payroll/book keeping/ sales ledger/ a/c receivable etc etc

tomtontom

Many graduates are now willing to work for NMW to get into accounting, hence why employers now rarely recruit those without experience or a degree. There are exceptions, but they are pretty rare. Have you contacted any firms directly, rather than using agencies?

pinpin

tomtontom wrote: »

Many graduates are now willing to work for NMW to get into accounting, hence why employers now rarely recruit those without experience or a degree. There are exceptions, but they are pretty rare. Have you contacted any firms directly, rather than using agencies?

Yes, that seems to be the case.
I'm just wondering whether, in lieu of a degree or (work based) experience, a 'course' in whatever job title the role has would give me a shot.

And yes, I've spoke to a few firms as well as agencies. (although as Charlotte showed, at least some will train you without a degree or experience in any sense of the word)

quinndelfre

Charlotte17 wrote: »

a short intro to payroll for 2 days - look at the price!
Not worth it if you have still no one who is willing to help you look for work

My friend did a payroll course for 2 or maybe it was 3 days, and the package had several months unpaid work experience to go with the course. You get to learn and you get a reference for the work experience at the end. That's the sort of course you need, and I believe he paid less than a grand. He got a paid full-time job after that but it did have a accounting/business/economics degree requirement in addition to payroll work experience.

Kim_kim

pinpin wrote: »

I live near Gatwick Airport.
I'm in my LATE 20's.
I can tell you that I've spoken to a number of agencies and a few companies directly, and even for a junior/trainee role, they really want you to have lots of experience already(2 years), or at the very least a degree.
Makes me wonder why they call it 'trainee' but then it is what it is.
Maybe the recruitment side of things have changed?

So what about taking a 'payroll' course? Would I then be qualified for a payroll job? (as opposed to an 'accounting' course)

So do you have any office experience at all?

pinpin

Kim_kim wrote: »

So do you have any office experience at all?

yes. A little bit

Kim_kim

pinpin wrote: »

yes. A little bit

Would you care to expand?

pinpin

Kim_kim wrote: »

Would you care to expand?

Sure. I just didn't think it was relevant, as I have already said that I have no experience with anything to do with accounting/payroll etc.

I had a job in an office for about a year (back in 2006) where my main duties were to update a database to reflect various deliveries that the company had made the previous night.

I had another office job for a very short amount of time where it was my job to check up references for candidates on behalf of a bank. Call previous employers etc, and then update paperwork etc

Kim_kim

pinpin wrote: »

Sure. I just didn't think it was relevant, as I have already said that I have no experience with anything to do with accounting/payroll etc.

I had a job in an office for about a year (back in 2006) where my main duties were to update a database to reflect various deliveries that the company had made the previous night.

I had another office job for a very short amount of time where it was my job to check up references for candidates on behalf of a bank. Call previous employers etc, and then update paperwork etc

2006 is quite some time ago & the job wasn't for long.
I think college might be your best bet.
An admin course & think about AAT too.

pinpin

So you'd advise against just shelling out a grand or whatever it is for a course in something like 'book keeping' or 'sales ledger' and then applying for jobs through agencies using that as my 'in'? (assuming that I passed the course!)

pinpin

also, why does it matter that it was back in 2006 or that it was only for a year out of interest?
I mean, I'd imagine that the software used in these accounting jobs, is software that i've never used anyway, so even if that office job ended last week instead of 2006 the advice would be the same?