Newbie with an important decision to make...is AAT for me?

Char

Hi Guys!
I am new here and this is my first post! Since reading your comments and convos on and off over the past few months, I feel you are the best guys to ask for advice...
Im charlotte. Im 23, and I dropped out of uni last year. Although I was doing okay and passing my exams the course was making me unhappy. I was doing a BSc Nursing!!...(i know...completely different from accounting!!) I come from a Nursing family and up until last year Nursing was all i knew. It was only when i moved out during the course and lived a little i realised i wanted to go my own way, and work somewhere in financial services. Over the past few months, I have been seriously thinking about accounting. So ive been doing agency work as an auxillary nurse to keep the pennys coming in, whilst researching other courses.

One idea is to re-apply for uni, to do a degree in accounting and finance. One uni said they would most probabaly accept me with my 3 Cs at A level since im a mature student. However most decent unis ive been interested in want a lot higher so i was thinking of doing another A level or 2 to up my ucas points. Ive explored so many different courses and options as i didnt want to rush into anything but still, i am drawn to AAT. I went to an open day at kaplan financial (norwich) recently and the lady was very good at selling it to me (but then thats her job.) Its a shame they didnt have other students there at the open day to talk to.
what keeps attracting me to it is the hope that once i start the course i then have something relevant to put on my cv so i can try and find a basic accounts role during, or at least by the end of AAT level 2. (as i have absolutly no experience and my qualifications so far have been completely irrelelvent), then hopefully get funded by my employer to continue to level 3 and so on. Is this likely? If that happened i would probabaly not bother with the uni idea for another few years! if i dont really get anywhere job wise with it by the end of level 2, but decided i am still really keen on accounting, i may then go on to do another A level and try and get back into uni, having got to grips with some of the basics before commiting to a 3 year course!. (i think deep down i would love to be a graduate one day)
what is putting me off is what ive read of some peoples experiences of the qualification. Mainly about trying to get a job during, or even once fully qualified. Is getting a job during, or by end of level 2 in a basic accounts role likely? ive heard on this forum about peoples failures. I haven’t heard many successes yet that haven’t just been adverts!
I would really be interested talking to you guys who are on the course. I would love some honest opinions about it. Success stories, failures, jobs, regrets?…anyone studying with Kaplan? Anyone from Norwich?…would love to chat and network.
Sorry for the long post. Thanks for reading,
Look forward to hearing from you soon

MarkT

Hi Char,

Welcome to the AAT forums. An answer to your question is that it will not be easy at the start. The issue is more that as money is tight all round these days, most recruitment agencies seem to have the roles tied up before most people get a look in. Then add to this the level 3 & 4 students and then lower level CIMA and ACCA students who are getting picked over your level 2. This is without experience. Add the experienced 3 - 4 years + people looking out there and your Ben Nevis just turned into Kilimanjaro.

It can be done, but accept that you will have a lot of rejections and there may be flat refusals from agencies to consider you due to the lack of experience. However, all hope is not lost as there are some of the bigger firms out there that offer training contracts, and this I feel, with your age, may be your best choice and one that if I were in your shoes, would be seriously considering.

This is only one persons opinion of the market based on experience - you may have others, but stick with your goals, you'll not regret it :001_smile: