Driving as an Accountant

Gael23 · 24-03-2015 9:23pm #1

I'm a graduate seeking a training position as an Accountant. I'm unable to drive due to a medical condition and this has been given as the reason why I haven't been chosen on a number of occasions.
Am I looking at the wrong Career path given that theres a strong chance I will never be able to drive or will some places be ok with it?

Daisy03 · 24-03-2015 11:19pm

I wouldn't let it stop you. I work in one of the Big4 where we are regularly out on site and a number of my colleagues don't drive. Keep trying if it is really what you want to do.

Gael23 · 25-03-2015 7:56am

Just from the feedback I have it seems that you go to visit your client rather than they come to you. But that may not be the case everywhere.

traineeacc · 25-03-2015 7:58am

I don't drive and hold a reasonably senior position in an accounting firm (big 4) . It never stopped me career wise, is it a rural practice?

NotCominBack · 25-03-2015 8:27am

Have you told them why you can't drive? Personally I wouldn't tell them the reason for not driving, actually if the topic of driving arises during an interview then I would ask if there was a company car involved...

Gael23 · 25-03-2015 9:38am

traineeacc wrote: »

I don't drive and hold a reasonably senior position in an accounting firm (big 4) . It never stopped me career wise, is it a rural practice?

No its right on a bus route but feedback I'm getting is that the majority of my time would be spent on client sites and not in the office. I know the firm that I'm about to interview for do a lot of work with the farming industry.

NotCominBack wrote: »

Have you told them why you can't drive? Personally I wouldn't tell them the reason for not driving, actually if the topic of driving arises during an interview then I would ask if there was a company car involved...

I did in the past with the intention of getting them know its not that I'm simply not bothered learning, theres a reason that I cant. I have an interview coming uo next week and I just wanted to find out how to tackle this if it does arise.

Theflyingegg · 25-03-2015 9:44am

Driving is an advantage because it makes journeys quicker and possibly less stressful but it's not necessary.

I get the bus to and from work/clients premises everyday with no problem.

Nobody has ever cared how I get to places either.

dbran · 25-03-2015 12:18pm

Hi

You usually just get a taxi to the client and bill the cost to them. This is not an issue.

Best regards

Dbran

deejer · 25-03-2015 1:55pm

Gael23 wrote: »

I'm a graduate seeking a training position as an Accountant. I'm unable to drive due to a medical condition and this has been given as the reason why I haven't been chosen on a number of occasions.
Am I looking at the wrong Career path given that theres a strong chance I will never be able to drive or will some places be ok with it?

Have they actually stated that as a reason?? Then they are basically saying they are not hiring you because of a disability. From a HR perspective that sounds like a big no no.

As per the comments above not being able to drive would not be an issue in most practices and there are plenty ways around it if travel is involved. I don't believe this should be a concern for you in most interview situations.

NotCominBack · 25-03-2015 5:27pm

^^^^

This is why I say don't tell them, tell them you can drive but haven't for a while

Gael23 · 25-03-2015 6:53pm

NotCominBack wrote: »

^^^^

This is why I say don't tell them, tell them you can drive but haven't for a while

But then what happens when they eventually find out the truth?

Also, my condition makes me eligible fora scheme whereby an employer can get a subsidy from FAS towards my wage. Is this something an Accountancy practice would be interested in?

NotCominBack · 25-03-2015 9:23pm

Gael23 wrote: »

But then what happens when they eventually find out the truth?

Also, my condition makes me eligible fora scheme whereby an employer can get a subsidy from FAS towards my wage. Is this something an Accountancy practice would be interested in?

you dont really have any rights when applying for a job, but if you get the job then you cannot be discriminated against because of your illness

deejer · 25-03-2015 9:44pm

NotCominBack wrote: »

you dont really have any rights when applying for a job, but if you get the job then you cannot be discriminated against because of your illness

You absolutely have rights when applying for a job and when doing an interview.

If it comes up during the interview deal with it honestly. I've been both sides of the table plenty times and this has never come up as an issue.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 26-03-2015 12:50pm

Gael23 wrote: »

I'm a graduate seeking a training position as an Accountant. I'm unable to drive due to a medical condition and this has been given as the reason why I haven't been chosen on a number of occasions.
Am I looking at the wrong Career path given that theres a strong chance I will never be able to drive or will some places be ok with it?

I'd advise you to specialise in tax rather than audit as there is less site work.

Usually an office will be ok if you don't drive but they may feel a need to have a certain number of drivers within an office so that you can be assigned with staff who don't drive on cases where the transport of a large number of files is needed.

Morte · 27-03-2015 12:35am

dbran wrote: »

Hi

You usually just get a taxi to the client and bill the cost to them. This is not an issue.

Best regards

Dbran

If the practice is in Waterford and the client is in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Enniscorthy taxi journeys up and down for the week would come to €1,200 per an online calculator.

This will be an issue for some practices which need people to drive a lot. For others it won't. You certainly can pursue a career but some jobs just may not be practical for you.

Also look into industry roles if you're having trouble getting into a practice. It would be extremely rare for them to require travelling. Best of luck with the job search.

Sunny Dayz · 27-03-2015 10:03am

I would imagine you would really be going to client's businesses if you were doing an audit. Maybe focus on smaller practices which might actually be audit exempt or have the vast majority of clients as audit exempt. The bulk of that work can be done in the office. I work in a very small practice, we have no auditing cert or audit clients. I would only have to drive to clients a few times a year, the principal of the practice does most of the client meetings and I actually walk into work when the weather is a bit better.

As you are starting out as a trainee availability of a car shouldn't be an issue, you would usually be going on site with a senior anyway. Although I do remember being asked in my trainee interviews if I drove or had a car, I thought it was cos I was facing into a commute and was only learning to drive at the time.

A friend of mine worked in tax in Dublin and from what I can gather never needed her car for work, she walked to work and actually got rid of the car cos it wasn't worth her while having it.

Driving as an Accountant

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