I am due to graduate in July with a BSc in Mathematics, I'm currently looking for work and want to get some experience working within accounts. However all the assistants or trainee positions I've been looking at require previous experience. I fear that none of these companies are going to look twice at me as I don't have any experience working within accounts. Surely people must start their careers in accounting somewhere though? I feel that perhaps my degree in maths was a mistake and I should have gone to college and done some kind of accounting course while I was young enough to receive some kind of government funding because now I don't have the money to pay for tuition at college to start an AAT course until I get a full time job but employers don't seem to be interested in people without experience or that aren't already studying towards an AAT qualification.
its not easy, in fact its downright hard to get a job without any prior experiance. What i recommend you do is try to find a accountancy firm or bookkeeper that will take you on a voulentary basis. I started that way, found a local self employed bookkeeper and worked for her for a few months. (she then ditched me, for reasons unknown) but as i hold a membership to a converning body for bookkeeping (the IAB) i was allowed to set up on my own, so i did.
Have you ANY experiance of accounts at all, like double entry etc??
Yeah that sounds like a good idea, I suppose if I'm going to be unemployed I might as well see if I can do some volunteering at the same time. I just feel a massive pressure from family and friends to get a fulltime job straight away but with no experience I just don't see how it's possible. My Dad has also offered to teach me some stuff about the sage software as he uses it to manage his business accounts (he's a builder), when I see him on a weekend. If I had any brains I would have done some work experience while I was at uni. I just don't understand how people manage to get jobs in accounts, a friend of a friend works in accounts for a local vet practice and she just got her job as an assistant straight out of school
Yeah that sounds like a good idea, I suppose if I'm going to be unemployed I might as well see if I can do some volunteering at the same time. I just feel a massive pressure from family and friends to get a fulltime job straight away but with no experience I just don't see how it's possible. My Dad has also offered to teach me some stuff about the sage software as he uses it to manage his business accounts (he's a builder), when I see him on a weekend. If I had any brains I would have done some work experience while I was at uni. I just don't understand how people manage to get jobs in accounts, a friend of a friend works in accounts for a local vet practice and she just got her job as an assistant straight out of school
Do some free work for your dad, experience is experience, he'll appreciate having someone to do his books for free and you could churn out management accounts for him whether he needs them or not, it will all go on your cv though.
she just got her job as an assistant straight out of school
Minimum wage is much cheaper for school leavers and apprentices are even cheaper than that so in many ways school leavers taking minimum wage jobs in this area is taking one step back to jump three forwards.
Besides permanent roles also consider temping as you can pick up a lot of experience and some temporary positions lead into permanent opportunities.
Some credit control jobs are good for training in accounts work but be careful as it's often difficult to tell from advertisments the difference between a good role and a call centre type of office.
Get some in depth knowledge of Excel including Vlookups and Pivot tables.
Getting some Sage knowledge is ok but remember that it's only one of many packages out there (although it does has the largest use amongst smaller companies where SAP owns the mid range territory).
Register for temp jobs with someone like Reed and accept almost anything they throw your way.
A few months back an accounts assistant role was offered in Wolverhampton and within two hours they had received more than 900 applicants! a lot of the people with experience and serious qualifications so that's the sort of level of competition that your up against.
With a recruiter make them your best freind and work hard at making sure that you stand out from the crowd (for the right reasons).
Good luck in your search. Its going to be an uphill struggle but persist and you will I am sure get there in the end.
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.
I've already been in touch with a few local recruitment agencies, one of them got in touch with me and said they wasn't accepting anyone new, but another was positive and I have an interview with a lady there at the end of the week so hopefully that might provide me with something.
I would get some books from the library on basic bookkeeping and double entry too! At least then you have some idea before you start a voluntary position.
People tend to think mathematics and accounting are the very similar but it's surprising how different they are. I wanted to use my accounting qualifications to go down a different route ( becoming a maths teacher ) but would have to start from the beginning and my accounting qualifications couldn't be used for this.
However I suppose having a maths qualification can be incorporated into an accounting job at some point and if you were to gain some accounting qualifications both would look great on your cv too.
Thanks for the advice, it sounds like you and me need to trade qualifications! Think I'm definitely going to look into doing some voluntary work it seems to be the only way forward.
Noola wrote:People tend to think mathematics and accounting are the very similar but it's surprising how different they are.
Completely agree Noola,
to my mind accounting is closer to Law than Maths, and the study of Law is quite closely related to History.
Therefore it follows that if people want to be accountants, do History at school and Law at Uni.
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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.
