Assuming there is nothing wrong with asking this question (attention moderators) I just wondered how old the accountants are on this website and how much experience you all have in practice.
I'll start:
Age: 39
Years in practice: 22
Years running own practice: 3
Replies (73)
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Early twenties
I'm in my early twenties and have been qualified for over 30 years. Oops - what a giveaway, I lied about my age.
Actually in my particular field looking a bit older is no bad thing. I think it helps to 'sell' me to judge and jury.
David
shouldn't really ask a lady her age.....!!
What lady - I'm an accountant!
Age : 43
Years in practice : 25
Years running own practice : 6
Are we being "groomed" here?
Age; 54
Years in practice; 37
Years in own practice; 28
Sex; Oh, yes please!
.
Age) - Physically - the wrong side of 60
Age) - Mentally - still think I'm 18 until my body reminds me I'm not.
Years in practice 40 +
Years in own practice 38
Sex) Still chase pretty women, just can't remember why any more.
.
just a kid!
AGE 31 (and a half)...
General practice 19-24.
Financial director 24-28.
Back in practice 28- now. mainly tax planning.
acca and ciot member.
.
Age: 45
Yrs in practice: 24
Yrs by myself: 16
Sex: did you ask that question?
PS: As a complete non sequitur, are you also BigDaveCUFC?
But how old do you feel
Age 46(feel downtrodden and about 95)
In practise 28 years
On own 19 years
But feel 95 when having spent the day dealing with HM mess ups!
But how old do you feel
Age 46(feel downtrodden and about 95)
In practise 28 years
On own 19 years
But feel 95 when having spent the day dealing with HM mess ups!
Nice to see I'm not the only ankle biter in the accountingweb co
Quite interesting to see this actually, the history behind the peculiar names.
Age 30
Years in practice 12
Own practice 3 (accidentally took over an existing practice, still worrying and still penniless)
FCCA, MAAT
Appreciate the comment by davidwinch - my downfall is the opposite, look about 12 and worry that when seeing potential new clients they immediately write me off as lacking experience. Given my usual luck I will continue to look little, then wake up one morning looking 90. Certainly feel like it every January.
Young (ish) but feel old compared to the last couple!
Age: 37
7.5 years in practice first, then 6 years in industry then nearly 4 years as a sole practitioner with a bit of overlap between the last two.
So, total practice experience of 11.5 years with 4 of them being on my own.
.
Age : 30
Experience : 12 years (inc. 4 years corporate insolvency)
Set up 6 years ago (part time) and did the full jump 3 years ago.
Sex : Double entry / internal control
.
37
8 years in practice on my own (by accident to start with following long term sick leave)
5 years in industry
3 years training in audit and relevant degree.
will I win the prize?
Blimey I must be ready for the knackers yard, 52 been at it since age 17 and on my own on and off for past twenty years
DON'T CHEEK YOUR ELDERS
Looking at all the above answers I think my standard response in future to any poster not agreeing with me will be ..............
DON'T CHEEK YOUR ELDERS :)
errrrrm
Age: ancient (but feel young! ..... mostly)
Experience: a few years spent programming & then designing financial systems on IBM/ICL mainframes & some minis (that gives my age away!) approx 20 years in accounting, and started my own practice in 2003.
I'm with CD .... hip, hip, hooray for the 'oldies' ;)
Middle Aged!!!
Age:44
27 Years in Practice
11 Years own practice Fulltime
9 Years in France !
Somewhere in the middle it seems
Experience: 21 (yep, straight out of school)
Own practice: 9 (with the typical overlap while still elsewhere)
Age: 39 (unless you believe that you're as young as the woman you feel ... which is one of the advantages of marrying a younger woman!)
On the age/appearance question ... not many greys yet, but my father (in a different line of work) found a better response from customers once he grew a beard thus hiding his baby-faced looks. (It's a proper beard, not one of those landing-strip goatees.)
Fearing someone will have a go...
Age: 29
In Practice: 4yrs
In Practice on my own: erm 4 yrs
Average I suspect!
44
15 years in practice (10 on my own)
10 years in the middle as corporate counter of beans (including 5 as head of HR ... now that was interesting!)
I'm only here for a while
Unreasonably chucked out of uni - hell they wanted me to go to lectures, whatever next, study?
Took a fleeting temporary job working for the Inland Revenue whilst waiting to resit first year exams and I'm still waiting to do the resits 34 yrs later.
So - 53, with 34 yrs (counting both sides of the fence) in practice, 26 of them with my name on the door.
part of the younger generation
I am 31
in practice 14/15 years
On my own for 2.5 years.
Have aged 20 years since going on my own!!!
Not having a good day...
Age: 41
Years in practice: 22
Years running own practice: None (I work for a top 10 firm but I'm having a testing day and things could change and supplementary question to come on that thought)
EX HMRC and still recovering!!
I'm 39
21 years experience;-
Inland Revenue before it became HMRC for 3 years
18 years in practice for only two different firms
Waiting to win Premium Bonds or Lottery, some other large unknown Inheritance - 39 years!
Am I the only non-accountant on here?!
I'm 24.
Have been working for accountants since I was 17 so I suppose I've been in a practice enviroment for almost 9 years. Eeeek!
Would be interested to know if there are any more Marketing/Practice Managers in the same position?
26 going on 60....
Age: 26
Years in practice: 8 (AAT & ICAEW qualified plus CIOT trainee)
Years running own practice: 0 - still employed not grown up enough to run my own yet!!!
