AAT trainee job and placement job

SeanTan

Hi all student members,

This is my very first post in AAT forum. I hope I will get some useful information and help from all other fellow members
I am a second year university student doing BA(hons) Accounting and finance. I've currently signed up for AAT student member and taking exemptions from my degree which I'm currently doing. I'll be straight down to level 3 of AAT. I'm taking a four-year-couse(sandwich course), which means during my third year of degree will be my placement(industry) year. We are expected to get a placement job in third year of degree.
However, due to the economy downturn, placement opportunities are halve, so i'm thinking of doing AAT trainee which I think is a pretty good alternative for me since the one year AAt trainee experience will add into my AAT qualification. But the problem is, I dont know whether im allowed to do this instead of doing a placement job in my third year of degree as we have to report ourself to the uni.
Well, that is first part of my question. Second part of question will about AAT job description. What do we do as an AAT trainee? As I mentioned above, I'm starting off from AAT level 3 without taking any ATT exam before. Will a company hire me as an AAT trainee? At which stage of AAT would a student member be hired by the company? Thank you for your time to read my thread. And comments will be very much appreciated.

RichardK

SeanTan wrote: »

Hi all student members,

This is my very first post in AAT forum. I hope I will get some useful information and help from all other fellow members
I am a second year university student doing BA(hons) Accounting and finance. I've currently signed up for AAT student member and taking exemptions from my degree which I'm currently doing. I'll be straight down to level 3 of AAT. I'm taking a four-year-couse(sandwich course), which means during my third year of degree will be my placement(industry) year. We are expected to get a placement job in third year of degree.
However, due to the economy downturn, placement opportunities are halve, so i'm thinking of doing AAT trainee which I think is a pretty good alternative for me since the one year AAt trainee experience will add into my AAT qualification. But the problem is, I dont know whether im allowed to do this instead of doing a placement job in my third year of degree as we have to report ourself to the uni.
Well, that is first part of my question. Second part of question will about AAT job description. What do we do as an AAT trainee? As I mentioned above, I'm starting off from AAT level 3 without taking any ATT exam before. Will a company hire me as an AAT trainee? At which stage of AAT would a student member be hired by the company? Thank you for your time to read my thread. And comments will be very much appreciated.

Hi,
Surely one option is to call your University and enquire as to whether this is going to be an acceptable route from their point of view???

Yes, many companies will take you on at AAT NVQ Level 3 (Advanced Level) and your current accountancy qualification will prove that you are competent up to this level.

It is interesting that you are allowed into the AAT at Level 3 and not level 4. However, the AAT course requirements are very high and Level 4 (Technician Level) is on par with the 2nd year of an Honours Degree as indicated in previous posts.

At your level, you should have no problems with the NVQ 3 exams.


I hope someone else in this forum can offer you more advice regarding your qualification route.

Bookworm55

Hello and welcome aboard.

A placement year at uni is a good idea if you can get one. Am I right in thinking you'd be doing this after finishing the second year of your course?

I did the second year of a BSc in Accounting immediately after finishing AAT Technician, so I have been in a very similar situation. I don't think you can get direct entry onto the Technician level (level 4), but I do think you could rattle through the Intermediate (level 3)level easily after finishing your second year. You've also probably got a lot of knowledge that would help with the Technician level, but there is more difference and more material to cover here.

Of course that would depend on you and your particular course, but it's certainly within the realms of possibility for you to complete the entire AAT, and get enough work experience for full membership, between your exams at the end of your second year (May/Jun 2010?) and the start of your final year (Sep/Oct 2011?). Not easy, but doable. It would also give you an interesting and useful perspective for your final year. (I speak from experience on this point).

I haven't heard of anyone doing this, though. See if any of your lecturers are AAT-qualified. As heretical as it may be to say here, in your position it may be worth 'skipping' the AAT and going straight to ACCA/ACA/CIMA etc: and 'just' spend your placement year working in an accounts practice.

RichardK

Hi, you could just be up against a decision of "turn around".

In other words how quickly you can complete a particular qualification. If you look on the ACA and ACCA websites you may find you are exempt from certain modules once you have passed your final Uni exams. Therefore you may wish to wait until you have passed at Uni and then give priority to look for an employer who can fund these qualifications and offer the work experience and work placement necessary.

That is an alternative to doing the AAT course.

Of course, you could do them all! Uni+AAT+ACA/ACCA

SeanTan

Thanks richardk and bookworm55

Bookworm55: Yes, i'll be doing the placement after my second year of my course if I manage to get a placement job.

The reasons of doing AAT during my university life is to give me another alternative chance to get a job in my third year apart from a placement job. Another reason is for me to get as many exemptions as I can for ACA/ACCA And AAT only cost me around 300 Pounds so why not

I'm now worrying that im not competence in doing the AAT trainee job as I believe that what I learn in university course will be different from AAT.

