Advice for further options after accounts technicians

bulmersgal

Hi

I hope somebody can help. Trying to decide what I should do come September, I am currently doing the accounting technicians course with Iati and am in my second year. I passed my first year exams with my lowest result being 76% and hoping to do the same for this year.

So currently weighing up my options for next year. I have a 3 year old and my partner is also a student but he works part time. My options are go to Tallaght IT and get a degree in accounting in one year excempting me from f1-8 then doing extra year getting honours degree and being excempt from f9. I can do this either part time or full time.

Or I can go to Acca and be excempt from f1-3.

I would be paying for all of this myself as not entitled to grant as was living with my parents. My main aim being honest is to get a job so even if I was going to do degree I think I would choose part time so I can look for a job. My little one will be doing free year in play school so will have 3 hours free every day to study.

Has anybody any experience or advice for me. I am quite good at learning and am able to grasp how to do things by looking at a book and examples and usually do not need my lecturers help.

GAC999

Hi
Good luck with the upcoming exams. Sure you will do well. I was in a similar position 2 years ago, I was finishing accounting technician and had to decide where to go from there. I am currently in final year of accounting degree and have got a job starting in autumn in one of the Big 4. However I will caution that a lot of these jobs want someone to do chartered exams and because of a slight difference in syllabus do not get the management exemption. Also while I did not necessarily find the material in the 3/4 year more difficult I found it was a huge increase in the workload. However it seems that many trainee accountant jobs want someone with a degree. I think you can get a degree eventually through ACCA might be something to check into. Both options are good however it will depend on what suits you.

Hope this helps, good luck for the future

bulmersgal

Did u do the degree full or part time, it's cheaper for me to do it part time but I don't want money to be a deciding factor as I want best long term.

Thanks for replying, congrats on the job. Hope fully I'll be in similar position in couple of years :-)

GAC999

Hi, thanks i am delighted about job. Had similar results to you while in accounting technician so i hope for the best for you. I also found while doing interviews that there is several people working in big 4 who did accounting technician . I am doing the degree full time which is why the workload is so big, it would be a lot more manageable part time. As for doing it part time/full time it would all depend on what is most suitable and feasible for you. Take into account what is most affordable but also how much study time / time you would have available for project groups as you want to be getting a 2.1 or 1.1. You could also consider if it is a 3/4 year course and you are joining in year 2/3 the following summer you could apply for paid internships the following summer.

Hope some of this helps and good luck!