Hi just wondered if all the accountants amongst you and people that have a practice, would tell me what they think when a bookkeeper asks them if they can come and gain some practical experience with them?
How often do you receive emails from bookkeepers to do this?
Do you like the idea of someone willing to help you with these tasks for free?
Or does the email go straight in the bin without even replying?
The problem I've found with this is that you end up being a trainer and spend too much time showing someone what you want them to do. This is ok if you are going to have a longer term relationship so your time investment gets repaid. If the bookkeeper knows their stuff then I am more happy to have them in on a self employed basis (which is what I do). Having said that if someone came to me with ICB or IAB qualifications and some common sense and was happy to plug stuff into Sage/Excel just for the experience I would possibly give them the opportunity if I had the time to supervise.
normally 2-3 per cold calls per week although sometimes more and sometimes nothing for weeks.
Personally I try to be nice and ask them a bit about themselves and make suggestions for how to improve their chances of finding work.
I'm often not the first local accountant that they call and by the time they get to me they are generally pretty downheartened.
Sometimes I get letters through the post and generally I will reply to those ones as the person spent the money on a stamp.
If I get an email that has obviously been written to me (more than just my name at the top) then I reply to them but if I get a mail shot it goes straight in the bin.
No matter how someone contacts me I would not take anyone on if I didn't need anyone (even for free as even free is still taking up my time which is not) and if I did need someone I might invite someone to apply with a full CV and covering letter but the call alone would not get them an interview.
The ONLY way to get to an accountant is via networking to develop personal relationships. Cold calling/emails won't work.
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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.
if someone came to me with ICB or IAB qualifications and some common sense and was happy to plug stuff into Sage/Excel just for the experience I would possibly give them the opportunity.
Lol Rob.... Let the floodgates be opened!
(sound effect of distant rumble like a hundred thousand wilde beast stampeding towards Coventry)
if I had the time to supervise.
And then you cleverly finish with a get out of jail free card.... Close the floodgates, false call.
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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.
OOh your a tough lot, don't you remember what it was like when you were first starting out lol!
I would imagine that to have people ringing would be a nuisance where as an email is not so intrusive on your time, personally I am from the old stock where you just went in and said you were looking for work or went along for an interview if they were advertising for someone. Doesn't seem any point in a CV if you don't have any relevant experience in the job you are looking to start doing.
So a qualified to level 2 bookkeeper, surely wouldn't need to much supervision might need the odd T2 or T9 corrected but hopefully nothing major.
But I take your point Shaun that if you don't need anyone at that time, then I suppose why would you bother!
When is the busiest time when accountants might be tempted for a little help, I would guess its pretty busy from October on ?
Rob pointed out that you would spend time feeling like a trainer, and there may be no long term benefit. But I mean with a view that once you had more experience then you would indeed continue to work for them either employed or self employed basis.
But you would reply, that's nice, you never know who that person may know. Someone in there family could be a large client of yours or a perspective one. ;)
-- Edited by figureit on Friday 19th of September 2014 04:20:56 PM
-- Edited by figureit on Friday 19th of September 2014 05:27:57 PM
Okay maybe that's not the best way to go then, thought it may benefit the accountant and the bookkeeper but maybe they wouldn't see it that way, I suppose you could strike lucky but maybe best just keep up the studies and either look for a job or bite the bullet and go self employed. I suppose I felt as though I knew enough to start doing some work but not enough to go self employed yet. Best I just crack on with level 3 and keep my eyes and ears open. :)
In my experience someone who is only qualified to level two does need a lot of supervision. Real life is very different to the text books, working out how to allocate things for a specific business, dealing with the times when the wrong amount is paid by mistake, working out what's what when there is nothing to tell you whether/how an invoice has been paid, dealing with 20 items on the bank statement for which there is no paperwork, just knowing where to start with a huge pile of papers (including some that are too dirty to read, some that are delivery notes or personal rubbish)....it all makes actually doing the job very different to doing an exam. And most importantly, it needs to be done quickly as well as accurately as the client can't suddenly be charged 4 times more than usual because someone inexperienced is doing their bookkeeping.
So we take on two types of people. Subcontractors or employed bookkeepers would only be considered if fully experienced and able to work accurately and quickly. Trainees, who are paid at a relatively low pay rate, are the people who we will train to the required standard but only when we expect them to work for us long term. Someone who is qualified but inexperienced to me would be a trainee.
Yes I see your points Ruth, but how exactly can a bookkeeper get this experience, after all yes it is the real life experience that we are lacking and need to learn.
Yes but that is fine and I am sure all a bookkeeper would be looking for when lacking practical experience, my first post was actually saying that some of us would be willing to work for nothing to gain some experience, but its even getting that chance as obviously the practise has to be willing to supervise etc;
I assumed to be honest that you would just give out all the basic tasks at first like entering batch invoices credits etc.
It was just an idea, but think I am off that idea now, I will carry on with my studies if I can pick up a little p/t bookkeeping job along the way that would be good and then when I feel ready will just start with some not to complex sole traders, I have clients that I can do the bookkeeping for when I am able. :)
