Personally, I feel that there are a lot of opportunities available for us in the bookkeeping and accounting filed. By sharing my work history with you, I hope you will be able see that there is quite a lot you can do especially to generate extra income.

I am very passionate about being involved in the accountancy profession. Sometimes, I wonder what my maths teacher would say if she found out I have ended up working with figures, as during my school days I hated anything to do with figures. The intention was for me to be a secretary as I was good in shorthand and typing, Come to think of it, my father was a very good accountant and later on became tax inspector!

When I left school, I went to college and discovered accounts. I really liked the subject, the teacher and her approach. I managed to do my maths exams, and passed my accounting exams also.

I started my accounting career working for HMRC firstly in the PAYE section and then the Self employment section. I really enjoyed checking out tax computations, checking tax returns, and mostly dealing with customers at the enquiry desk. I remember one irate lady coming up to me at the counter and saying to me you are lucky to work for the tax office at least you dont have to pay taxes! Well?

Working in practice

I then left the tax office after 5 years to train with an accounting firm. It was a small firm, but it gave me the opportunity and exposed me to different aspects of bookkeeping, accounting, taxation and auditing. I really loved it especially when a client would come in with accounting records in a mess in a carrier bag. I always felt a sense of fulfilment and achievement when I will sort out the records and prepare a beautiful set of accounts all bounded up and signed!

After working for the accountants I decided to work in charity accounts. I was fortunate to work as a community accountant. I really enjoyed this work as not only was I doing accounts which I am passionate about, I was also dealing with different charities that were making a difference to society. I was also involved in running training courses

I then went on to work for SAGE Plc as an executive trainer. This now enabled me to use my accounting background to train clients in different sage accounting, and payroll software. I was also at this point teaching bookkeeping and accounts at the local Adult education college in the evenings.

I decided to start my own business to put all the skills I have learnt in practice. I also mentor students studying accountancy and I am able to expose them to the world of opportunities the accounting profession offers.

I also run workshops and classes teaching children from the age of 7 how to manage money. This helps them with learning maths, and the value of money. It was great joy the other day, when I overheard my seven year old son explaining to his older cousin when you have any money given to you, you must Give some to charity, save some, invest some, spend some and keep some for a rainy day . I also run an online course called The great money diet which is a 6 part course aimed to teach people how to eliminate debt and create wealth.

In order to make bookkeeping fun and to get students to understand various accounting concepts, I started to write some articles called the bookkeeping detective.   I try to come up with cases and then get them to figure out the solutions to them before I tell them the answer.

Watch this space for my book - Genny Jones FMAAT - more than a bookkeeper!