Taking on bookkeeping work - experience required?

KH1

Hello everyone,

I'm currently a stay at home mum (5 yrs) and an AAT student. I started studying the AAT exams as I really wish to pursue a career in accounting but due to my home situation, I need flexibility. My end goal is to work for myself as a accountant but to start by initially taking on business admin / bookkeeping work. I don't have experience in accounting but I have 15 years corporate banking experience as a credit manager where I gained a whole host of knowledge which included assessing business accounts / staff management etc. I'm now close to completing level 3 and plan to continue onto level 4. I'm really wanting and needing to get some work experience though so my question is whether it is possible or sensible to try and set up on my own as a bookkeeper based purely on the knowledge i've obtained so far from Levels 2 and 3 or whether I really need some hands on work experience elsewhere. If I did set up on my own at this stage, what type of work is it sensible to try to find?

Thanks for reading this.