparing balance sheet and profit and loss, or you can get also involved with management accounts etc, or do wages etc.

In my past job FC was just financial accountant and in charge of clerks and payroll and management accountant was separate, in my current job FC is also reporting management accounts and the assistant accountant brings the account as far as trial balance.

geek84 wrote: »

Also, what do you mean by saying the 'World is your oyster', after gaining the qualifications?

Thanks

Never mind

Any

Geek, your best bet about an idea of what each role involve is really to have a look on some job pages and the relevant description for these roles.

What the position is called is sometimes quite irrelevant, as I said before quite often the range of what one company calls "assistant accountant" can be the same as for another company "financial controller" - it's all depending on the size of the company and how many levels there is.

A little general idea of each of the jobs is here

http://www.totaljobs.com/Content/Job-descriptions/Accountancy.html

Once you are qualified ACCA, there is VERY LITTLE YOU CANNOT DO. You are Chartered Certified Accountant and that opens a lot of doors. I know ACCA qualifieds on any position from financial controller to finance directors...

AAT is very good start, but it really can only get you as far as financial controller if you work hard. AAT cannot sign off final accounts that is why their position cannot reach Finance Director. I am sure someone will contradict me, but in general you cannot really, unless you are really really lucky and the firm is either yours or they don't mind giving the accounts to accounts firm for sign off-and then why would they have an accountant just to pay another accountant. We are talking real life here not when your mummy calls you FD of her hairsalon just to make you feel good.

geek84

Hi Any

Many thanks for your speedy reply.

I have also heard from other friends of mine that the ACCA is a good qualification. However in the current climate, what do you think about the job opportunities/competition for jobs for AAT/ACCA qualified people?

Thanks
RThanks

Any

geek84 wrote: »

Hi Any

Many thanks for your speedy reply.

I have also heard from other friends of mine that the ACCA is a good qualification. However in the current climate, what do you think about the job opportunities/competition for jobs for AAT/ACCA qualified people?

Thanks
RThanks

Unless you are going to take all your exams at once this december the current climate is irrelevant??? You are just starting to study??

And to be honest, just have a look how many account jobs is out there. If you can interview well you will always find a job. 2 of my mates just changed a job with no problems. Lots of accountants are currently taking on low paid juniors with training contracts because they are cheap.

I don't think I would worry too much about the "current climate" in your situation what so ever. Just make sure you can interview well.

just_an_empty_couch

Hi all, great thread!

I'm in a similar situation to many on here, at least in terms of trying to get a job in accounting with no experience. I want to attempt to embark on a second career having worked in sales for my 5 year career thus far. I have a BSc in Business Management and am a current CIMA student (ops level), but I have no 'real life' business accounting experience. I want to be involved in accounting day to day within an industry, rather than auditing.

I would like to get some experience in accounting to give myself at least a chance of being taken on in a financial role (also I think the experience will be important to re-enforce my decision to switch careers), but not really being in a position to work for free as an intern, it will likely have to be something that I can combine with working full time for the moment.

I'm off travelling at the end of the year so I don't want to look to get a new job before I go, just want to be in the best possible position when I get back.

Has anyone had any experience of:

Volunteering / Charity Work – I would be more than happy to approach charities, but what is the score here? Would they just give me things to go away and do, or do you work directly with others? With no experience, what exactly would I be asked to do as essentially I would need a certain amount of guidance. Would employers value this experience enough compared to actually having worked in a junior accounting position?

Work Shadowing – How long is recommended here or how long are you generally given? Would a day or two work shadowing really show an employer anything other than it demonstrates my commitment and motivation to work in accounting? That is, I’m assuming it doesn’t count as actual experience. And does work shadowing a computer heavy role hold many benefits anyways?

Again an assumption, but I’m not sure how much use of some of the financial software packages I would get doing either of the above. Would getting hold of copies of SAGE or SAP and teaching myself count as a skill for my CV or do employers want work based experience in these too?

I guess, in essence, what I would like to know is - has anyone had no previous experience and used either of the 2 methods above to get experience and then been accepted for a role?

Thanks in advance if anyone can shine any light or pass on any thoughts!!!

jessicamb

just_an_empty_couch wrote: »

Again an assumption, but I’m not sure how much use of some of the financial software packages I would get doing either of the above. Would getting hold of copies of SAGE or SAP and teaching myself count as a skill for my CV or do employers want work based experience in these too?

I wouldn't recommend that you buy the software packagages (you couldn't buy SAP anyway - its too big a system, SAP implementations cost millions of pounds). Not everyone uses Sage so it could be irrelevant. I would suggest that you build your Excel/spreadsheet skills up though as that will definitely come in useful.

I wouldnt worry too much about finance experience to the extent that you would look at work shadowing or volunteering. Have you tried to get a finance role? With your degree and work experience in sales and having started studying that should mark you out as a strong candidate. You might be able to get some accounts admin work on a temporary basis before you go travelling.

Others may disagree with me but I wouldn't go too far into the accounting exams without getting some experience. If your exam level and work experience are wildly different then it could be confusing for employers and might make it harder to get a job.

just_an_empty_couch

jessicamb wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend that you buy the software packagages (you couldn't buy SAP anyway - its too big a system, SAP implementations cost millions of pounds). Not everyone uses Sage so it could be irrelevant. I would suggest that you build your Excel/spreadsheet skills up though as that will definitely come in useful.

I wouldnt worry too much about finance experience to the extent that you would look at work shadowing or volunteering. Have you tried to get a finance role? With your degree and work experience in sales and having started studying that should mark you out as a strong candidate. You might be able to get some accounts admin work on a temporary basis before you go travelling.

Others may disagree with me but I wouldn't go too far into the accounting exams without getting some experience. If your exam level and work experience are wildly different then it could be confusing for employers and might make it harder to get a job.

Thanks for the reply! I would like to see myself as a strong candidate, but with the market saturated with plenty of AN Others all with 2:1 Business degrees, I guess I’m just looking for a way to stand out, to show commitment to change. I don’t want to appear to be just looking to move into accounting on a whim. Admittedly I haven’t tried to get a finance role yet; I have just been reading a lot of doom-mongering in the press and on various forums about the amount of people applying for each role, with many employers, as well as agencies, asking for experience.

Perhaps I’m looking a little like wanting to have my cake and eat it, but one of the reasons for staying in my current role until I go away is down to the money I earn which will go towards my travels. Ah the lure of sales! One of the reasons I haven’t got out earlier, its easy to become accustomed to the wages and the lifestyle they bring. But waking up to go to a job you don’t particularly care for for the next 30 odd years scares the hell out of me!

I can see your point about not going to far with exams without getting experience. I guess I just wanted to keep my hand in academia and show I’m serious to employers, but I’m not sure I would plough ahead too far without actually landing a finance job