Could you help AAT by sharing your knowledge & experience?

StuartW

Hi everyone,

I'd like to trial something, and I was wondering if I'd be able to get your help with it (pretty please).

In the course of my job I encounter quite a lot of online conversations around, or somewhat relevant to, AAT. A lot of these conversations are from prospective students wondering what route to take, or current students looking for advice on what to do next.

We've been dipping our toe in the water when it comes to answering such questions. For example, I've been asking teams here to help me with answering questions on Yahoo! Answers:

• "I want to do an apprenticeship in accountancy..."

• "What A-Levels do I need to do so I don't have to do the first year of AAT?"

• "Finance as future career?"

Yahoo! Answers questions often pop up in search results, so it's good to be able to ensure AAT gets mentioned when it's relevant.

However there are sometimes questions out there that we, as employees, may not be best placed to answer. In most cases we haven't been AAT students. For the most part, we're not trying to forge a career in accountancy. And while we obviously possess a fair amount of knowledge in these areas, I think that some answers are more trusted if they come from people who have been there, done that and bought the t-shirt (or mug).

For instance, we encountered this one today:

• "Should I carry on with AAT?"

Fortunately this chap has received some decent answers to his question, but there are times when questions like these lack answers from knowledgeable folk who could provide valuable insight and advice.

Ideally all of these questions would all be asked right here in our forums, but it seems people do have this frustrating habit of using websites not owned by AAT!

All of which is a preamble to me asking: would you like to volunteer to help us answer questions relevant to AAT out there on the internet?

It's hard to predict how many there would be, but we're monitoring them and could forward them to you - we probably wouldn't be looking at more than one or two a week across a range of sites. If I get a decent response we could even make it interesting by giving points per answer, with points meaning prizes...

What do you think? Could you spare an extra 10-15 minutes a week to help further increase AAT's exposure?

Thanks,

Stuart

deanshepherd

I have a suggestion.

Just post the link to questions you would like answered on the forum (along with any AAT sig/link that you would want us to add).

There's a whole bunch of know-it-alls on here who cannot help but answer every question that comes up..!




Oh, and the point-scoring for prizes thing is lame. I don't think it would need much encouragement to be honest.

StuartW

You read my mind ;-)

I wouldn't want to overwhelm the forum with a new thread for each one, so I was thinking a dedicated thread for such questions into which I'd put the links, etc - does that sound good?

Thanks!

deanshepherd

Sounds good to me!

T.C.

Why don't you remove the FMAAT forum and put in a Student Questions Forum?

deanshepherd

Get rid of those damn Scots too!

PAMDILL

deanshepherd wrote: »

Get rid of those damn Scots too!

Excuse me!!

anniem

deanshepherd wrote: »

Get rid of those damn Scots too!

Where is the 'THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD' button when you need it?????

KaySarah

deanshepherd wrote: »

Get rid of those damn Scots too!

!!! eh?? That's it! I won't be sharing my ledgers with you to cover your um .. modesty in the calendar Dean.



I think perhaps ... incorporate the Scots into the General Forum might be a better idea .. seeing as how there appear to be only 3 who contribute and not really about accounts (sorry Padmill, but I've got to be honest here).

anniem

I have to say I'm not quite certin why the Scots had their own area anyway. Doesn't seem to have had much use apart from those who are already fully active in the rest of the forum, so why would they want to be isolated out in any way?

Was is part of devolution for Scotland or something?????

PAMDILL

KaySarah wrote: »

!!! eh?? That's it! I won't be sharing my ledgers with you to cover your um .. modesty in the calendar Dean.



I think perhaps ... incorporate the Scots into the General Forum might be a better idea .. seeing as how there appear to be only 3 who contribute and not really about accounts (sorry Padmill, but I've got to be honest here).

The excuse me comment was intended for the thought of getting rid of us as people not the section of the forum.

I have no idea why a separate section suddenly sprung up anyway, I think it was part of a trial way back in the distant past. It is not needed, any of us who are going to contribute are gong to do it anyway on the forum.

Rinske

Maybe it was just to find out who the scotts are, so they can ban them easier :cursing: