Advice wanted re jobs

Kat

Hi everyone,

Wondered if anyone can give me some career advice. I am in my last year of AAT and have been working in accounts for 8 months at a manufacturing company (prior to this I was working in a totally unrelated field and it took a year and a half of job hunting, having no experience, to get a position that wasn't offering a measly £10K!)

I really wanted to get a job in an accounting firm and I still do. 1.5 years ago I mail-shot lots of firms and and got 1 interview - got through to 2nd stage but didn't get the job.
I signed up with every agency under the sun but they didn't find me anything.

Basically I'm planning to start job-hunting again for a position in a firm after I finish AAT and have then had 1 year's experience. I really want to go on to do ACCA. I have a degree but not finance-related and got a 2:2 not a 2:1 so don't qualify for any of the graduate schemes.

Can anyone advise me on the best course of action - I'm not going to give up!

Many thanks

Katherine.

SandyHood

Katherine

From looking at all the postings you have made, you are clearly looking for a lot of advice.
I know a lot of people have a lot of nice things to say about agencies, but at a time when they are likely to have more people looking than vacancies I think you will struggle.
You have limited what you offer to merely:

1. I have a degree but not finance-related and got a 2:2
2. 1 year's experience
3. after I finish AAT (so AAT)

Yet you were probably very good at certain things in your previous job, and you have probably got friends at college who work for practices.

So:

1. Write a CV that shows exactly what a prospective employer would get if they employed you
2. Ask around at college for the person to contact in each of the local practices
3. Make direct contact with these people
4. Find the names of the key people in other practices yourself by using the phone or local library

Another thing, you don't know that you'd like practice work until you try. Perhaps you could ask if you could cover some holiday absence in the summer?

You might like it, they might like you.
You might decide that practice work is/is not for you.

Be proactive, and speak to the people who you might work for. This is a world where human beings offer jobs to other human beings, and liking them is part of the reason.

Kat

Thank you for your very honest advice! I hadn't realised I had so little so offer but I'm very determined and have taken on board all you have said and will certainly look at doing work experience first.

Katherine.