Jobs - Best way to go?

trians

Hello. I have just finished Intermediate and am looking to finally move into a job that is related to what I am studying (this has not been practical until this point).

I am wondering what would be the ideal starting job, would it be something like a finance assistant or a purchase/sales ledger clerk?

Any advice to steer my in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.:001_unsure:

blobbyh

There are some who sneer at ledger clerks thinking the roles are beneath them but they're an excellent introduction into an accounts office. Done properly they're invisible, a part of a fully functioning accounts machine, done badly they can compromise cashflow and distort both management and financial accounts.

If you have no experience in accounts, these are arguably the starting positions you should be aiming for as no-one takes on a financial controller without back up experience. With larger organisations, it's even possible to stay within a purchase or sales ledger function maybe progressing to corporate ledger controllers or higher.

As for getting these roles, sign up to a few agencies that lean towards the accounts world and send off ad hoc CV's to small companies in your area. Ensure your CV is written in a contemporary fashion as there are often differences between how many think they should be presented compared to what an employer is looking for once received. Above all, possess a positive, pro-active, I-can-do-this attitude and don't get knocked back at the first rejection. It's tough out there in finance at the moment and you have to be tough or you risk becoming a victim. There have been a few sob story threads on here lately so let's hopefully see another positive one to go with the two Tracy's.

Best wishes!

A-Vic

A good place to look for simular roles :-

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/

steveJ

blobbyh wrote: »

There are some who sneer at ledger clerks thinking the roles are beneath them but they're an excellent introduction into an accounts office. Done properly they're invisible, a part of a fully functioning accounts machine, done badly they can compromise cashflow and distort both management and financial accounts.

If you have no experience in accounts, these are arguably the starting positions you should be aiming for as no-one takes on a financial controller without back up experience. With larger organisations, it's even possible to stay within a purchase or sales ledger function maybe progressing to corporate ledger controllers or higher.

As for getting these roles, sign up to a few agencies that lean towards the accounts world and send off ad hoc CV's to small companies in your area. Ensure your CV is written in a contemporary fashion as there are often differences between how many think they should be presented compared to what an employer is looking for once received. Above all, possess a positive, pro-active, I-can-do-this attitude and don't get knocked back at the first rejection. It's tough out there in finance at the moment and you have to be tough or you risk becoming a victim. There have been a few sob story threads on here lately so let's hopefully see another positive one to go with the two Tracy's.

Best wishes!

I have only just started my intermediate but this sounds like great advice. I've applied for a few entry level jobs and have been knocked back but haven't let it deter me. I haven't got any practical experience at all, but I just keep trying !

I have applied for two positions in work - Billing clerk and 3rd party coordinator clerk. Both dealing with inputting invoices and customer orders. This is slightly less money than I am earning now but I am looking at the experience side of it.

Also if your not having any luck getting employed have a look at volunteering! Great for gaining experience and looks great on a CV .

In the mean time carry on with the technician stage to keep you going.

Good luck !

messedup89

Accounts assistant is a good starting point. I got employed with 0 experience (1st and only job before this i was a waitress!) and i started aat at lv3. Im just about to finish lv4 and i am working my way up to a management accountant. Each level i pass pushes me closer to becoming a management accountant.

mikes

I agree with Robert's comments. Excellent advice given. There is nothing wrong with doing ledger work. I have spent virtually all my working life doing Purchase Ledger and bookkeeping, most of it with the BBC and an outsourced company, for them.

Without wanting to sound bigheaded or anything, what i found helped me, was doing a good job in a large company, where you can get noticed by different managers and over time i was asked to work in different areas, some even new, where they wanted people who they could trust to do a good and reliable job, which is the sort of attitude that everyone should have, if they want to get anywhere.

When I left there, i started learning AAT, as I wanted prove that i could do accounts and hopefully lead to something else in the future. For now I am happy where I am, take my time learning AAT properly and not treat it as a sprint.

All the best to you. I hope something good comes along soon, and also to everyone else looking for jobs in this diffiucult time.

trians

Jobs - Best way to go?

Thank you all for your advice. It has given me something to think about.

jow774

Another thing, dont discount small companies. You have more chance of getting all round experience of preparing accounts if there are only a couple of you in the accounts department for covering holidays etc. They may not pay the same as medium or large businesses but the experience you gain can lead to greater things in your next job.

A-Vic

jow774 wrote: »

Another thing, dont discount small companies. You have more chance of getting all round experience of preparing accounts if there are only a couple of you in the accounts department for covering holidays etc. They may not pay the same as medium or large businesses but the experience you gain can lead to greater things in your next job.

Very true

blobbyh

I agree entirely. I wasn't the most qualified person for the job I'm currently in but I had solid all round skills e.g. sales & purchase ledgers, accruals, prepayments, bank recs, monthly adjustments and reports, payroll etc plus secondary skills such as health & safety, quality control auditing to BS/ISO levels all learned from working in smaller companies that many of the others lacked.

While I can't do the highest level accounting, if I'd worked in practice I don't think I'd have anywhere near the skillset I currently have.

Sonny_L

You'd have a broadly different one.

Don't discount working in practice OP. Though the lower starting wage may put you off. The long term prospects are excellent for the practice candidate, especially if you later get the big 4 on your CV. That's where the majority of FTSE 100 Finance Directors come from. On a less grand scale, partnership in a smaller firm or starting your own practice are very real long term possibilities.

But I guess you'll probably have to take what you can get in the current job market.