Again.. thank you for all your comments

RichardK

SeanTan wrote: »

Bookworm55: Yes, i'll be doing the placement after my second year of my course if I manage to get a placement job.

The reasons of doing AAT during my university life is to give me another alternative chance to get a job in my third year apart from a placement job. Another reason is for me to get as many exemptions as I can for ACA/ACCA And AAT only cost me around 300 Pounds so why not

I'm now worrying that im not competence in doing the AAT trainee job as I believe that what I learn in university course will be different from AAT.

Again.. thank you for all your comments

Hi, I have read your further comments, which have also been expressed by other members.

I am Technician qualified, a full AAT member and currently work with a chartered accountant. The Technician qualification has put me in a position where I draft final acccounts and complete tax returns for the practice on a daily basis and which relieves the chartered accountant of a lot of stress.

This is the position you need to put yourself in so that you become invaluable and well respected by your employer .


In my view you would not gain much advantage by taking the AAT qualification as you already seem to be in a good position. If you for example already had a degree in statistics as one forum member has, I would recommend you take the AAT course as a way of entering accountancy.

Obviously the most important thing for you at this stage is work experience.

Therefore are you not better to invest your time into work experience rather than invest it in further qualifications?

I can assure you that most job agencies and employers would prefer you to have work expericence and a reasonable qualification than lots of qualifications and no work experience. I have first hand experience of this.

You should consider investing ALL YOUR AVAILABLE time into Voluntary or other work experience so that when you qualify you are already competent and well respected in your workplace. This will be your launchpad to a better job.

Now that I have experience, job agencies call ME offering jobs, whereas when I had no work experience my c.v would get as far as the local paper shredder or bin!


Obtain feedback from local employers if you require any futher evidence of what they require.

IMPORTANT: bear in mind that views expressed in these forums are often based on personal experiences and it is important that you evidence and veryify this by making enquiries with employers in your area.

I hope this helps.

SeanTan

Thanks for your reply. I will be looking for a voluntary job in accountancy to get some real experience in doing accounts I used to do voluntary work in my university but that was not related to accounting. And I have alot of work experience but they are all my part time job as a telephonist and food and beverage staff, nothing about accounting as well I can neither quit the job(as that is where my money come from) nor get an accounting job(as I have to study). The best way is to get a new accounting assistant job and focus in my studies But at this stage, in my 2nd year of degree, and AAT student member intermediate level(level 3), what job can i get relating to accounting? I am in the city of manchester btw.

RichardK

SeanTan wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. I will be looking for a voluntary job in accountancy to get some real experience in doing accounts I used to do voluntary work in my university but that was not related to accounting. And I have alot of work experience but they are all my part time job as a telephonist and food and beverage staff, nothing about accounting as well I can neither quit the job(as that is where my money come from) nor get an accounting job(as I have to study). The best way is to get a new accounting assistant job and focus in my studies But at this stage, in my 2nd year of degree, and AAT student member intermediate level(level 3), what job can i get relating to accounting? I am in the city of manchester btw.

Hi,
Many accountancy practices would take you on a voluntary basis. Please read my previous posts on this regarding calling practices or better still delivering you cv in person in a suit and tie WITHOUT making a prior appointment.

If you want to be taken seriously then you need to look the part. That might mean remving all the "student silverware" from your face and having a hair cut etc.

You will find voluntary work eventually and it will be a foot in the door.

There are a long list of people out there with lots of qualifications and no experience. You need to apply for jobs before they are listed in the local paper or on websites.

If you want to do Financial Accounting look towards an accountancy practice. If you want commerce and management accountancy you need to look elsewhere.

I hope this helps.

SeanTan

I've learn something from you richardk. I really appreciate your kindness and informations. It's a good idea to no making appointment and go straight in suit. Do u think i should try big firm or some small office like e.g david charted accountant?

SeanTan

one more thing richardk, i couldnt find your previous post regarding calling practices or delivering cv in person. can u plz provide me with links plz.. thx

RichardK

Hi, I have sent you a private message to contact me on Microsoft Messenger where I will gove you further information. I am currently helping another member.

Dipak Thanki

Wow, I only completed AS Accounting and gave some skills test, scored 89% and got put straight into Level 3. If you're studying Accounting and Finance and you get put into Level 3? That's shocking.

SeanTan

What do you mean? Is your AS refer to A level Subsidiary? where did you get the skill test and who granted you to level 3 straight away? I am asking because I took Accounting in A-level. If that is the case i might be able to jump up to level 3 without waiting until summer. Please give me further details. thx

Dipak Thanki

Well, I did AS at college and then didn't do too well, and my mate told me about some skills test. That skills test is well easy, if you have a degree AAT is pointless. Go straight into ACCA/ACA/CIMA etc.

SeanTan

No.. I am doing degree and AAT at the same time so i will have more exemptions after I graduate. Not that I am doing AAT after graduate. Btw where to do the skill test?

mini_schnauzer

http://www.aatskillcheck.org