Shall I take University route or AAt?

Need some advise,

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Hi, I am a 34 years old chef who wants to changes his Carrer, I was a chef for past 6 years and now I want to change my carrier to be an accountant and the goal is to become a charted accountant, I appreciate if you share your experience and some advise as a professional, I have two routes I can chose either AAT or University and both got advantage and disadvantages . My situation is that I live by my own and financially dependent on myself . If I choose a university I have to get loan and work on weekends and it takes almost 5 years including foundation year and placement year to become an accountant plus 3 year to be charted and if I choose AAT it’s 2 years of collage as I got accepted on level 3 AAT to start on January  and 3 years after that to become charted accountant. but not shore if anyone accepts me for aprentiship or sponsor me for level 7 because of my age ! I will really appreciate it if you give me some advise as you are working in the field and know exactly how it works.

 

Replies (33)

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By adam.arca
20th Nov 2021 08:47

Well, I don’t know if you’re “down with the yoof” and banging that message out from your smartphone but you’ll need much better written English to make it in accountancy. Maybe try HMRC? They’re a tolerant employer when it comes to this sort of thing.

You’re thinking of joining accountancy at a time of change which presents both opportunities and threats. It’s too early to say what the effect of MTD and the underlying tech drive will be but you do need to think about frying pans and fires (no pun intended).

If you’re certain this is what you want to do, however, I would definitely go the AAT route were I in your shoes. In fact, that’s what I advised my son when he decided on a career change and he’s now through AAT and embarking on Chartered (it does have an “er” in it btw).

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Replying to adam.arca:
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By Tj766
23rd Nov 2021 18:23

I wrote it on rush and didn’t think anyone care about the mistakes, thanks for the advise

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Replying to Tj766:
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By adam.arca
24th Nov 2021 13:29

Well, that's lesson #1, TJ: never do anything accountancy-related without pause for thought as you don't know when it'll come back to haunt you. Good luck, though, and hope it all works out for you.

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Replying to adam.arca:
By SteveHa
24th Nov 2021 10:43

To be honest, their are worse places to get a grounding than HMRC. It was where I started, and stayed for 20 years. Here I am 22 years after leaving in a senior position in a respected practice, and earning better money than HMRC would ever have offered.

Of course, I can't vouch for HMRC in the past 22 years, and I suspect that the training offered is not as good. Nevertheless, it served me well.

Oh, and I have not once seen a need to align myself with any of the PBs. My employer is ACCA, personally, I'm a cowboy (as far as AWeb, or more specifically, JS is concerned).

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Replying to SteveHa:
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By adam.arca
24th Nov 2021 13:26

Yeah, I was referencing HMRC as they are now not as they were.

Are you sure they offer the front line staff any training these days? I see very little evidence of that based on the correspondence I receive (infrequently).

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Replying to adam.arca:
By SteveHa
24th Nov 2021 13:45

HMRC correspondence? Do you mean something other than a computer generated missive?
Except from higher graded individuals in enquiry or clearance cases, I can't remember the last time I saw a human generated letter.

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Replying to SteveHa:
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By adam.arca
24th Nov 2021 20:16

You mean you’ve never had one of those letters, usually from an Assistant Officer (whatever that is but it sounds lowly), which is a cut and paste job of standard responses? Each of which might make sense when read by itself but none of which make sense when read as a whole?

I can’t say I’ve had loads but I’ve definitely had them.

You need to come down from the rarefied heights of being a tax expert and deal at the tax hack level like me!

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By tom123
20th Nov 2021 09:20

I did an accountancy degree - which, like all degrees, I enjoyed.

However, it counted for nothing (and actually counted against me) when looking for accountancy jobs.

So, I wouldn't bother with the degree from a career advancement process.

Carry on with AAT and see where it takes you.

Apart from accountants in accountancy firms, there are other types, (I am a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA)) where you are working within organisations that do other things.

Each route offers career progression and financial rewards in due course.

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Replying to tom123:
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By Tj766
23rd Nov 2021 18:25

It look like most of people who are working in the industry believe that the accounting degree is a waste of time and money why is that?!!!

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Replying to Tj766:
RLI
By lionofludesch
23rd Nov 2021 18:37

Tj766 wrote:

It look like most of people who are working in the industry believe that the accounting degree is a waste of time and money why is that?!!!

It's too academic.

The man in the street rarely wants to buy the stuff you learn at University.

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By Winnie Wiggleroom
20th Nov 2021 09:35

I would go AAT, but more important is the work experience you can get

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Scooby
By gainsborough
20th Nov 2021 09:52

+1 for AAT but agree with Adam - not sure if your post was typed out in a hurry but spelling mistakes and typos won't impress future sponsors, colleges or employees. Lots of colleges run a Business English course alongside accountancy subjects so something worth looking at.

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Replying to gainsborough:
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By David Ex
20th Nov 2021 14:20

gainsborough wrote:

… spelling mistakes and typos won't impress future sponsors, colleges or employees.

Or, indeed, employers!! ;)

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Replying to David Ex:
Scooby
By gainsborough
20th Nov 2021 18:18

How embarrassing! Better enrol myself on one of those too :).

