Career Path

System
System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited June 9 in AAT member discussion
I'm finishing my degree in accounts in less than a years time and having to contemplate what i'm going to do with myself career wise, if life lets me do anything.

I know it sounds a bit weird but if anyone wants to share their career-life-story (summarised of course!)I would really appreciate it. i.e. the moment you stepped out of your blazer to your current job be it high flying FD or bean counter.

I'm hoping its going to give me some tips and ideas.

Thanks in advance

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    I started out at a small recruitment comp' after school and started my AAT. Meet someone and he got me an interview at one of the big 4. Am still there now (pushing 5 years) doing insolvency. it's a good job, always something new on each job and you meet some weird and wonderful people!!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    :D After school I wasnt interested in a job as such I went to college to do something admin-ish. Found love had kids (too young!), started a part-time job in my local primary school, dealing with invoices and reconcilling (can't spell!!) bank statements. After 17 years here my job has progressed to Finance Manager, I took a payroll qualification first, then decided to do AAT, now doing ACCA, love my husband kids and job, they all support what I do. Life is great isnt it!! Lifes not all about education and work, take a moment out to have fun. :lol:
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    I left school at 16 with just GCSEs and got a job in an office. It was until I was 25 and with a young baby that I decided to re-train. I did this at home, on my own (and my baby) and then started my own small business.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    I've worked non stop since age 16 (now 40). started in a small practice, then worked mostly in commerce & industry.I've done a few contracts, been made redundant,re-located and god knows what else.

    So here we are 24 years a later,halfway through my career (hopefully) and i've worked in 14 differant industries doing accounts work.

    After AAT I got halfway through CIMA and gave up mostly because I was happy with my CV.I also found my limits in terms of pressure and repsonsibilities that I could handle.I no longer want to be an FD just happy doing the bookeeping and man accounts.

    Robert
    Tadworth,Surrey
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Hi
    After A Levels I went to work as a Lab technician and did day release to gain HNC in Chemistry, but realised that this wasn't my true vocation. Did the IAB course and got a transfer to the accounts dept doing benefits in kind and legal debt ledger. Moved to a solicitors to carry on the legal debt ledger and then took time out to have 3 lovely children. 8 years ago started work as a finance assistant at a primary school and since then the job has developed and I am now the Bursar. In the meantime completed my AAT so that I can apply for other Bursar roles.

    Enjoy whatever you decide to do
    Eva :D
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Started as a bank cashier 30 years ago, having been interviewed for an accounts job that offerd me £800 (per annum!!) Bank paid £1000 plus cheap loans :lol: Found love, married, had 2 children (in that order) and stayed in banking till it became more of a sales job. In the meantime I was always being asked to be treasurer for various organisations - playgroup, school PTA, church, motor club.

    Sideways step working for a building society agency that was run by an accountant. Got chance to "do" accounts, which was more a data entry job really. Then worked for a very small practice (one woman band)and decided to get some training, hence AAT. (Financed myself and used day off for college/exams etc). Took a job as the "accounts lady" out in industry. Then asked if I would like to do some bookkeeping for a practice that already new me well - they "independently examined" my church accounts and had seen my other work.I thought this was my chance to get back into a practice and start to do financial accounts. Not to be,and got chance to yet again be the bookkeeper for a local family firm. Now do the payroll and anything else to do with the finance side, plus admin.

    I so identify with you Robert - nice to know there is someone else out there who is happy to "just" keep the books. No point in management accounts at the moment, as there would be no-one to report to, but who knows in the future.

    I sometimes feel that my work does not justify being a MAAT. But I don't regret doing the course, I am really enjoying my job and who knows what else there is out there.
    Jan
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    What a great idea for a thread.
    I left school at 18 after A levels and went to work in London, commuting from Kent. I started at a firm of cocoa brokers as messenger/clerk, but left to join a bank in the same position.From there I progressed to the back office then the trading room as a money dealer. I got married and moved to Brighton in 1985, and had a son in 1990. Gradually I realised that although well-paid, I was not going to get rich in the City (just another year older and deeper in debt). I eventually got totally fed up with the commute. Luckily enough, I was able to quit and take some time off, so I have spent the last 2 years re-training with the AAT, and working part-time locally in Brighton as a bookkeeper. I hope to start doing some private work and go on to the ATT. There are lots of vacancies for part-time accounts assistants, so I feel I should always be able to earn a living, and with reasonable hours. I now feel like I have choices, and that is very important - otherwise you can feel very trapped.
    The training from the AAT has given me that feeling of freedom.
    When you finish your degree, I hope you get the same feeling that you can achieve anything.
    Dave
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Thanks for all the replies, I can tell at least that as long as I make the right choices in the long term I'll be okay.

