As it turns out, I might be moving to the UK from Finland.
I've done bookkeeping and accounting for 14 years, but I'm sure, there are differences between countries.
Done some investigating and thought it might be best to start with AAT if I would like to continue my profession. All of this is a bit confusing haha
How realistic do you guys think it would be for me to find a place to gain some work experience?
I'm going to be in London for three months at least and would love to find a place where I could get a feel for the work over there. I am not hoping to get money out of this, just experience. And hopefully, I would be able to help out some.
Welcome to the forum. I don't know London that well, so I don't know how difficult it'll be to find work. I would suggest AAT definitely the route to go down.
Try their skills test and see if you can get on at level 3 but you can certainly get on at level 2 I would have though.
Bookkeeping and management accounts theory is the same no matter where you go. What changes is tax and local GAAP. UK tax system is an evolved nightmare of illogical regulations with little relationship to common sense. (so the same as tax systems everywhere).
As suggested by others AAT is the way to go in order to give yourself sound foundations then once qualified depending upon how yor career evolves perhaps look to specialisations and advanced qualifications such as ATT for tax, ACCA or CIMA for accountancy, CIPP for payroll. You can end up with so many letters that you need those special longer business cards, lol.
For finding work London is your best start point although income to cost of accomodation ratio is something of a nightmare.
Good luck.
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.
Realistically, will someone take you on for a period of 3 months if you have no knowledge of at least the VAT workings here in the UK. What would they get out of it? Yes ok they wouldnt have to pay you, but it will take them almost that long for you to be fully intergrated into a team, plus its only after that period they would really start getting payback for all the handholding (and therefore dead billing hours) they would have to do. Also - the market is saturated. Folk here have to apply for tens running into hundreds of jobs before they are successful. Plus if you are not being paid, how would you pay the horrendously sky high rent that is wanted even for a cardboard box in the capital?
Just palying devils advocate of course.
Do-able, just may take a good long while, unless you can use some of your existing contacts.
There is a lot more life out of London of course.
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
I tried getting 'work experience', unsuccessfully, while I studied for my AAT qualification. The people I contacted all gave me advice on what I should be doing to get in to the business and where would be best to look but it just went round and round in circles. The main response was they didn't have the time to spend showing a 'work experience person' how it all worked. They did tell me to contact them once I'd passed my exams - the response then was they didn't have any roles for my level of qualification! (not trying to be negative...and I'm in Central Scotland so not as many opportunities as there may be in London?)
Hope you manage to get something sorted. Good luck
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Janet
They keep making the system idiot proof but then make bigger and better idiots!
