ACCA full-time course ?

George Tse

Hi

Well im having a hard time getting a job at the moment and I am AAT qualified with no work experience.

Just wondering if it is a good idea to do the ACCA course full time which will take like a year to 2 years and then finding a job ?

Note that if I do this I will have completed the ACCA course but I will have no accounting experience is this a bad idea ?

Thanks

George Tse

Bump !!!!!!!!!

Bluewednesday

I think the further on you study without the work experience the more difficult it is to find a job.

You will be over qualified and under experienced.

Obviously it's totally up to you but I wouldn't go any further until you can get some experience under your belt.

PGM

Could be worth doing distance learning, just buy the books, teach yourself and do one module at a time.

Will keep the costs down also.

George Tse

Yes you see the problem is finding the experience. No where seems to be employing people like me with the AAT but have no accounts experience.

I just dont want to have a massive gap in my CV

PGM

Try and get some voluntary work or see if the job centre has any schemes going?

Voluntary work in an accounts department of a charity or otherwise is well worth doing. You'll get experience, make contacts and always a slim chance it will lead onto a job.

Priya-p

I am in the same boat..dont really knw wat to do...

I have 3 months accounts experience, but it clearly doesn't seem enough!

coojee

What about doing a full time degree course? Then you'd be able to look for graduate entry accounts jobs. I know it's doubling up the work you've already done for AAT but I agree with other comments that if you do ACCA you'll be over qualified and under experienced. You'd find it next to impossible to find anyone who would take you on for an accounts job, even at the lowest levels. They'd far rather take on someone who was starting from scratch.

Priya-p

I think its too late to get on those now..

I may do AAT Payroll, just to keep busy for a while, and maybe some part time charity work(if i can get any)

Nisha

I have started with charity job since it was very hard to find any job with no experience but with a degree. 4 months later I have got a full time job.

PGM

Nisha wrote: »

I have started with charity job since it was very hard to find any job with no experience but with a degree. 4 months later I have got a full time job.

So well worth doing then, well done!

blobbyh

Under the old AAT NVQ system, we were strongly advised to be in an accounts position by the time we reached Technician. I'm guessing the Diploma route was designed to eliminate this requirement but it certainly doesn't help students under the new system since it effectively removed the real world experience. You can only learn so much from a text book and real life accounting teaches you that not everything strictly adheres to what you're previously read. Any potential employer is going to want to see theoretical knowledge backed up by practical experience due to the generally above average wages and importance of the work involved.

As for the OP, why would you want to continue further investing time, effort and money into a career that has so far reaped few rewards for you? As others have said, you would be more qualified than a purchase ledger clerk but with the latter having more experience than you and an employer would be taking a risk knowing that once trained, you're likely to leave them.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Georgie T

Gentle Jesus wrote: »

Hi

Well im having a hard time getting a job at the moment and I am AAT qualified with no work experience.

Just wondering if it is a good idea to do the ACCA course full time which will take like a year to 2 years and then finding a job ?

Note that if I do this I will have completed the ACCA course but I will have no accounting experience is this a bad idea ?

Thanks

Hi AAT-ers, I'm the new girl here, can I ask, how was your experience of studying and NOT working in an accounts environment?

I am considering starting this year - Level 2 - and I dont have a related job. The course I am looking at is with BPP in London , classroom based, and its only I day a fortnight, which seems very little to me. They dont offer full time, whilst a local college (not my prefered learning provider!) offer a three day a week course.

How can you learn in one day a fortnight what they take 6 days a fortnight to teach??

Clearly home study is going to be required with BPP's course...

But back to my question - how was it? And, did you study in the classroom or distance learning? and if it was classroom, how much class time did your course involve? Sooo many questions!!

PGM

I'd try and find a plain old colelge that does 1 day a week. Probably work out cheaper as well.

Hopefully you will find work while studying, but in the meantime I'd get some contact at least by doing a class based course.

messedup89

Georgie T wrote: »

Hi AAT-ers, I'm the new girl here, can I ask, how was your experience of studying and NOT working in an accounts environment?

I am considering starting this year - Level 2 - and I dont have a related job. The course I am looking at is with BPP in London , classroom based, and its only I day a fortnight, which seems very little to me. They dont offer full time, whilst a local college (not my prefered learning provider!) offer a three day a week course.

How can you learn in one day a fortnight what they take 6 days a fortnight to teach??

Clearly home study is going to be required with BPP's course...

But back to my question - how was it? And, did you study in the classroom or distance learning? and if it was classroom, how much class time did your course involve? Sooo many questions!!

1 day a fortnight is fine. Im with Kaplan on day release part time and have around 4 tuition days and 4 revision days per unit

Georgie T

PGM wrote: »

I'd try and find a plain old colelge that does 1 day a week. Probably work out cheaper as well.

Hopefully you will find work while studying, but in the meantime I'd get some contact at least by doing a class based course.

I would quite like to attend a class I had already decided that, but it's the inconsistency in studying hours that has made me doubt the wisdom of a course that only offers 1 day every two weeks. And , both had very similar fees. Not sure if we are allowed to mention fees here but it was around £1300 for the year.


Any further input from any interested parties welcome!

PGM

Thats over double what I was paying at the local college for the standard 1 day a week!

Monsoon

I did 1 day a week at college for 2 years (Intermediate and Technician) and each level was about £600 plus exams, books etc. Level 4 was a bit more expensive than Level 3, and these prices are back in 2004-6.

Ultimately you have to choose the study method that's right for you.

Regarding the OP, I agree with other folk, I wouldn't do a further qualification like ACCA with no experience. Once you've got AAT you need to get the experience. I know it's really hard at the moment to find it but if employment is where you want to go with your qualifications, then experience is essential (it's essential if you want to work for yourself too though!).

Best of luck

messedup89

Georgie T wrote: »

I would quite like to attend a class I had already decided that, but it's the inconsistency in studying hours that has made me doubt the wisdom of a course that only offers 1 day every two weeks. And , both had very similar fees. Not sure if we are allowed to mention fees here but it was around £1300 for the year.


Any further input from any interested parties welcome!

At kaplan technician cost me about the same including exams for the whole level.