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Replying to gainsborough:
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By Catherine Newman
20th Nov 2021 18:31

I have recently done a TEFL course to supplement my meagre pension pot and as I turned 58 yesterday and would love to think I could retire soon, this seems a classic case of someone I could tutor in English to improve their prospects as there are currently noTEFL jobs due to the problems in China.

I could set up a Zoom account and support this OP. It would be very satisfying.

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Replying to Catherine Newman:
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By Catherine Newman
20th Nov 2021 18:42

I have just messaged the OP to offer help with English. I can establish the way forward.

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Replying to Catherine Newman:
Scooby
By gainsborough
21st Nov 2021 09:34

That's brilliant Catherine ( and belated happy birthday!)

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Replying to gainsborough:
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By Catherine Newman
21st Nov 2021 10:26

Thanks Gainsborough.

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
21st Nov 2021 13:10

Catherine, do make certain the OP isn't Dodgy Dave from Derby. The post has some of his hallmarks.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/thieving-derby-bookkeep...

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Replying to gainsborough:
RLI
By lionofludesch
22nd Nov 2021 09:04

gainsborough wrote:

+1 for AAT but agree with Adam - not sure if your post was typed out in a hurry but spelling mistakes and typos won't impress future sponsors, colleges or employees. Lots of colleges run a Business English course alongside accountancy subjects so something worth looking at.

No, but on the plus side the apostrophe in "it's" was correct.

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By creamdelacream
20th Nov 2021 09:59

Definitely skip uni and do AAT instead, it will only waste your time and money. Or if your goal is just to become chartered ASAP then consider going straight into ACCA rather than AAT with some exemptions. The work experience as others have said is key

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By Samantha20
20th Nov 2021 11:08

I would try to find an employer who is willing to sponsor you to do AAT. Now is probably a good time to look because of the skill shortages.

If you cannot find one, then you will have to study AAT on your own, but I would try to find a job in accountancy (eg credit control or purchase ledger ) perhaps through an agency just to get some relevant experience.

As others have said, you need to improve your English.

You haven't said why you want to do accountancy, but if you were a chef, then I assume that you are quite practical I would have thought that something like engineering might suit you better. There is much more demand for engineering and other similar STEM related careers than accountancy and I think that you would be likely to progress more quickly.

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Replying to Samantha20:
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By Tj766
23rd Nov 2021 18:33

I have already got a mechanical engineering degree and don’t enjoy it. the only reason I want to do accounting is because it’s a good reward at the end.

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Replying to Tj766:
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By Leywood
23rd Nov 2021 20:50

Tj766 wrote:

because it’s a good reward at the end.

Is it?

What’s that then ?

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By Leywood
20th Nov 2021 18:24

Why do you want to be an Accountant? Please do not say because you are good with numbers!!

I think you will get very bored.

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Replying to Leywood:
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By Tj766
23rd Nov 2021 18:34

It will be boring but its also well paid as well

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Replying to Tj766:
RLI
By lionofludesch
23rd Nov 2021 19:20

Tj766 wrote:

It will be boring but its also well paid as well

Happen. Happen not.

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Replying to Tj766:
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By Leywood
23rd Nov 2021 20:55

Not exactly rewarding is it. Money is not a motivator.

You will be on very low wage for a long time after passing your exams as you start at the bottom. With the huge numbers of freeloaders appearing on a variety of websites and the race to the bottom in fees, plus MTD, you might be hard pushed to earn decent money in another 10 years.

You haven’t answered my question though.

Advice v. advise.
Key

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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
21st Nov 2021 13:19

When you've qualified then *certain universities will award you a degree on the basis of your accredited quals; all you'll need to do is:

a) write a thesis; and
b) write a cheque.

*generally polytechnic universities, that is, of post 1991 vintage.

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Caroline
By accountantccole
22nd Nov 2021 08:45

AAT and work experience

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Melchett
By thestudyman
22nd Nov 2021 21:35

AAT is a lovely qualification to start off and build up your bookkeeping and general accounting skills. After finishing, if you want to practice as a bookkeeper you can apply for a practice certificate.

If you want to become "chartered", then your AAT qualification will grant you some exemptions towards a full accounting course.

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
23rd Nov 2021 09:23

Ignoring career, employment and money, for me it would be university any day. The catch is you sound a tad old to really get the benefit of excessive drinking, sleeping late and cramming essays at 5.00 am for a 10.00 am deadline.

My university years were certainly amongst the happiest days of my life, I made some good friends who just under 40 years later are still part of my life and it also gives a joint topic of conversation with my other half albeit whilst overlapping at the same university we did not know one another whilst there, we can however still moan about members of staff we both had (an overlap of courses with American History) .

I suspect re your age and re career prospects AAT is the way to go but when you look back as retirement looms you may realise career and money is not everything.

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Replying to DJKL:
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By Tj766
23rd Nov 2021 18:41

Thanks for sharing your experience and for the advise . It’s surprising how people think differently in different ages, I didn’t have the same state of mind 10 years back and I will definitely not have it the same 10 years from now. That’s how we make mistakes .

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