Hi everyone. I am new to the forum, and to bookkeeping.
I have a full time job (nothing to do with accounting) and would like to study in my spare time to become a qualified bookkeeper. My concern is wil I learn enough by gaining the ICB qualifications to enable me to confidently offer my services to other businesses. Obviously the ICB considers you competent enough as they give you a certificate to practice, how ever a couple of people (accountants on a forum) have said without experience no one should offer their services to the public. Obviously if I could I would gain experience first but is it possible/advisable to offer bookkeeping without actual experience?
Also I'm a little confused about what exactly a bookkeeper is supposed to know and do. I see questions about what is allowable under tax regulations. Is a bookkeeper expected to know what is allowable and if so when and where do you learn all of this because the syllabuses I have seen don't seem to cover this stuff.
Do the ICB exams are going to give you a good grounding in bookkeeping theory, but its practice that gives you the confidence and exposure to a broad range of bookkeeping situations. Taking the exams is analogous to taking your driving test: passing your test doesn't make you a good driver, it gives you the grounding to hopefully be a good and safe driver.
You just need to read through some of the questions on this forum of those are already in bookkeeping practice to know that you won't know everything as a result of passing the exams.
I've had twenty-seven years in bookkeeping and accounting roles. I've done the ICB exams in six months in order to get a practice licence. I feel I have the knowledge, experience and confidence to deal with most things that will come up in bookkeeping, but there'll always be something new that will come up. As with most professions, continual professional development never ends!
Taking the exams is analogous to taking your driving test: passing your test doesn't make you a good driver, it gives you the grounding to hopefully be a good and safe driver.
Reminds me of when I passed my driving test (only a few years ago) and driving home my instructor said to me "now is when you start learning to drive". Although it did make me wonder what I had spent £2000 + on the previous couple of years.
__________________
Never buy black socks from a normal shop. They shaft you every time.