    Anybody not posted not yet - don't be shy!
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Hi
    I let school to work in M&S as a sales assistant, and over the years worked my way up to departmental supervisor. Since then, I've had various jobs in retail management running my own branch for smaller retail outlets.
    It was only until I had my son at the grand old age of 32, it dawned on me how I could possibly work such unsocial hours that retail demanded so a change in career direction was needed!
    I did my Accounting GCSE & Maths GCSE at a local adult education centre, and managed to get a part time job in purchase ledger.
    I enjoyed accounts so much that I decided to take my AAT and became fully qualified in 2005.
    I took on voluntary work as a treasurer for an after school club which gave me the confidence to use my knowledge & skills.
    I now work full time as a assistant management accountant and part time as a self employed MIP.
    Just need to build my business up :-).
    No regrets, have never looked back only forward to what the future brings (possibly ATT) and the flexiblity of working from home.
    Agree with Dave, great thread!

    Sharon
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    I know i'm a month late but,

    I left school at 16 and worked for the MoD, Amey, some gyms and a restaurant doing various accounts work over 3 years (while i completed the AAT qualification)

    Then I went to uni to study years 2 & 4 of an accounting degree (I'm currently 21 and am on the 4th year)

    I have a graduate job lined up for Johnson & Johnson next summer :) - it's just whether I want to take it...
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Thought I would add my journey to AAT!
    I left school at 16 much to my families disaproval - I was sick of education and wanted to try something for myself. So I became a vetinary nurse. Dissatisfied with not being challenged enough I decided to become a 'human' nurse!
    The NHS being as it was/is I left and decided to work in apub. This lead to a phase of living in Greece for a while working in a Irish bar. Which was very good fun! Then I came home and discovered I'd been selected for an interview for a summer job.
    I attended the interview but realised it was for chalet work in France. So I ventured out there and met my now partner on the bus to France!
    We left the jobs we had gone to France to do and found a chalet to run ourselves. So we did that for 4 years and over the summer joust took basic hotel work.
    Wanting a more permanent way of life we came back to the UK and I decided to teach horse riding. So I qualified in that but the pay was impossible to live on! Crunch time came when I had to sell my car to pay the rent - which mean't I could not get to work any more. I was lving in a caravan because I couldn't afford to rent anywhere.
    The winter weather decided to destroy my caravan so I was homeless, jobless, carless and penniless. Living in Devon at the time I applied for a council house, but the only one that was available was in a place called Lybster in the Highlands of Scotland.
    So we took a hjourney up there and waited their for 8 months whilst I decided what to do.
    It was very hard giving up my love of being actuive I'm a very outdoors kind of perosn.
    I wrote a book whilst in Scotland, but after sending it to all the publishers, i can't get it published!
    So I thought I might be able to learn bookkeeping to support myself.
    Which lead me onto AAT intermediate and am now studying tech with a veiw to doing CIMA!
    I like to learn new things and my partner is supportive as I am of him.
    I can't say I LOVE accounts, but I like being able to support myself financially and live in a flat made of bricks with central heating and know that I can afford to pay my car insurance and my rent and put food on the table.
    Once you have had nothing in life, you appreciate the simple things.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    i am currently on the foundation course at the moment, due to take my exam december, i am not working in accounts, but would like to start looking for a job soon, unfortunatly i have NO idea as to what position i woul be expected to enter at?

    any help would be appreciated.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Career Path

    Afternoon all, thought i'd add my thoughts during a quiet period between work and study. Left school with A Levels in English & History but no real direction. Took a year out but rather than travelling I worked and socialised a great deal, had a fantastic time but was not ready for work so opted for university where I studied Sociology. On completion of this I entered the 'real' world of work and although the degree was very interesting it still offered me no direction. 5 years later I was still drifting but realised that I was interested in numbers, not that my educational choices show this, and that maybe a return to college would benefit. Chose AAT and am now in Intermediate and thoroughly enjoying it although this has opened up a whole new world of queries, mainly what next but I have found what I want to be doing, own my own house and have a beautiful fiancee so to requote "life is great"
    Dave

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