Accountancy Training

ACA doesn't necessarily have to be done with an accountancy practice although it's very common. It can be done with approved training providers.


If you do one of the chartered qualifications in practice then usually they will pay for the qualification and you get the bonus of on the job training which usually links to your studies.


Accountancy is far from saturated in terms of job opportunities. You can look for further info on the various qualification sites or just by doing a google search.

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And honestly, it strikes me that Payroll would be the most boring job in the finance world! You do the same stuff Every Single Month, with only minor variations for starters, leavers and statutory payments. It all has to be very precisely, dotted Is and crossed Ts, this form or that form completed correctly and so on.

Ha, very much so!

FWIW I qualified as an ACA in 1983 and it has proved to be an interesting and varied career not to mention a fairly lucrative one. In particular every business has an accounts function and so job opportunities are widespread and not restricted to specific industries. It's also a good stepping stone into more general management.

As you already work for a bank, are there any relevant opportunities there that you could move across to? There are a lot of accountancy jobs around but from my own experience it is a tough nut to crack - I started ACCA studies in my late 30's which was tough going working full time & having a young family and spent 18 months applying for jobs without getting any interviews. Any Trainee Accountant roles had well over 100 applicants. I couldn't even get myself in front of employers looking for entry level staff with no experience - I applied for one role that that involved recharging suppliers services which had been part of my normal job for 8 years; it was advertised twice to even fill it in the first place, then the person that got it left after 4 months but despite 3 applications I wasn't even shortlisted.

I gave up on ACCA in the end as I was getting nowhere and have stuck with my existing career (would jump to an accounting role like a shot though but think that ship has sailed). I have a lot of directly transferable skills and did voluntary accounts work as well but it made no difference. Am kicking myself as was offered 2 AAT training opportunities in my mid 20's but turned them down at the time!

Kim_kim wrote: »

I completed AAT (a lower accountancy qualification). I completed all 3 years up to AAT 4 accounting technician.

It’s good because you can work and earn as you do it.

I’m a finance manager now. I got my AAT a long time ago, nearly 20 years.

Can also encourage an AAT qualification if you intend to go into book-keeping/payroll (this is completely different to being an accountant) - think nurses and surgeons.

I also have one, nice certificate and teaches you all you'll need to know (though I ended up following a different career path).

Also, count me as another person delighting in the irony of being bored so deciding to career change to an accountant!