Becoming a Member?

Siobhan Carmel

Hi Folks

How do we become a Member (MAAT)? Is it automatic when you have finished the qualification or do you have to apply?

Is there a membership fee, and is it payable every year?

Is it something that all finishers should consider doing?

Siobhan

Rinske

You have to apply for it and the details should be shown in your Myaat bit when you get close to completing lvl 4. I think you need a years work experience as well.

You will need to pay a membership fee and comply with the CPD requirements.

I think you should definitely consider it and have a closer look at the AAT website where they list all benefits.

Henry

I have often wondered myself what the benefits of membership are. At the moment I am paying £72 for membership as a student and aside from the magazine I don't see a benefit. I am hoping to complete level 4 this August but it seems I am supposed to pay the new membership fee from 1st of August before obtaining my results. If I pass these exams what benefit am I getting for the rest of the year for paying the fee?

What benefits are there for MAAT especially if you are not working in practice (MIP)? Is it worth paying £120 a year just to add MAAT to your name? I wonder!

burg

Henry personally if I was to be employing someone who had qualified as AAT and not taken up full membership and therefore not been a member for a few years have they really done any CPD? Do they value their qualification and their role as an Accountant?

They may do but for the sake of £100 odd a year it adds credibility. After all what was the point in studying to not take up full membership?

@OP - I believe there is some kind of system where you can apply for full membership before you technically qualify and have another year at student rates but I'm not sure on this.

Henry

Burj,
If I am making money from the qualification, as you are obviously doing, then I have no problem keeping up membership - what I am asking is what are the benefits of membership if the letters are not putting money in my pocket. Obviously in a practice setting it is useful to have the letters but suppose I work for a local authority in a role that relates to finance but not really an accountant is there a point having membership then?

burg

In my opinion yes if (and only you can know) you intend to use it in the future. In a past life I was a Pharmacy Technician and was a registered member with the RPSGB. I have not kept this up because I really do have no intention of ever going back. Had I have then yes I would have kept it up, and I did so for the first year or so. This again was a cost around £100 but in my opinion one still worth paying if it may still be used.

So if you want to use your qualification some point in the future in an accountancy related role then yes pay your membership. Anyone who has qualified has worked hard for it and should be proud of their achievements.

stevef

I think you need to turn the question on its head, what is the point of studyinng for AAT if you do not intend joining. The exams you are sitting are not academic exams in the same way as A levels, HND's, degrees etc. The exams in themselves have no value, The AAT exams are an entry requirement for membership to prove that you have the necessary level of knowledge to be considered for membership. As an employer in local government, along with other Authorities I have worked for, we do not recogniise the exams alone. They are a good indicator on how close you are to membership and of future training requirements, but alone they are not a qualification. When (or these days, if) I advertise for an Accounting Technician, I mean someone who is a subscription paying, CPD attending member. Someone who has passed all the exams but not joined would not be considered in my Authority for such a post.

Dcollins

AAT was my first vocational qualification, and like many I kept my AAT membership only until ACCA qualified, then I left AAT for a while, and now I'm pleased to be back.

AAT's website is an improving resource for members. There are CPD articles and podcasts that are clear and concise, and make CPD easy. There's a job section, and advice on finding employment.

For technical aspects I actually find AAT to be more helpful than ACCA in some respects (I deal with UK GAAP, and don't audit).

AAT branch events are free, count toward CPD, and cover a variety of subjects. They're committe run, which means you can get involved at a local level, potentially leading to national involvement So, no matter what your job, the AAT offers huge potential for personal development. You can even suggest topics you'd like covered. They welcome students, so I suggest you go along to your nearest event, have a chat to committee members and ask them what they get out of membership.

I've never worked in local authority, but have recruited people into the private sector. I totally agree with stevef. Current membership shows an onging commitment, and a person who values his/her academic and vocational acheivements.

If you pay your membership fee for nothing more than the magazine and letters after your name, you really are missing out. The opportunites are there for members to take, if they want to.