Trainee acoountan

sagewayne

I was completed my AAT by 18/08/2007, and is full member, but I am not able to get a job as a trainee accountant, I know I am Chinese (British Citizen), which means it is very hard for me to compete with other people. I live in Birmingham, Could anyone help me with this, many thanks.:thumbup1:

emsquare1

Sagewayne,

To be honest I would aim for higher, I was a trainee for my first two years, and now work full time in accounts. Do you have any accounts experience and is your CV upto date?

Andrewh26

I'm at technician stage and I've done 2 years of purchase ledger. Was wondering if I could get an assistant accountant role. Apparently not yet seems to be the case. What did you do emsquare? I think I need more all round experience first. What does anyone else think?

emsquare1

Well I was an apprentice for two years. My first real job now (i'm only a baby at 18 which resttricts me, most employeers think 18 year olds are juvinile delinquents!)

My job role is called Financal Support Assistant, bit of a scrambled role, I work for a huge company so we only deal with management a/cs here.

Andrew you would have a far more evolved knowledge than me due to your exposure, I can't see what the restriction would be?

Andrewh26

well talking to hays, they believe i need more experience as i've only just done purchase ledger, before i could go for higher roles. Although some places have liked my CV, if I stick in purchase ledger, there's some pretty well paid jobs I can have a go at. But surely it's not good just to stay in purchase ledger and frankly with all the invoices, some jobs at least, can be a right royal pain in the a*se

emsquare1

I'm agency (on fixed contract) I decided not to go with Hays... I'd been given the job i'm in now but they were telling me I was under qualifed for it...(yet i had the job )

Are you awaiting any results?

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

Well I was an apprentice for two years. My first real job now (i'm only a baby at 18 which resttricts me, most employeers think 18 year olds are juvinile delinquents!)

My job role is called Financal Support Assistant, bit of a scrambled role, I work for a huge company so we only deal with management a/cs here.

Andrew you would have a far more evolved knowledge than me due to your exposure, I can't see what the restriction would be?

Could I ask at 18 how much work experience do you have? I'm only a baby so to speak too as I am 18, currently an accounts assistant with other 2 years experience, all be it starting Foundation soon, I really should have started the AAT sooner :thumbdown:

emsquare1

I had 2 weeks experience in finance before starting AAT!

I have now been with the same firm for 2 and a half years so that is the sum of my experience.

The only reason I got my job was due to having worked at the company for two years and having a proven track record!

If you have worked in finance for 2 years have you considered joining at intermediate?

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

I had 2 weeks experience in finance before starting AAT!

I have now been with the same firm for 2 and a half years so that is the sum of my experience.

The only reason I got my job was due to having worked at the company for two years and having a proven track record!

If you have worked in finance for 2 years have you considered joining at intermediate?

I haven't thought of it to be honest, currently work more in Purchase Ledger, but work with bank recs and a fair few other bits too. I don't think I can do the skills test again as I tried it well over a year ago when I was considering doing the AAT, but in the end chose CAT which I didn't progress to far with.

Is there any other way I can check?

Sounds like you've done well for yourself, fair play.

Andrewh26

so who did you go with? I'm also with Reed. The best job i could have gone for was paying about £18500, purchase ledger, but was in wrong location for me. I went for another at £17800 but again wrong location. I'm just wondering what jobs I can get outside of purchase ledger and through which agency, or without an agency, hmm

Cudey

Andrewh26 wrote: »

so who did you go with? I'm also with Reed. The best job i could have gone for was paying about £18500, purchase ledger, but was in wrong location for me. I went for another at £17800 but again wrong location. I'm just wondering what jobs I can get outside of purchase ledger and through which agency, or without an agency, hmm

Andrew, have you tried Robert Half?

emsquare1

I'm with an agency called Morgan Jones however I think this is specific to Kent. I'm on about £17500 but I got a lucky break here! Wouldn't expect that outside this firm!

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

I'm with an agency called Morgan Jones however I think this is specific to Kent. I'm on about £17500 but I got a lucky break here! Wouldn't expect that outside this firm!

Is possible, I haven't even started AAT, and am a couple of thousand above the mentioned wage, not trying to sound cocky or anything, but just shows its possible. All the best Andrew.

Andrewh26

haven't tried them yet, where are you two working though, i mean what town? I was working in blackpool and preston. Now i've moved to Manchester, so things should improve from here on in

emsquare1

:ohmy: how much! sob!

I live in Thanet (Kent) bit of a poor area regarding wages hense why I am aiming to moved to the city once qualified!

Cudey

Andrewh26 wrote: »

haven't tried them yet, where are you two working though, i mean what town? I was working in blackpool and preston. Now i've moved to Manchester, so things should improve from here on in

I work in Islington in London mate, I think Robert Half have a base in Manchester. They have a website which is easy to use and lists avaliable job if you get a spare moment to have a look.

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

:ohmy: how much! sob!

I live in Thanet (Kent) bit of a poor area regarding wages hense why I am aiming to moved to the city once qualified!

I reckon you could probably get 20k+ in the city with your qualification at the moment. Again people like Robert Half (I do not work for them I swear) can help big time in this.

emsquare1

Yes I think i could I am happy with my wage for the time being but expect to be on a significant lot more when qualifed (pushing for £1 extra if i pass tomo)

Andrewh26

i may have a look at this company then. Manchester is pretty good, only just moved here but already see improvements in wages, i may look at moving to London in the summer or next year, but we'll see

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

Yes I think i could I am happy with my wage for the time being but expect to be on a significant lot more when qualifed (pushing for £1 extra if i pass tomo)

Good Luck for tomorrow.

emsquare1

Thank you very much!

Nice to know accountants work hard for their money though!

Andrewh26

Could you tell me your job titles? What did you start out as?

Cudey

emsquare1 wrote: »

Thank you very much!

Nice to know accountants work hard for their money though!

Nice to know theres someone else who works in accounts who left school at 16 too! Never met anyone else.

Andrewh26 wrote: »

Could you tell me your job titles? What did you start out as?

I started as an accounts junior, but now i'm an accounts assistant.

Hope that helps.

Andrewh26

accounts assistant, not assistant accountant? well also I have to realise the fact that if you're working in London, the pay will be more generally anyway, but certainly sounds good from what I hear

emsquare1

Haha! Yes I dont know many that left school to do this.

I started as an IT (industrial trainee) I think my job is classed as Financial Support so I oversee and assist the managers and analyst as well as having my own role.