Leaving my job

Wolfie

Hi all,

Unfortunately, I have to leave my job in the next month or so, this has been my first real position since leaving college (i'm 21). I have been there for nearly 4 years, in a Finance Trainee position and now a Finance Assistant position.

Although working there for that length of time I feel that I haven't picked up that much experience nor been exposed to much 'accounting' work.
I have completed some month end reconciliations with help, assisted with VAT return schedules, maintained a cash book amongst other things but do not feel 100% confident.

I am now MAAT and passed my first exam for CIMA.

I was just wandering what jobs people thought I could go for? I was looking at the following:
-Assistant Accountant
-Management Accounting Technician
-Assistant Fixed Asset Accountant
-Assistant Treasury Accountant
-Accounts Assistant

What sort of questions will be asked at interviews for these jobs?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Wolfie.

StuartW

Hi @Wolfie

Sorry to hear you need to leave your job - is this a result of redundancy?

I'm sure other AAT members will be able to offer advice on the topic of what jobs to go for and the interview questions to expect. From my point of view, I'd say you have a lot more to put on your CV than you perhaps realise. You've been at the same place for four years - while this is a good thing for your CV, you can settle into something of a 'comfort zone' after a while which can affect your confidence.

It sounds like this may be where you are right now. But here are 6 reasons to feel more confident than you sound:

1. Four years' work experience - in the field in which you want to build a career - by the age of 21 is a fantastic achievement, and something many AAT members would love to have.

2. If you went from Finance Trainee to Finance Assistant, that shows progression under your employer. Again, to be able to demonstrate that at your age is excellent.

3. Why did your employer select you for this progression? You clearly impressed them in your trainee position - whatever it was, think about how you can phrase this in cover letters and on your CV.

4. You may not think you gained much 'accounting' experience. However, learning how the workplace works and developing those 'soft skills' - how to organise your workload, how to behave with clients/colleagues, how to raise issues with your manager - is something you shouldn't underestimate. Plus, I suspect if you sit down and really think about what you learned between the day you started and today, it'll be a lot more than you realise.

5. You're a professional member of AAT, and have the letters MAAT after your name. That's a significant achievement, and demonstrates that you're committed and dedicated to developing your skills in pursuit of your career goals.

6. You've already moved on to CIMA, demonstrating again that you're not going to rest on your laurels - you're going to continue to develop yourself.

I'd also refer you to the following resources from AAT's career coach:

- Check out Aimee Bateman's career development articles on AAT Comment
- Also take a look at the AAT career coach videos on YouTube

This is a good one to start with - 5 steps to an incredible cover letter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfUGj6KG-V4

Best of luck - look at what you do have in your arsenal, rather than what you don't!

Stuart

MrsWright

Wow, what an achievement for such a young age! I wish I was as successful at 21! I really am impressed! Great points made by Stuart. These are certainly desirable qualities and I am certain you will progress to bigger and better things! Well done you (not being patronising)

Wolfie

Thanks for the replies Stuart and MrsWright.

Unfortunately it is indeed redundancy.
But I think you are right and maybe I've been in a bit of a comfort zone and suffer from a lack of confidence to take any skills I have elsewhere.

Thanks for the tips and the boost of confidence its good to see it from a different perspective.

I just hope I am able to get one of the positions I listed in my original post but have no experience of interviews for them.

StuartW

Check out the career help section in your MyAAT account - you'll see a link to an 'interview simulator'. This lists common interview questions and gives guidance on how to formulate answers to them.

Under career help you'll also find a CV builder, podcasts, interactive tutorials and other resources that will help build your confidence as you approach interviews.

My advice would be to prepare a set of anecdotes or short 'stories' that you can apply to common questions. For each story, think about:

• What the problem/situation was
  
• How you thought through solving/approaching it, and who you spoke to about it
  
• What you actually did
  
• What the result was
  

If you prepare your stories this way it sets out a clear structure which you can hopefully recall in the interview situation.

Other useful links:

• Sample Job Interview Questions for Accounting and Finance Jobs
  
• Accounting assistant interview questions
  

But the first step is to get the interviews!

Wolfie

Thanks Stuart, much appreciated

LigaKa

MrsWright said:

Wow, what an achievement for such a young age! I wish I was as successful at 21! I really am impressed! Great points made by Stuart. These are certainly desirable qualities and I am certain you will progress to bigger and better things! Well done you (not being patronising)

Same. I`m very surprised!