Accounting qualification advice please

**Pondlife** · 12 September 2006, 16:07

Hi Chris, this is an IT contractors forum so most of the recomendations about accountancy career progression will be garbage sorry.

**malvolio** · 12 September 2006, 16:13

I should try Accounting Web first, rather than here. You need to register but it's all fairly harmless, and about as exciting as you'd imagine an accountant's forum would be!

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/

**sasguru** · 12 September 2006, 19:16

My brother is a chartered accountant. The conventional way is undoubtedly best. Degree followed by the 3 year paid "articles" in a practice when you also have to study part-time to take the professional exams. Its not easy (minimum 6 years of hard work) but the pay-off at the end is worth it. A numerate degree (economics, maths) is best although they'll take any degree for the 3 year training.

**thunderlizard** · 12 September 2006, 22:18

The big accountancy firms used to all do schemes where a student would sign up in the last year of school, then work for them for a year, then go off to university but work for them in the holidays, and finally have a permanent job with them at the end. I assume they still happen, and on a bigger scale nowadays.

I seem to remember a man from the local branch of Coopers & Lybrand or somesuch coming to talk to our class at school about it, back in the early 90s. At 17 we were all far too idealistic to want to be accountants, so we sat politely and waited for him to go away.

**Leeda** · 13 September 2006, 09:31

my bf is chartered.

What he did was an Accounting degree at university and then applied to the big 4 firms. He got in, and three years later, after many exams, passing a few, failing a lot, he finally qualified two weeks ago.

A lot of his fellow auditors did other degrees at uni though, so she doesnt necessarily have to do Accounting. As long as you have a degree.

**philip@wellwoodhoyle** · 14 September 2006, 08:52

Your daughter doesn't have to go to Uni for a degree.

Smaller accountancy practices usually employ A Level school-leavers as trainees and encourage the trainees to do the ACCA (Chartered Certified) or AAT (Accounting Technician) at local colleges part time either evening or day release.

I did the ACCA this way, it is hard work, but you qualify quicker - i.e. potentially 4 years after leaving school rather than probably 5/6 if you do a degree and then go onto the Chartered Exams.

AAT is a lower tier qualification that takes 2/3 years but you get exemptions from the lower level(s) of ACCA - probably only have to do 2/3 years of ACCA rather than 4. The AAT route to Chartered takes longer but if she finds it's not for her, she can "drop out" once she's got the AAT qualification which does mean something.

Don't automatically push your daughter to Uni if she's not that keen. I wouldn't really be too keen on doing a full time course at College, because she'd have no work experience. In accountancy, work experience is probably more important than the paper qualifications, so in my view it is better to get the qualifications alongside working - she would really be in demand with the Chartered Qualification AND 3/4 years practical experience in her early 20's!

**_Chris_** · 14 September 2006, 15:51

Thanks for all the replies... especially seeing as this isn't an accounting forum

)

Some great stuff to look into, and I'll post on the forum linked above.

Thanks again.

Accounting qualification advice please