im nearing the end of a book keeping and accounts manual course and am wondering where to go next.
im really wanting to get into part time work soon as possible, obviously as a trainee and then work on further qualifications from there.
what do you think is the basic requirements to get a position like that? im wanting to maybe work in an office in the accounts department, maybe things like invoicing and / or payrol, general book keeping more then accountancy for now, just to find my feet.
i know there are computeried courses available which are 20weeks, do you think that combined with my manual course, is enough to get a job? or would i actually need to of passed an AAT foundation or something else first?
thanks to any help offered, im really not sure on this one.
Firstly you need to pass the first stage of your course, just out of curiosity do you intend to register with a registered body i.e. ICB or IAB?
The reason i ask is that the ICB have recently change there requirements and you now need to complete the manual and computerised elements of the training.
There's a lot of competition for jobs as it is at the minute and especially within bookkeeping as it's generally thought that anybody could do it. (This is no slight on you)
You need to decide what you want to do as the AAT qualification is slightly different and associated with more accounting positions.
I also would suggest that you do AAT. Forgive me asking but how old are you? I only ask because between 16 and 21 you can get apprenticeships. All of your AAT training would be paid for and you get the experience as well.
If you don't fall into this category then AAT will take around 2 to 4 years to complete.
As Neil states there is a general misconception as to what bookkeeping covers and the skills necessary to work as a bookkeeper.
ICB and IAB are best for self employed bookkeepers. To work for someone else you need to be looking at AAT or CAT.
Just have a look at the job ads on Reed if you don't believe me and let us know if ever you find one advert that mentions ICB or IAB... Even those roles that specifically ask for a bookkeeper specify that you must be AAT qualified or PQ (which means part qualified ACCA or CIMA).
Personally I would say that 20 weeks is about enough for an introduction and make one ready to start learning. I don't think that it's anywhere near long enough to set up as a bookkeeper on a self employed basis but after investing 20 weeks of your time you may find an employer willing to take you on in a low level position whilst you are training.
kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
thanks for the replies - im 26 so dont qualify for that scheme.
does AAT covers computerised accounts too? or would i be wise to do a computerised accounts level one? i was thinking of doing a payroll course.
as for where i want to go with it, im thinking of doing something within a company, like working in their payroll department, maybe dealing with invoices etc - or would that be two separate jobs? sorry if i sound dim, its all new territory to me, so im kinda unsure as to if thats two separate jobs or a roled into one job.
Don't worry, you don't sound dim at all and it's excellent that your taking the initiative to start something new and hopefully eventually rewarding financially.
The roles that you should be looking at are basically those with clerk in them somewhere. The more all rounded roles will use the word assistant.
A clerk would be involved (normally) in one area such as Sales Ledger, Purchase Ledger or Payroll.
As accounts assistant might be involved in all of the above.
Assistant accountant will be someone further up the tree who is basically qualified but either lacks the necessary required experience to move up to the next level or doesn't want to take on the responsibility of that path.
The AAT skills tests include tests in Sage.
Some of the better training providers include Sage training at a reduced rate as an add on to their AAT packages.
Have a look at Premier Training. You might be pleasantly surprised by some of their prices.
Another really good one that you may wish to check out is Ideal Schools.
Avoid some of the others such as Home Learning College as the prices can be a bit extortionate. I can't comment about their quality of training but I've yet to see a good report on here about them yet.
Payroll will be expensive and it's an area that changes regularly so if your intention was to become an all round bookkeeper then I wouldn't do that until you've got at least AAT intermediate stage under your belt. Perhaps even technician.
Think of Payroll as a nice to have add on rather than an immediate essential. For now I would just look at Sage training and becoming an AAT technician. Then add Payroll as part of your Continued Professional Development requirement.
However, if your intention is to have a career in payroll, then by all means take the payroll route and then add AAT when you are employed in that field.
The only major problem with this route is that you are specialised in one area rather than having all round knowledge. There are arguments for and against that but ultimately the decision for the path that you take is your own.
Whichever one it is I wish you the very best of luck in your endevours.
Kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
ok some good points there. i think i would prefer to be an all rounder with book keeping under my belt and then maybe add payroll as the last stage or something.
ive not seen any adverts for trainee book keepers yet, so id have to carry on with my training rather then get on the job training.
so i should really complete a computerised course before doing AAT foundation then, is that what you meant?
no, the computerised side will be done as part of your AAT.
The add ons being offered by people like Premier are for people who do not have Sage who will need to use it during their studies to achieve AAT status.
You won't ever see any ads for trainee bookkeepers.
Where people are taken on and trained AAT by a company it is as trainee accountants.
Bookkeepers are expected to already have the prerequisite knowledge, skills and experience before applying for jobs.
To gain the experience, if you cannot get work through friends and family you might want to think about temp positions in sales and purchase ledger work or perhaps low level credit control work.
Hope that this helps,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
ok so if i pass this manual book keeping, you would advise to do the AAT course, then if i pass that i can either try and get a job or go on to AAT intermediate, is that correct?
