How realistic is it to get a job with a very good wage?

Ath_Wat

Chiyo said:

penners324 said:

Start with AAT work through that and find a job in accounts payable or receivable (credit control, billing, invoicing etc)


Steps above AAT are also doable though it gets harder the further you get.

AAT should take 2 years. CIMA, ACCA can take 2+ years.

I’ve got my AAT level 2 qualification, but I didn’t find it challenging enough. Is there much improvement as the studies progress?

It's not supposed to be "challenging", it's supposed to teach you what you need to know in order to do accounts.  If you want to work in that field you need to know this stuff.

Marcon

Chiyo said:

penners324 said:

Start with AAT work through that and find a job in accounts payable or receivable (credit control, billing, invoicing etc)


Steps above AAT are also doable though it gets harder the further you get.

AAT should take 2 years. CIMA, ACCA can take 2+ years.

I’ve got my AAT level 2 qualification, but I didn’t find it challenging enough. Is there much improvement as the studies progress?

AAT Level 2 is Equivalent to GCSE, AAT Level 3 is equivalent to two A-Levels and AAT Level 4 is equivalent to QCF Level 4 qualification. With an AAT qualification, you get exemptions from degree courses at over 30 Universities in the UK.

Savvy_Sue

Those studying for accountancy qualifications in the workplace generally find them quite challenging ... especially since they know if they fail, they'll be out of a job! 

Kathy535

Chiyo said:

Kathy535 said:

I’m fortunate to earn what is seen as a good wage and it’s been helped by doing two Masters; the first while a single parent to a primary school age child. It’s been hard work and has taken time but I think that I moved from close to minimum wage to about £42k within 5 yrs.  I’m counting from when I got rid of my ex who constantly told me I would never amount to anything and did his best to destroy my confidence.  I did this in the public sector which might be somewhere you could look at because:

• The public sector is a really good place to be if you have family responsibilities - there are family friendly policies and remote working etc.  I was able to work compressed hours - 10 days over 9 - so that I had a day a fortnight to do all the hygiene stuff meaning weekends were free to spend with my child. 

• i know that there are a lot of things wrong with the public sector and it won’t suit everyone but for me it allowed me to take job ‘risks’ fairly safely - I was able to move 200 miles and still work for the same employer, I could move government departments and still have that continuity of service.  Likewise with secondments.  This meant I was able to build up my skill set and apply for promotion quickly.

• you get skills development - in addition to funding university degrees (which aren’t all that common), there is training in accountancy, project managment, leadership, hr etc etc

• There are development programmes at different levels for new and existing employees.

I currently work in the NHS and I would say that it’s similar for NHS in the central bodies (rather than hospitals etc) - there is personal development and opportunity.

I would say that I suffered from a lack of confidence and I found that separating out my job performance from my personal performance helped.  I seek feedback on what I’ve done well/could do differently, identify areas for development and work on those and I keep a log so that I can look back and see how far I’ve come.  And, I note successes down, think about what I learned from (I do this with failures too btw) and this also gives a set of examples to talk about at interviews.

It is doable but it’s hard work.  Good luck!

Thanks, this is all really encouraging. Especially from someone who started in a similar position to me.

Would you recommend working for the NHS from what you’ve seen? I am considering medical school as I’ve been very interested in how the body works since falling ill, and I’ve met plenty of quiet and awkward Doctors so hopefully anxiety wouldn’t be an issue once under control.

Agree you should watch ‘this is going to hurt’ - not just for the life of a doctor but for the culture within hospitals.  It’s a bit out of date and my experience (as a non-clinician) hasn’t been like this but there are plenty of people saying it’s representative.  In terms of medical school - it’s incredibly competitive but that doesn’t mean it’s not doable.  It would be a hard slog as a single parent, it’s not known for being family friendly unless you become a GP. It’s five years at medical school, two years foundation training and then at least 3 years additional training in the speciality of your choice.  And contrary to popular belief junior doctors are not well paid for the hours they do (the average salary is £28-£33k in the foundation years) and that will get worse if we choose to abolish the Working Time Directive.

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/training-doctor

 On that note perhaps look at an Associate Physician role? Requires a first degree in a science subject and a Masters but there is also an apprenticeship route, a,though I’m not clear on how that works.  It’s a fairly new role to take some of the pressure of the GP workforce and pays around £40k pa as a starting point.

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/medical-associate-professions/roles-medical-associate-professions/physician-associate