I am currently trying to embark on a career in audit. I hold a degree in an unrelated discipline and would like advice on what is the best qualification to obtain. I am registered disabled through an accident and am starting a 1 year full time AAT diploma in September. I have found that as I have little accounts experience and no formal qualification I am not very employable. For this reason the AAT will give me at least a foot in the door.
I already know audit is where my future lies and would like to plan the best route into my idea position. I would love a role that involves some travel (20-30%) but equally allows me to be home at weekends.
I have worked since I was 16 years old but from 30 to 34 I have a 4 year gap in my work history due to a spinal oration and then a decision to be a stay home dad to our now 4 year old daughter. I am now 35 so would like to be in work as soon as possible
Any advice you could give me would be very much appreciated.
My first thought: are really capitalising on all the assets you already have? For example, have you considered graduate entry programmes? A non-relevant degree needn’t be a deterrent; many graduate employers are looking for the skills and potential conferred on the degree holder rather than the technical subject matter itself.
Also, as a more mature candidate with 14 years work experience there will be lots of transferable skills that you will have within your repertoire. The trick here is a bit of lateral thinking to match the relevance of your past experience to your future aspirations – tricky-but loads to play for.
As you have already committed to the AAT diploma make sure you get the most out of it during your year of study. Once you’ve mastered the basics of double entry book keeping you should find it easy to get some practical experience, working with a charity for example. This will be a valuable addition to your CV as well as giving you the opportunity to turn theory into practice and really hone those skills. In fact any practical experience you can get paid or unpaid during the one year course will stand you in good stead.
Having decided that audit is your future, I would recommend that you actually find your perfect role(s) and then look at the route to qualification. Is it internal or external audit that you are attracted to? What sort of organisation do you want to work for? – SME, blue-chip, not-for profit? What are your personal financial requirements and aspirations?
First find the job you love, then travel back from the destination to find the starting point.
And once you’ve done a bit more delving, to paint the picture of your dream job, come back to us and we’ll talk more specifically about qualifications.
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