Any trainees doing a bit of work on the side?

Shurwhynot

Trainee accountant wages are for the most part brutal.

I have 3 P2's left in CPA and am on 15k, despite the fact i've been here for 2 years, and i started off on over 16k. Finding it very hard to make ends meet and am just pissed off that i'm earning so little and my friends are earning decent money in other professions. I don't want to give up accountancy, as i do like it, but i have my 3 remaining finals in April and if i dont have them all passed come the repeats next August, i think i'll go mad!

Anyway, i'm just curious as to whether anyone does a bit of book-keeping work for themselves. I was thinking of putting up a few flyers advertising book-keeping, just to tidy people's books up for them before they give them to their accountant, do their Vat returns, payroll etc.

Anyone on here do anything similar?

Da GOAT

couple guys in my place do the odd vat returns etc. personally I wasnt into doing any extra work since I play bball and poker earns me a nice side income.

i can only imagine though that theres a ton of people advertising this service now, good luck.

Dixie Chick

I used to do nixer when I was a trainee, it was worth about 3k a year to me and i put it in a form 12 each year as I was such a low wage anyway it made no real difference. Anyway its doable alright. Dont fail your exams in april, its only dragging it out for you if you do. I did my p2's with no study leave and a few all nighters so dont say you cant pass them, if you passed P1 you can pass P2

censuspro

Make sure your employer doesnt find out.

Shurwhynot

What work exactly did ya do? How did ya advertise yerself?

Going attempting Tax, Corp Reporting and SLKM in April after passing Auditing first time round in August. Going down the BPP route, as i have done so far and it's served me very well. I've heard SLKM is pretty straightforward and Tax should be ok too. Any other advice??

CGorman

I'm doing lots of unrelated work on the side - mainly LC grinds and Web Design projects... worth a nice few bob over the year and it defo makes the difference income wise... only problem is it takes up any weekday free time i've got. As a rule I don't spend any time at weekends on anything other than lesiure ha! I turn down meetings, grinds and odd jobs at weekends all the time - it's not worth it. Also I set aside time for study at least once a week... to be honest I couldnt do work on the side unless I had a strict timetable for the week to make sure I get time off!!

Dixie Chick

Basically I used to do a small sole traders vat and paye and some invoicing and his bank rec. so I would spend about 2 saturdays a month in his house sorting through bills and he used to give me 250 per month. It was great practice for me really. A frind put me in touch with him.

A lot of larger companies dont like their employees to do work on the side but I was lucky as my boss knew I was doing it and didnt at all mind.

Exam wise just keep the head down. Fair play for getting the auditing, did you sit that on its own? Or did you attempt others as well? A friend of mine made the mistake of ony sitting two in her first sitting and through failing etc she ran out of sittings and had to be granted another one by pleading with the CPA.

Shurwhynot

I just sat it on it's own. Only passed P1 in April so i just wanted to try get one outta the way asap and Auditing seemed to be one of the tougher ones, and P1 audit was still in my head, so seemed like the best option and it paid off. I realise i only have 3 attempts left to pass the 3, but i'll knuckle down in the new year and i'll have about 6 weeks off work to study also.

In relation to working on the side, would it be worth putting up a few leaflets advertising basic book-keeping, vat returns, payroll? I wouldn't be informing my employers obviously

jockey#1

CGorman wrote: »

I'm doing lots of unrelated work on the side - mainly LC grinds and Web Design projects... worth a nice few bob over the year and it defo makes the difference income wise... only problem is it takes up any weekday free time i've got. As a rule I don't spend any time at weekends on anything other than lesiure ha! I turn down meetings, grinds and odd jobs at weekends all the time - it's not worth it. Also I set aside time for study at least once a week... to be honest I couldnt do work on the side unless I had a strict timetable for the week to make sure I get time off!!

Hi,

Just qualified as an ACCA, wondering how you got into giving grinds, presumably accounting grinds? Did you have to do a course or just learn what is covered in the LC? How much you charge per grind etc...
Thanks

Legend100

doing two tax returns as i type right now

CGorman

jockey#1 wrote: »

Hi,

Just qualified as an ACCA, wondering how you got into giving grinds, presumably accounting grinds? Did you have to do a course or just learn what is covered in the LC? How much you charge per grind etc...
Thanks

Qualification? A good LC, experience and a good uni degree are plenty qualification. 90% of grinds work is just going through the same old things and enforcing a study routine.

I've been doing grinds for a few years now. I offer Math, Accountancy, Economics and Business grinds. This year so far I've only got Maths students. Last year I did a much wider variety for a few university 1st/2nd years. I charge the same as most people giving grinds who travel to students houses - €30 ph.

If your good at explaining things, patient and willing to keep on top of changing courses... then its a pretty flexible part time source of income.

Chevy RV

Legend100 wrote: »

doing two tax returns as i type right now

You need to be careful - aren't they supposed to go to Revenue


Chevy RV