Accountancy - introductory reading?

edinburgher

Looking for a little advice re. some introductory reading on accounting basics.

I've seen a trainee job as a fund accountant that I'd love to apply for (although I have a different skillset I have plenty of corporate/compliance experience, quite an analytical bent and am comfortable with statistics and reporting).

Everything in the person specification is generic bar a basic knowledge of accounting, so I'd like to do some research and (hopefully) win them over with my enthusiasm

Any suggestions? Looking on Amazon there seems to be a split between Accounting/Business Accounting - given the context of my question, which would I be best reading up on?

Thanks in advance!

benrsmith31077

Not quite what you asked but would you not be better off taking an evening course at local college? I would recommend AAT Intermediate as you are comfortable with figures and reporting.

It's an A Level equivalent course and gives sound basis in business accounting. It can also lead to CIMA/ACCA if you decide to pursue it to degree level.

Any decent course will certainly have a list of required books but a search for AAT Intermediate on Amazon should see you right!

As above I would definitely go for business accounting mainly, but read up on general accounting as well. It cant hurt!

edinburgher

Not quite what you asked but would you not be better off taking an evening course at local college?

Sorry if my request was wooly, pertinent quotes highlighted below. As this is a trainee role, I don't think applying for a course would help much

Looking for a little advice re. some introductory reading on accounting basics.

I've seen a trainee job as a fund accountant that I'd love to apply for... Everything in the person specification is generic bar a basic knowledge of accounting, so I'd like to do some research and (hopefully) win them over with my enthusiasm

Any

Trainee job as a fund accountant... I have the feeling they will send you on a course themselves.
I might be wrong, obviously I don't have the full job advert - but I imagine fund accountant will have to have some sort of specialised qualification (quite possibly accountancy, maybe special side for funds).

If I am right, they will only want very basic current knowledge - ie you know what double side entry is, what is the idea behind it and that there is Balance sheet and Profit and loss..

In which case reading up on Accountancy for dummies, or something like that will do the job I think. And the rest will be achieved by your enthusiasm..

Good luck

edinburgher

Trainee job as a fund accountant... I have the feeling they will send you on a course themselves.

That was the impression I got (and part of the appeal behind the advert)

If I am right, they will only want very basic current knowledge - ie you know what double side entry is, what is the idea behind it and that there is Balance sheet and Profit and loss..

In which case reading up on Accountancy for dummies, or something like that will do the job I think. And the rest will be achieved by your enthusiasm..

This had been the sort of thing that looked appropriate - think I'll try and find myself a wiki (accounting version of Investopedia or the like) and do some swatting there as well.

Any

I've got Accounting for dummies at home and I think that is appropriate for swatting up the basic knowledge.

There is quite a long article about fund accounting on wikipedia.. definitely enough to give you ideas on what to talk about in the interview and and be able to throw in few phrases to impress them and give them the feeling that you know a little about the subject so it is not just any job for you - but the dream job for you:-))

edinburgher

There is quite a long article about fund accounting on wikipedia.. definitely enough to give you ideas on what to talk about in the interview and and be able to throw in few phrases to impress them and give them the feeling that you know a little about the subject so it is not just any job for you - but the dream job for you:-))

I had seen that - thanks Hopefully a bit of research will be a positive for them, but also for me as it will make me feel more relaxed if I get the interview.