I have worked for a small insurance company for around 10 years as a senior administrator but they have recently announced that they will be making redunduncies in the coming months and the first thing that came to mind was to re-train in the accounting sector as there seems to be lots of jobs as Assistant Accountants or similar.
I have looked at the courses available at the local college and i'm not sure where to start. The jobs at the agencies that I have looked at asking for Sage knowlegde and AAT.
When it says AAT what level does it mean as it seems to have 4 levels and in terms of Sage do I need to sit Sage exams? The course I have looked at is a beginners ABC AAT one - is this worth looking at?
I need to earn the equivilant or close to my current job of £ 22k, how long do you think it will take to gain qualifications to reach this level in the accounting sector.
I have no intention of becoming self-employed as I am happy to work for someone else.
several questions in there to answer so I'll do my best to work through them.
1) AAT ABC
this is an introductory level course that is basically the same as the Open University couse B190. It's a sound introduction to bookkeeping but should not be viewed as anything other than an introduction.
You sound to be completely new to this so look at either AAT ABC to get exemption from the AAT fundamentals level OR start AAT at level I.
2) What are people looking for when they state AAT in job specs.
Basically employers want you to have already passed AAT level IV. However it's quite common for employers to accept studiers who are close to completion of level III.
There are a lot of people taking this route and competition for positions is very intense. One recent job ad for an accounts assistant in Wolverhampton had over 900 applicants inside 2 hours!
3) Expected slary levels.
All a matter of supply and demand and for employment supply at the moment is winning that equation.
If you can find a suitable role (a challenge in itself) expect it to be in the £9k to £16k region.
If you can get anything take it as it's easier to find another position whilst you are employed in a relevant role than it is coming fresh to this.
Even PQ accountants (ACCA/CIMA) often only aspire to achieving £22k for starters.
4) How long this will take you.
To go from nothing to AAT level IV will use all of your available time for at least the next two years (Accountancy qualifications would take five years plus).
This is going to be a major commitment of your time.
5) Sage.
Sage certification helps to show employers that you can use Sage but such is pretty much implied when you reach later stages of AAT. Your CV needs to show SAGE and EXCEL prominantly and you need to be confident in it's use but certification I personally feel is a nice to have rather than a necessity.
When I say that you need Excel that should be knowing it properly rather than as an end user which is probably the level that you are used to working with it.
A very good book to get your head around Excel at an advanced level is Excel 2008, Data Analysis and Business Modelling by Microsoft press.
On the Sage front it's important to understand it but it may not be the software that you end up using. Mid range busineses often use SAP and larger businesses often use bespoke IT systems. However, a sound knowledge of Sage is a good foundation and comparison point for a move to any software platform.
6) No wish to go self employed
Many of the self employed people in this industry don't want to take that route but it's the only way that they can gain the experience required to find permanent employment.
If on review you feel that a term in self employment might be acceptable then look at the ICB and IAB qualifications which are geared towards getting you into self employment quickly and from there you can study AAT whilst you earn.
If you do take this route though be very careful over what the various supervisory bodies allow you to do as a trainee as you may find that the restrictions actively prevent you from working and gaining alternate qualifications.
Conclusion.
Hope that helps for starters.
This isn't an easy business to break into and the various qualifications can be a veritable minefield.
Some less scruplious training companies would have you believe that there is lots of work and high salaries available if you just take your qualifications through. However, we have representatives of some of the better training companies on here and they are more honest with potential students about their prospects in this business.
This may come accross as though I'm trying to put you off but that's not the case. I just want you to make your decisions based on facts rather than half truths that you may be told elsewhere.
When it comes to finding a training provider take a look at Training Link, Premier training and Ideal Schools all of whome have a good standing with people on this site (and two of them have representatives on here).
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.
It is probably obvious to state but if you apply for a role in the insurance sector you will have an advantage as you understand the sector itself.
If you want to start at £22k in a career that you have no direct experience of you will need to bring some experience that is of value to the employer.
It looks like a long road to achieve what I thought may take under a year. The colleges make out that AAT level 2 and a two month Sage level 1 course would significantly improve my CV, but I can now see that until you reach AAT level 4 the qualification is not complete and perspective employers for the roles I am looking at seem to ask for a minimum of this.
I'm sure I will have more questions soon and thanks for your help!
Just a quick post to say that I did not get made redundant last friday, but nevertheless am still very worried that it will happen in the near future as the company I work for is losing work continuosly.
On this basis, I am keen to start with a bookkepeing course ASAP and have chosen the AAT Level 2 award via Home Study as it seems like the cheapest and possibly quickest option, as I can take the examinations online locally - when i'm ready.
Does anybody have any Home Study Companies they would recommend from experience, as I have read some horror stories on this and other forums.
Hiya Rach, The training providers that Shaun has mentioned in his post above are all highly regarded. I am studying via distance learning (home learning) with Kaplan Financial and am a bit biased towards them as the text books alone have enabled me to pass all but one of the AAT level 3 exams first time. (the last one i haven't taken as yet and don't want to jinx myself and ruin my good run lol)
