industry or practice?

blacksheep

Can someone here give me a push or advice - I don't know which I prefer working in?!

I started out working in practice, just a little office of 5 staff and all manual accounts handwritten. I look back on it and think I enjoyed it, but maybe that's rose-tinted glasses. I've worked in a big4, and hated the atmosphere so much I was stressed sick and left. I've worked (temped) in small industry and am now permanent in an industry company. Now the job I'm in has changed, its not what I applied for - the compnay has merged office and changed and has gone from being a small office of 5 to a chaotic openplan office of 20-odd temps and perms, and after a year and a half, I hate to leave but I'm seriously considering if nothing gets better. But i don't know where to go now! I like being able to go to work, have my own stuff to get on with, and just do it - teamwork is ok, but if i can get on alone, I'd rather that to anything else. I don't feel any great pull to either side of the fence.

What would you say are the biggest differences between each? How did you decide which to work in? I'm so indecisive and confused, if i don't laugh at myself i might go mad.

Jan

Perhaps it's not the type of work you need to decide on, but the type of office? You've enjoyed working in both practice and industry, but have only had a problem when it was or became larger.

Why not look out for/apply for jobs in small practices/companies? I know what you mean, as I knew I had the right job, it was just a matter of finding the right office to work in! Took me a while, but where I work at the moment has the right mix for me. You never know what a place is going to be like until you get there and give it a while so you can get settled in - at least a year, unless you are feeling really miserable.

and after a year and a half, I hate to leave but I'm seriously considering if nothing gets better.

Have you told your manager/boss how you feel? They might not want to loose you either and if you haven't let anyone know how are things going to change?

Just my thoughts for you to ponder.

[Deleted User]

It really depends on what you want to do. Most practices now use computerised accounts rather than manual. If that was your only reason for liking practice then you would be better off in industry.

Do you plan on doing CIMA / ACCA after AAT?

I can’t really advise anymore without the answer to that question.

blacksheep

Jan wrote: »

how are things going to change?

That's the million dollar question at the moment, and no-one knows. I don't want to say too much, becuase I don't want to risk giving the company a bad rep, but since the change happened we have been battling uphill against problems and backlogs which are out of our control and 3 months on we are no nearer seeing the end of it. A good idea gone wrong unfortunately and i really wish it had gone better because i can see how well it could have worked.

You are probably right - small company's are from experience where I'm happiest, but have no real preference for practice or industry - having thought it over, my reckoning is that its because when the office is small, in either case you are involved in more generally and not tied to one section (like just accounts payable or bank recs or sales, or a combination of just one or two). Its difficult to explain that to agencies, but its the truth so I can't say more.

Don Juan wrote:

It really depends on what you want to do. Most practices now use computerised accounts rather than manual. If that was your only reason for liking practice then you would be better off in industry.

I've done the old hand-written accounts and used excel in the two practices I've been in, and liked both. The only time I have used Sage/computerised accounting was in industry, so its hard to make a comparison. Excel is definitly my preferred method for doing anything though, and i've used it in industry too.
As for Cima/Acca, I've not thought that far ahead - i guess it would rely to some extent on where i'm working and what is preferred by them. At one time i would have said Acca, but i will need to look more closely at both to decide. Tonight, i'm in an ACCA mood.

Thanks for replying - plenty to think about!