Poor accounting training

santino

Hi all,

I haven't had a good rant for a while but feel I have to have one again.

Background:
Straight after finishing in college in 2006, started with a newly opened sole practitioner's office (ACCA). Very small staff; my boss, me and girl on reception. Since then have taken on a part time accountant who looks after her own clients and as of last summer a new trainee.

To date: have completed all of the ACCA exams and have passed Part 2 of the Institute of Tax exams, doing the finals in a few weeks.

My big problem is with the training that I have received. I am limited to general compliance work, vat returns, payroll, RCT, for the most part bringing accounts to Trial Balance stage although I have filed one or 2 very small accounts on my own. in essence I am a bookkeeper where I should be doing full accounts at this stage. (I'm 28 btw).
Notice above when I say I've passed the ACCA exams and don't call myself ACCA qualified...my boss has not yet signed off on my training!!!

My boss has been and continues to be very reluctant in progressing me. I don't know whether he is afraid I will take clients from him and leave or what (as he did to his previous employer I might add). Although we do have a good working relationship.
Now our office has been and continues to be extremely busy, there is never a lull, and in a way I manage the non accounting business pretty well.
I did think about leaving 2 summers ago but a recruiter advised me that I should get another qualification as it's an employers market hence me doing the tax exams.
I feel like I'm in trouble. My big fear is that if/when I move to a 'proper' office I will be expected to know certain (obvious) things and this will be highlighted very quickly. Hell at this stage I might not even get past the interview stage.

Sorry about the long post, I just feel like I'm alone, I don't have any friends who are in a similar position so can't really compare.
Any advice / stories would be welcome.

Thanks

dbran

Hi Santino

I think you need to move. Having qualifications is all very well and good but in the long run it is your experience that will get you the job. The employer needs to know that you are capable and they are able to generate a return from you as an employee in their business. I have come across many folks who are qualified up to their eyeballs but couldn't tell you the difference between a debit and a credit.

What the agency said may be true but remember with an agency they are working to their own agenda and not yours. So I would just keep an eye out, send cvs, etc and hopefully you will get the move you need.

Regards

dbran

santino

I know, once the exams are over the cv's are heading out.
What are my options though? As said previously if I do end up in another practice it could be very embarrassing

dbran

Hi

Moving to any job is always a challenge for anybody. You will always be doing something new or doing it in a different way to before. Perhaps you are underestimating your own abilities or your ability to rise to the occasion and hit the ground running. It could be just a confidence thing

However you should also consider truthfully why you are not being given the training and work you need. If it is because the work is simply not available to you in the current practice then this is one thing. If it is because the boss thinks that you have shortcomings then you need to consider why this is so (rightly or wrongly) and consider what you need to do to remedy this. Otherwise a move will not solve these issues.

Maybe a frank discussion with the boss is needed to find out what the problem is. You should be getting some kind of appraisal at regular intervals, either formally or informally. Perhaps during a quiet moment you should broach the subject and ask him/her in a nice, polite and professional way what the story is.

Regards

dbran

santino

Thanks dbran.
I think it may be a confidence thing too to be honest.
I have said it to my boss a few times but to no avail. I'm going to keep my powder dry until my results and if he still isn't willing then I'll have no regrets about leaving.
Thanks again

dbran

Hi Santino

It could also be the case that he needs you to do the bookkeeping work as otherwise there is no-one else available in the practice to do it. This is often the case in a small practice where there limited resources and man power. Its not fair on you but he may have other things to consider unfortunately.

Make sure you leave on the best of terms so you get a good reference.

Best of luck.

dbran

Carb

Same thing happened to me 8 or 9 years ago when I was training. Small practice with the boss, a qualified accountant, me as part qualified and a trainee. The practice struggled for a while and the qualified and trainee were let go. In truth, the enviroment no longer supported training as the all the bookkeeping, compliance, tax returns still needed to be done and the boss wasn't going to do these so I would have time to learn the jucier stuff.

If you want to stay in practice (and assuming you can't resolve things in your current place), I would advise moving on to somewhere a little bigger, and I'm open to correction, but it maybe better to do so before qualification as once qualified there will be certain assumptions around experience and salary expectations. The newly qualified market seems to be extremely competitve at the moment.