How Did You Get into Accounting?

Hi there,
I'm Nathanael from the AAT Comms Team. I'm looking for any AAT members who have an unusual story to tell about how they got into the world of accounting.
This could be along the lines of an strange or quirky job or hobby you used to have before you decided to take the plunge with accounts.
You would be asked to give a quote that (hopefully) might appear in the national press.
So, if you are interested and have a story to tell, please PM me with your details.
Thanks,
Nathanael, AAT Comms Team
I'm Nathanael from the AAT Comms Team. I'm looking for any AAT members who have an unusual story to tell about how they got into the world of accounting.
This could be along the lines of an strange or quirky job or hobby you used to have before you decided to take the plunge with accounts.
You would be asked to give a quote that (hopefully) might appear in the national press.
So, if you are interested and have a story to tell, please PM me with your details.
Thanks,
Nathanael, AAT Comms Team
0
Comments
When I was at school I really hated maths and really anything that took brains! I left school a was working for my Dad as labourer and I was going to become a bricklayer (not implying bricklayers have no brains, but as my Dad has his own building company it was my best option).
I then stopped working for my at the age of 17 and got a job at a local builders merchants as an Accounts assistant, and took to it really well. By the time I left the compnay just over 4 years (I was made redundant) I was the main contact for the accoutns deptartment dealing with pretty much all of the aspects of the business. I then got another job quickly as account assistant as I had lost my job, at a local Factory which didn'nt last long as I hated it!
I now work for a recruitment company that deals with Oil & Gas personnel. They are paying for all my AAT tuition fees. And hopefully will pay for my CIMA ones which I hope to start in the next couple of years. It's a great place to work and I think I have good prospects here!
My point is that however good, or not so good you do in school it is'nt the end of the world! If you want something enough you can still have a good career aslong as you listen to people, and work hard!
Then when i moved down NorthEast, i needed a job so badly and ended up working as a junior in a local practice. Left a year later, still with my mind on vet practice, then found out i could study Accounting at my local college and decided to give it a go, since it seemed too late for anything else.
Never stopped since, i'm now working as a cash adminsitrator for a large firm and studying Technician and enjoy every (mostly!) minute.
I worked in shops since i was 16, but less than two years ago i got employed by the NHS in their accounts department. (I sahll be 40 soon :crying:) And i know i was lucky to get a job!!!!!
Whilst discussing the end of my bankruptcy with my accountant, I obsrved that he was in need of a credit controller and 3 days later he offered me a job. I was 52 at the time.
Just after my 53rd birthday he offered to pay for me to take the AAT course. Here I am now, 57 next birthday and resitting 2 exams I failed plus trying to get my head around that stupid project. I also have a small practice of my own, I've been teaching bookkeeping at college and will possibly move on to teaching A'level Accounts at another college.
Who say's you can't teach old dogs new tricks!!!
Parents had their own business, Mum did the accounts and Dad the sales/marketing side. Mum was diagnosed with cancer, and was really concerned that no one could do the accounts if something happened to her. So I offered for her to teach me to do it, 6 months later she died. I realised there was gaps in the knowledge due to Mums answer to questions being "because its always been done that way!" plus I begrudged paying the accountants to do the end of year stuff when I knew with some qualifications I could do it myself ... So here we are 2 years later, and I have just complete NVQ3 fasttrack, while nursing Dad who was diagnosed with cancer 5 months ago (and working, and family etc etc) and will start level 4 in September.
I bumped into this chap, who I'd met once a year previous, and we got chatting. An hour and a half later on a Saturday night, having been discussing accounts and tax, he said, "Jenni, have you ever thought about becoming an accountant?"
Having staunchly rejected ever wearing a suit and possessing a degree in Music Technology, with 2 years of being a hippy on the dole under my belt, of course the natural answer to his question was, "Yes, actually I have!"
"Get thee to college and study AAT."
And I did. 5 years later I'm running my own company, taken on a business partner, and yesterday we moved to larger offices. Onwards and upwards! :thumbup1:
I still remember phoning my Dad to tell him gleefully, "Dad! Guess what? I'm going to be an accountant!"
I could hear the confusion and hope in his voice, "Wow, Jenni might actually do something respectable with her life... but this is Jenni, she must be joking... please, God, let her be serious."
i used to be PA and liked doing all the expenses etc. It was then i decided i would rather be doing accoutns than booking flights and trains and making cups of tea.
I got speaking to another lady and she was studyiong the AAT, so i took the plunge and here i am.
Tracy
thats right a friend of mine she was the manager for the Taxfree shopping(central bank) in paderborn when the regiment moved back she only had the army qulification she got strigh away a job and now she is study towards the cima. and me applyed beginning of the year in a internal change from domestic engineer to Mess accountantbut there so :mad2: (my boss is like 1 time domestic allways domestic i think there just got the fear i am mor qualified then the others)any way there know i want this job but there put it today in the Jobcentre page how nice is that
I had no idea what I wanted to do so got a job working in a bank (what my mum did at the time). I progressed within a year to senior cashier, and realised that I was good at (and really enjoyed) reconciliations! (Sad, I know!)
I had never thought about accountancy before, and I didnt really know what it was all about, but I somehow came to the decision that I might be good at it!I decided to sign up for AAT and start looking for an entry level accounts job. I got a accounts junior job, mainly sales ledger, and started aat.
Within 12 months, I was promoted to Purchase Ledger, and 12 months after that was given more responsibilities.
I am now responsible for and produce all the management accounts and reports, still do Purchase Ledger and supervise the Sales Ledger Clerk.
I really enjoy it, and I know I have found the right career for me. I can't beleive I went into it completely blind! I feel very lucky that I managed to stumble on the right career, and job!