Career Progress with AAT

LMS_MAN

Hi,
Is this the most active AAT forum there is because it seems very inactive considering how many are or have studied AAT?

Has anyone else found that trying to gain experience in the accounts/finance industry is very difficult unless you have a degree?
I have had countless failed interviews because of lack of experience and through pure determination, managed to achieve some work experience but it had very little to do with having AAT qualifications. More to do with volunteering in admin roles and getting to know people who then gave me a chance in accounting roles.

I find most businesses either want you to be a school leaver/very young student with appropriate A levels or have a degree preferably in accounts THEN they will train you up in AAT.

Has anyone else found this?
For anyone out there unsure of which way to go please go and get a degree before AAT. It will make your life so much easier.

sjtoomer

LMS_MAN said:

Has anyone else found that trying to gain experience in the accounts/finance industry is very difficult unless you have a degree?

Currently, it is difficult to get any experience/job in Accountancy/Finance, unless you are already qualified and experienced, so it not good for those people (like myself) who are AAT Qualified but without any relevant experience (I have other Administrative/IT/Legal experience, but this seems to not be encouraging employers at the moment, contrary to what you would think). Also cannot seem to get any Volunteering-type position, notwithstanding the fact that Volunteering doesn't put bread on the table.

LMS_MAN said:

I find most businesses either want you to be a school leaver/very young student with appropriate A levels or have a degree preferably in accounts THEN they will train you up in AAT. Has anyone else found this?

I think that employers now want you to be either a young student (so they can train you up in the AAT Qualifications) OR already have an Accounting/Finance qualification (generally, at least AAT Level 3 or an Accounting & Finance Degree) along with several years of experience. So, for people like me, who are AAT qualified but without relevant experience, we are kind of stuck, at the moment. I think that market forces need to improve a bit more in favour of the employee.

danadunca

There are also employers who choose unqualified staff in order to pay lower salaries....and then they say that their employees are "Accountants Qualified By Experience" which is unfair but we cannot change this