After AAT (thats if i actually pass!)

If you are looking for senior level pay without senior level responsibility you may struggle.

Remember that as you become more experienced and in turn more competent, the idea of being 'top accountant' will become less daunting. Working 'lower down' meanwhile will be frustrating, boring and lack challenge.

Is a CCAB going to payback that £10k long term?

I'd say if you have the drive and ambition to use it, yes.

Maybe its just my lack of confidence at the moment. I seem to get so much wrong at work

Alice, this is probably just a temporary thing - we've all felt this way at some point in our lives. Is there a collegue that can help you out if there is something at work you don't understand? Better to ask & get it right than go blindly on doing something wrong. And remember we are human (well most of are!) and make mistakes sometimes. I was once told I was more human than most..nice!

and at college there are some people in the class who just 'get it' while im completed lost!

.. which means that not everyone gets it first time and don't be fooled by someone appearing to get it. I learned that a long time ago after coming out of an exam, my friend said it had been easy and I didn't.....funny that 'cos I got far more marks than she did :laugh: Again if you don't understand, ask. If you're embaressed to ask in front of everybody else, try to have a quiet word with your tutor. They won't mind, its their job.

Now your op said you didn't know what to do after AAT. At what stage are you at? Where are you working at the moment, in a practice? What do your employers want you to do and what do you find easiest to understand? Look at your strengths and that may show you which way to go. ACCA isn't the only option. I worked with someone who did ATT after AAT and with her experience was (&still is) better at her job than some ACCA qualifieds. Not everyone is cut out to be a "top accountant" as you put it. And success does not necesarily mean earning lots of money..if it makes you miserable what's the point?

Sonny says

if you have the drive and ambition to use it

But not everyone has great ambitions, mine was to be happy, so some days I am more sucessful than others! I fell into accounting in my 30's & choose not to continue studying after AAT, which I finished when I was 46 (I am now an oldish 51 :ohmy:) I make a reasonable wage bookkeeping. Some may think I have wasted my qualification, but I find that having the understanding of what happens next helps me to do my job better (and I always say, makes it easier for the accountants:001_smile:) Does that mean I am working 'lower down' and am frustrated, boring and lack challenge? OK, maybe I am boring

Is there any need to decide what you need to do now? Don't rush into anything if you are not ready. However I do agree with sinny

Remember that as you become more experienced and in turn more competent, the idea of being 'top accountant' will become less daunting.

Hope this helps, and I haven't waffled on too much!.

As ever, good luck in wherever life takes you....and it may not be where you think you are headed.

You offer someone advice and get a subtle dig in return.

Ambitious and career motivated does not equal dull workaholic. Different things.

Work hard and play hard.

The term 'lower down' was coined in the OP also.

Thank you apology accepted and sorry for snapping at you.

Good luck with your exams and whatever you decide to do afterward. : )

I would say that if you don't really want to do ACCA - don't do it, it's hard enough if you are desperate to pass but if you have no interest in it in the first place it will be worse.

However having done my ACCA I certainly wouldn't term myself a 'top accountant', I work in a OMB practice and love every minute of it, doing my chartered gives me the extra knowledge and back up that I wanted, doesn't mean I can take on the world!

There is plenty you can do with AAT - if you dont' want to study further - don't!

I would say that the fundamentals level is about the same jump up as technician was from intermediate and then professional level is yet another jump up.

Don't let me put you off, it's achievable and (with the exception of audit) found something useful and interesting in each of the papers!