What next after AAT - Any advice greatly appreciated

Hi Folks

I am coming towards the end of my AAT studies. I will probably spend most of Xmas deciding what to do next in terms of whether or not to go on to do chartered qualifications such as acca, cima, cipfa, aca, icaew etc. Or, stop further study & try & gain employment armed with this qualification.

However, it has already taken me 18 months to get to this stage and seriously considering whether or not I should spend another few years studying. On top of that, I am approachimg my mid 40s and thinking even if I do get qualified to chartered statues after a few more years, nobody would want to employ me due to my age. There is also the possibility that I may end up having to pay for the exams (if I decide to carry on).

So, at the moment I am completely confused as what to do next.

Would someone be kind enough to give me some valuable advice as to what the best thing is to do?

By the way, if I do decide to call it a day after AAT, is an assistant accountant the 'highest level' job role I could apply for?

Thanks in advance for your responses.