Job interview
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Glynis
Registered Posts: 488 Dedicated contributor 🦉
I have had a job interview yesterday with an agency who are wanting to recruit a temporary cashier. The agency have come back to me and said the company requires a "part qualified" person which I thought AAT was but they are saying they want part qualified. What does this mean? Surely a qualification is a qualification. The girl at the agency doesn't seem to know what's going on most of the time. She can't even get my name right.
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Nice to have you back Glynis.
I presume they mean part ACCA or CIMA qualified, or some other qualification.0 -
I have got my AAT qualification so I cannot see why there is a problem but apparantly that's not part qualified. I don't understand at all.0
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If you have your AAT qualification, you're qualified and not part-qualified in that qualification.
I've not heard of a PQ-AAT job requirement so agree with Jill that they must want a PQ-Chartered.0 -
Yes I did and I explained to the girl that I was a qualified AAT and she said they want a part qualified. I don't think she understands what AAT is. It's so stressful it's untrue.0
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You are studying ACCA therefore you can say that you are part qualified chartered I think!0
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You can perhaps say you are an ACCA student.
Perhaps not PQ ACCA as you have not yet passed an exam at ACCA level...0 -
mini_schnauzer wrote: »You can perhaps say you are an ACCA student.
Perhaps not PQ ACCA as you have not yet passed an exam at ACCA level...
Wouldn't the AAT exemptions from lower level ACCA exams technically make you PQ?0 -
Wouldn't the AAT exemptions from lower level ACCA exams technically make you PQ?
I don't think you can be "technically" part-qualified because it doesn't have that well-defined a meaning.
If it does mean anything specific, then part-qualified ACCA/CIMA could mean having passed more than one but less than all of the exams?
I've often seen jobs advertised as "To be considered for this position, you must: - Be AAT qualified or part qualified in ACCA or ACA or QBE (qualified by experience) ", so I don't think it's unreasonable to go for posts advertising as ACCA PQ if you are full AAT, especially if you're studying ACCA.
Perhaps that recruiter had a very specific definition of part-qualified in mind. I hold off from calling myself CIMA part-qualified as I have only exemptions and no exam passes (yet- exams next month).
And as an aside, I have seen jobs asking for people doing the second or third year of the AAT, so there is an AAT part-qualified niche too. Cashier could be a fairly low-level role (though it doesn't have to be), so maybe they really did mean AAT part-qualified?0 -
I'm not too sure if what I'm about to say is correct, but I was always under the assumption that part qualified ACCA was once you had completed/gained exemptions from the F1 - F9 papers.0
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If you ask ACCA they will tell you that there is no definition to PQ.
It's essentially whatever the interviewer thinks it is so always worth asking them!0 -
I'm not too sure if what I'm about to say is correct, but I was always under the assumption that part qualified ACCA was once you had completed/gained exemptions from the F1 - F9 papers.Bluewednesday wrote: »If you ask ACCA they will tell you that there is no definition to PQ.
It's essentially whatever the interviewer thinks it is so always worth asking them!
Theres been a few discussions about what PQ is. As theres no official definition it is simply what it says it is, ie part of its passed, so if you have at least one module under your belt you are part qualified.0 -
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lol0
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Looking at the job adverts, an AAT qualified is considered part qualified chartered, see this one for example:
"Financial Analyst is required. You will provide analytical and financial support for the Finance and Admin Manager. Responsibilities include analytical support for senior management, continuous financial data analysis, production of financial KPIs, graphical presentations of cost savings, assisting the F&A Manager with month end accounting and weekly client reporting.
The candidate will be/have: AAT qualified or part-qualified in ACCA or CIMA (or equivalent)"0 -
Looking at the job adverts, an AAT qualified is considered part qualified chartered,
Surely you cannot call yourself a part qualified chartered accountant if you aren't even studying for the qualification!!
The job advert that you have quoted is most likely trying to attract a potential new employee who has a good, basic accounting knowledge, ie they have studied and passed the AAT, or are in the early stages of ACCA/CIMA, and will develop into a more responsible role as and when they become fully qualified.0 -
Surely you cannot call yourself a part qualified chartered accountant if you aren't even studying for the qualification!!
The job advert that you have quoted is most likely trying to attract a potential new employee who has a good, basic accounting knowledge, ie they have studied and passed the AAT, or are in the early stages of ACCA/CIMA, and will develop into a more responsible role as and when they become fully qualified.
Yes, I think thats what Londina meant, that AAT is equivalent to part qualified chartered, not that you can call yourself it.0 -
Yes, I think thats what Londina meant, that AAT is equivalent to part qualified chartered, not that you can call yourself it.
Exactly, I meant that! in the case of Glynis, she's qualified AAT and she sat an ACCA exam, therefore she could considered herself part qualified...
I agree lots of recruitment agencies don't have a clue....I remember once in an interview I told the agent that "I can do financial statements" and she asked me "can you also do profit & loss and balance sheet?" eerrr?!?!
Also she didn't know who was HMRC...
Sometimes I have the feeling that they just have a list of typical requirements to ask without actually knowing anything about!!0 -
Exactly, I meant that! in the case of Glynis, she's qualified AAT and she sat an ACCA exam, therefore she could considered herself part qualified...
But if a qualified AAT student moves onto ACCA/CIMA surely they need to pass at least one exam before they can even consider to call themselves part qualified chartered accountants.
