Any accountants here who can advise on training?

SJE89

I'm looking to retrain. I currently work in social housing and deal with rents and tenancies.
I have fancied the idea of doing accounting for some time, and started doing a distance learning course with the OU some years ago, but it was mostly about business and wasn't very focussed on accounting, and what bit of it was was not very clear. So i became frustrated and gave it up.
I have started looking at AAT, but they say you need to find a provider to deliver your training, so I haven't a clue where to begin.
I would like to complete training alongside my current role and either look for jobs when I am finished are start on a self-employed basis doing bookkeeping for small businesses while still at my job, until I have enough work to give up my employment, as to apply for positions suitable to me without the qualifications now would mean a significant pay cut. And the prospect of not being answerable to anyone is attractive to me considering what I've put up with recently and up to now.

I would be grateful if anyone could advise the best course of action. 

twopointfour1980

Hi SJE89

I can tell you my experience as an ACCA qualified accountant
I started with ACCA directly rather than going via AAT but did have a few years purchase ledger and low level management accounting behind me. I found the lower levels of ACCA (F1-F3) easy enough but it does step up considerably and on the job experience does help.
To become chartered, once you pass your exams, you also need to demonstrate practical experience. This is for full qualification.

From a bookkeeping perspective, AAT may be a better route but it will take time to train up. 
You will be best placed to think about offering services up to trial balance level which is where books would be handed to an accountant to prepare and should also spend some time as your studies progress to familiarise yourself with online software packages such as Xero, quickbooks, sage etc...

I used Kaplan when i studied and did it through distance learning whilst working. Don't underestimate the learning curve but if you are committed then you will find a way through. 

Make sure you are ready before you go in to business - I made the mistake of thinking i knew more than i did during my studies but each new module brought a deeper understanding 

Hope that helps - let me know if I missed the point or if you have any other questions

abushohag

You can check out Osborne Training as they are aat approved training provider.

Marcon

SJE89 said:

I'm looking to retrain. I currently work in social housing and deal with rents and tenancies.
I have fancied the idea of doing accounting for some time, and started doing a distance learning course with the OU some years ago, but it was mostly about business and wasn't very focussed on accounting, and what bit of it was was not very clear. So i became frustrated and gave it up.
I have started looking at AAT, but they say you need to find a provider to deliver your training, so I haven't a clue where to begin.
I would like to complete training alongside my current role and either look for jobs when I am finished are start on a self-employed basis doing bookkeeping for small businesses while still at my job, until I have enough work to give up my employment, as to apply for positions suitable to me without the qualifications now would mean a significant pay cut. And the prospect of not being answerable to anyone is attractive to me considering what I've put up with recently and up to now.

I would be grateful if anyone could advise the best course of action. 

Forgive me for chipping in with a negative, but the chances of finding small businesses who would want to use your services when you won't be able to provide references, or a track record of actually working as a book-keeper, or training within an accountancy firm, are extremely low. Bear in mind that if you are self employed and working as a sole practitioner, you'll have neither colleagues nor experience to draw on when the first problems hit - as they will. You will also have great difficulty getting PI insurance in that situation.

Competition for clients is fierce; there's no shortage of service providers now work can be done remotely. Anyone who registers a new company at Companies House will get dozens of 'offers' delivered to their registered office within the first couple of weeks of the company coming into existence. 

You abandoned your previous course because it was 'mostly about business' - well, yes, that does tend to be where book-keeping and accountancy are usually found! What were you expecting? As for not being answerable to anyone - if you have clients and a professional body, you are going to find you are much more 'answerable' to them than you are to anyone now, and the deadlines will be remorseless.

I realise from your post that you are getting increasingly keen to escape, but I wonder if another job, with the prospect of some sort of structured training but not a drop in seniority/salary might be a possibility? Have you considered, for example, pensions administration? Now there really is a shortage in that field...and excellent training programmes, with the prospect of rapid advancement for the motivated and competent.

lincroft1710

Marcon said:

SJE89 said:

I'm looking to retrain. I currently work in social housing and deal with rents and tenancies.
I have fancied the idea of doing accounting for some time, and started doing a distance learning course with the OU some years ago, but it was mostly about business and wasn't very focussed on accounting, and what bit of it was was not very clear. So i became frustrated and gave it up.
I have started looking at AAT, but they say you need to find a provider to deliver your training, so I haven't a clue where to begin.
I would like to complete training alongside my current role and either look for jobs when I am finished are start on a self-employed basis doing bookkeeping for small businesses while still at my job, until I have enough work to give up my employment, as to apply for positions suitable to me without the qualifications now would mean a significant pay cut. And the prospect of not being answerable to anyone is attractive to me considering what I've put up with recently and up to now.

I would be grateful if anyone could advise the best course of action. 

Forgive me for chipping in with a negative, but the chances of finding small businesses who would want to use your services when you won't be able to provide references, or a track record of actually working as a book-keeper, or training within an accountancy firm, are extremely low. Bear in mind that if you are self employed and working as a sole practitioner, you'll have neither colleagues nor experience to draw on when the first problems hit - as they will. You will also have great difficulty getting PI insurance in that situation.