Not an accountant
Joined HM Inspector of taxes for 6 months in 1980 and worked there for 10 years
Worked in practice (taxation) for 20 years
Doesnt bear thinking about!
I am 51
Age is just a number....
Age: 40
Years in practice: 9, then was 'persuaded' into private equity fund administration for five years
Years running own administration business (in Guernsey): 4 (it's like practice..... only different)
Age and experience
Age 65
Years in industry: Company Accountant/Financial Controller 40+ last 8 years part-time.
Part-time own practice grown over 20 years
Now retired still keep my hand in with favoured clients only to supplement pension which was seriously reduced in 1997 and again in 2009/10 by government and banker greed! Will give up when HMRC finally drives my brain crazy - which may not be too far away at present rate of "innovations".
Fresh out of the box..
Age: 1/4 of a century
In practice: 6 months (an accounts-baby still...)
I'm still young and easily influenced by the growling accountant in the corner of my office! 0.o
What's so special about practice anyway?
Age 52
Years in practice NIL (FCMA)
34 years experience (30 years in industry, commerce and consulting, one year out starting a catering business, then 3 years in a regulatory role (and this is the most I have enjoyed accounts, ever!)
Career Highlight - during that year out one of my sandwiches was nominated for the British Sandwich Association's "Samdwich of the Year" award ! ! !
Oldies
All this is making me feel really old and knackered.
Joined Revenue at 16 in 1965 - it was actually a pleasant place to work in those days, although I still jumped ship for practice in 1973.
May have 50 years in by retirement!!
How old?
Age 48
Years in practice 29 (although one of those was spent in commerce)
Years running my own practice - 19 (my God, is it really that long? Must have a lay down soon....)
Experience
I'm 35, started in accounting 10 years ago, got out of practice 18 months after qualifying 5 years ago and have worked in the voluntary sector ever since.
Timeless
Aged: 43 but still lumbering around a 5-a-side pitch with the turning circle of a large oil tanker.
Experience: Started training at 19, 4 year training contract - left the next day. Been delivering training since I turned 23.
Running my own training and consultancy company (jointly with my wife) for the past 2 and a half years. Love finally being in control (er at work that is if you are reading this, darling).
Malcolm
Many years
CD, you are not the only one who is older and with many years in practice. I am not quite as old as you, so I would never cheek my elders!
I am 60
In practice 42 years
Own practice 30 years.
Sex - no comment.
Strange - sometimes think of commenting and then get distracted, so never do - till now.
Jonathan
Belly Dancer/salsa queen
Age: 54
Experience: 38 years, including Midland Bank
Years with own business: 4 years
Aged too much these past 4 years on my own! HMRC are a nightmare to deal with. My only sanity is dancing and keeping the computer off at weekends!
still on work experience after 23 years
Age 41
started work experience aged 18 to see if I liked it and never left, so 23 years work experience.
10 years on my own (with the dog).
What an interesting post!
Me - age 45
In accountancy (including public practice) - 21 years
Own practice - 9 years
Sex - my udders may be a giveaway................
Premises - home office - and I wonder if homeworkers are greater contributors to this site, as the virtual networking replaces having colleagues for me, certainly.
And the expertise & calibre of the posters exceeds that of limited pools of colleagues available when I worked in public offices, too.
Another dancer here
Age: 30
Sex: No thanks, I'm British (Just kidding. About the sex, not the Britishness)
Gender: Female
Years in accounts: 8
In my own practice: 6 (of which under a mentor, 2)
Qualifications: AAT, pq ATT
Preferred dancing type: pole (for fun not money!)
Where do you find the energy for dancing?
Age: 42 next month
Experience: 22 years in practice and industry
Own practice: 21 months and 13 days
Premises: Home office
Social life: Accounting web
Up With The Elders
Age: 50
Practice: 33 Years
On Own: 25 Years
Who's heading the elder council?
Good side of 35
Age - 32
Years in practice - 4
Have spent the last year in NHS (foolishly)
Own practice - 1 month p/t. Very exciting
Well, I do call myself TheAncientOne so I suppose I asked for th
Age: 69
Sex: I am really the age of the man I feel - husband of 26 years - 18 years my junior.(;O.
Experience : Inland Revenue 1979 to 1996
Practice : 14 years - d/w sole traders and partnerships.
How long will I continue? Needs must when the devil drives! Retirement? Dull and boring.
Hobbies : Heavy Metal/Rock music. I help a local Rock Radio Station put on a broadcast for a month each year to raise money for charity.
TheAncientOne
Other side of 35!
Age 41
Years in industry (ACMA and FMAAT) 21
In practice 1 year then
Own practice 1 year
Sex - nice idea but with 2 kids under 5 and having kicked out the hubby, I'd rather have a cup of tea.
Still waiting for the invite on the C_D trip though so we can tell if everyone's telling porkies!
Pip
Very fresh but quick!
Age 27
In practice for just over 4 yrs
On my own since April
Loving it, and not letting go no matter what!
CAT, DipFA (hopefully FTA and MAAT soon too)
Nearly over the hill
50 early next year
in practise 15 years
running a practice 10 years
I'm worried, my wife tells me it drops off once you get to 50.
I win??
Age: 22
Experience: 2.5 years
AAT Qualified and starting ICAEW now. Don't want to think how long I might be stuck in accountancy before I will hit retirement age though!