I am currently studying ACCA, I have gained 3 exemptions due to AAT, and have passed 4 of the ACCA exams. However, I still have a further 7 exams to pass, I need to undertake a professional ethics module, in addition to passing at least 10 of the Practical Experience Requirements. So at this stage I would not consider myself to be part qualified.
There is more to becoming professionally qualifed than just sitting the exams. People often mention on these forums that the qualifications are undervalued. In my opinion it is people who are referring to themselves as being more qualified than they actually are, that could be causing this misconception.0 -
I am currently studying ACCA, I have gained 3 exemptions due to AAT, and have passed 4 of the ACCA exams. However, I still have a further 7 exams to pass, I need to undertake a professional ethics module, in addition to passing at least 10 of the Practical Experience Requirements. So at this stage would not consider myself to be part qualified
Of course you are part qualified, if you are not, who else is?? You passed 4 exams, basically you are half way, when do you think you can call yourself PQ? when you pass the remaining 7 exams? then you will be fully qualified!0 -
Of course you are part qualified, if you are not, who else is?? You passed 4 exams, basically you are half way, when do you think you can call yourself PQ? when you pass the remaining 7 exams? then you will be fully qualified!
Maybe I am under-selling myself, but I don't feel that I should be calling myself PQ just yet.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was always under the impression that PQ was once all of the 'F' papers (F1 - F9) have been passed, and you have started the final Professional papers.0 -
From CIMA website:
"To my understanding there is no formal definition of 'Part Qualified' from any acountancy body including CIMA Anyone who has passed just one exam can call themselves a PQ Accountant. They are technically PQ having passed just one exam as it is not an official accountancy body term to my knowledge.
Recruitment agencies can also refer to someone who has passed just one exam as PQ and potential employers will have their own idea of what constitutes PQ.
The debate (if there is one) probably lies in the what people imagine PQ to be rather than what it is which is a non offical term anyone can use. Cima Student. "
"Firstly, you are correct in stating that this is industry jargon. “Part Qualified” is a very subjective term used by recruitment agencies, tuition providers and some employers to describe students who are at various stages of their CIMA studies.
It is not an official CIMA term - we do not use it at all when referring to students. Instead, we describe students in terms of the level that they are currently studying i.e. as a Managerial level, Strategic level, or TOPCIMA student.
Part Qualified can refer to students who have attained the CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting. In the new CIMA 2010 Qualification, it can also refer to students who after completing the Operational level attain the Diploma in Management Accounting.
It is however quite difficult to prescribe its usage to recruiters or employers as this is not a term that CIMA uses. Ultimately, it is up to a prospective employer or recruitment consultants to offer you their own definition of part qualified since the term emanated from within this industry.
Please email cima.contact@cimaglobal.com if you have any specific queries on any aspect of the CIMA qualification.
Dereck Dziva "
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FROM ACCA:
“Thank you for your enquiry.
ACCA does not recognise the term ‘part-qualified’, as employers have differing definitions of what it means. The term is, however, used by Chartered Accountants.
The market place would view a student as part-qualified upon successful completion of the first 9 papers of the current ACCA syllabus plus a minimum of 18 months experience.
Please feel free to contact us again should you require any further information or assistance.”
I hope it helps.
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FROM ACCA:
“The market place would view a student as part-qualified upon successful completion of the first 9 papers of the current ACCA syllabus plus a minimum of 18 months experience.
Which supports my earlier argument, and confirms that at this stage of my studies I should not be calling myself PQ.
It is obviously a very subjective area, that provokes differing opinions by many people. I guess I am feeling defensive as I have put a lot of hard work into passing my ACCA exams to date and don't want to see the qualification undervalued.0 -
FROM ACCA:
“Thank you for your enquiry.
ACCA does not recognise the term ‘part-qualified’, as employers have differing definitions of what it means. The term is, however, used by Chartered Accountants.
The market place would view a student as part-qualified upon successful completion of the first 9 papers of the current ACCA syllabus plus a minimum of 18 months experience.
Please feel free to contact us again should you require any further information or assistance.”
I hope it helps.
Either ACCA does or does not recognise it?!
Its subjective and the market definitely does not always see a PQ person needing to do 9 exams and 18 months experience.0 -
Either ACCA does or does not recognise it?!
Its subjective and the market definitely does not always see a PQ person needing to do 9 exams and 18 months experience.
Exactly, there isn't any rules!
Like CIMA says:From CIMA website:
Ultimately, it is up to a prospective employer or recruitment consultants to offer you their own definition of part qualified since the term emanated from within this industry.
best to ask the recruiter what they meant with PQ, probably they don't know themselves either...0 -
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was always under the impression that PQ was once all of the 'F' papers (F1 - F9) have been passed, and you have started the final Professional papers.
This is the generally accepted definition in practice.
But of course the profession is so wide-ranging that everyone has their own idea/opinion.
If you think you are qualified for the job go for it, if not.. go for it anyway!0 -
Oke, with all that cleared up, when is someone a finalist then?
A jobadvert asking for ACCA/CIMA/ACA qualified or finalist, what would you expect there?0 -
what about Newly Qualified?0
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So basically, we've established by now that there are no absolute hard-and-fast rules on the various stages of being qualified, and that everyone has differing views, and that applicants should just use their judgement as to whether they are what the employer is looking for.
Case closed?! Pretty please? :blink:0
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