Competition for clients is fierce; there's no shortage of service providers now work can be done remotely. Anyone who registers a new company at Companies House will get dozens of 'offers' delivered to their registered office within the first couple of weeks of the company coming into existence. 

You abandoned your previous course because it was 'mostly about business' - well, yes, that does tend to be where book-keeping and accountancy are usually found! What were you expecting? As for not being answerable to anyone - if you have clients and a professional body, you are going to find you are much more 'answerable' to them than you are to anyone now, and the deadlines will be remorseless.

I realise from your post that you are getting increasingly keen to escape, but I wonder if another job, with the prospect of some sort of structured training but not a drop in seniority/salary might be a possibility? Have you considered, for example, pensions administration? Now there really is a shortage in that field...and excellent training programmes, with the prospect of rapid advancement for the motivated and competent.

You do realise this thread is 18 months old!

El_Rey

lincroft1710 said:

Marcon said:

SJE89 said:

I'm looking to retrain. I currently work in social housing and deal with rents and tenancies.
I have fancied the idea of doing accounting for some time, and started doing a distance learning course with the OU some years ago, but it was mostly about business and wasn't very focussed on accounting, and what bit of it was was not very clear. So i became frustrated and gave it up.
I have started looking at AAT, but they say you need to find a provider to deliver your training, so I haven't a clue where to begin.
I would like to complete training alongside my current role and either look for jobs when I am finished are start on a self-employed basis doing bookkeeping for small businesses while still at my job, until I have enough work to give up my employment, as to apply for positions suitable to me without the qualifications now would mean a significant pay cut. And the prospect of not being answerable to anyone is attractive to me considering what I've put up with recently and up to now.

I would be grateful if anyone could advise the best course of action. 

Forgive me for chipping in with a negative, but the chances of finding small businesses who would want to use your services when you won't be able to provide references, or a track record of actually working as a book-keeper, or training within an accountancy firm, are extremely low. Bear in mind that if you are self employed and working as a sole practitioner, you'll have neither colleagues nor experience to draw on when the first problems hit - as they will. You will also have great difficulty getting PI insurance in that situation.

Competition for clients is fierce; there's no shortage of service providers now work can be done remotely. Anyone who registers a new company at Companies House will get dozens of 'offers' delivered to their registered office within the first couple of weeks of the company coming into existence. 

You abandoned your previous course because it was 'mostly about business' - well, yes, that does tend to be where book-keeping and accountancy are usually found! What were you expecting? As for not being answerable to anyone - if you have clients and a professional body, you are going to find you are much more 'answerable' to them than you are to anyone now, and the deadlines will be remorseless.

I realise from your post that you are getting increasingly keen to escape, but I wonder if another job, with the prospect of some sort of structured training but not a drop in seniority/salary might be a possibility? Have you considered, for example, pensions administration? Now there really is a shortage in that field...and excellent training programmes, with the prospect of rapid advancement for the motivated and competent.

You do realise this thread is 18 months old!

It's been a worthwhile bump of an old thread though.

I am keen to hear more about the opportunities available in pension administration. 

Marcon

I'd missed that it was an old thread - only looked at the answer immediately before mine!

Glad I might have been of some use rather than just a bucket of cold water, which certainly wasn't my intention. OP, there are pension admin vacancies both in the public sector (eg your local council), with large firms of employee benefit consultants, buy out providers (insurers who are paid to take over future responsibility for former occupational schemes which are being/have been wound up), the large insurance companies, regulatory bodies...

If you google on 'pension jobs' and 'pension careers' that'll get you loads of links, including to specialist recruitment agencies as well as firms hiring directly.

El_Rey

Marcon said:

I'd missed that it was an old thread - only looked at the answer immediately before mine!

Glad I might have been of some use rather than just a bucket of cold water, which certainly wasn't my intention. OP, there are pension admin vacancies both in the public sector (eg your local council), with large firms of employee benefit consultants, buy out providers (insurers who are paid to take over future responsibility for former occupational schemes which are being/have been wound up), the large insurance companies, regulatory bodies...

If you google on 'pension jobs' and 'pension careers' that'll get you loads of links, including to specialist recruitment agencies as well as firms hiring directly.

Do you know the best training routes / providers? 

Marcon

El_Rey said:

Marcon said:

I'd missed that it was an old thread - only looked at the answer immediately before mine!

Glad I might have been of some use rather than just a bucket of cold water, which certainly wasn't my intention. OP, there are pension admin vacancies both in the public sector (eg your local council), with large firms of employee benefit consultants, buy out providers (insurers who are paid to take over future responsibility for former occupational schemes which are being/have been wound up), the large insurance companies, regulatory bodies...

If you google on 'pension jobs' and 'pension careers' that'll get you loads of links, including to specialist recruitment agencies as well as firms hiring directly.

Do you know the best training routes / providers? 

A good starting point would be here: https://www.pensions-pmi.org.uk/pmi-academy/qualifications/award-in-pensions-essentials/

El_Rey

Thanks Marcon. Is it an industry you have worked in?