Becoming an Accountant

kodirl

Hi everyone, I'm enrolled on a 4yr Business Management Degree through part time learning. I am about to enter year 3. I have really enjoyed the Financial Accounting module over the past two years and have decided I would like to train to become an Accountant with the long term intention of becoming a Chartered Accountant.

Can someone advise on what would be the best route for me to get into a career in Accountancy from my current position (Working full time in Construction-no option within current company to work in Accounts)Should I complete my Business Management Degree or should I look at doing an Accounting course?

All opinions/ advice welcome :-)

Jim2007

Start by finishing your degree and make sure you get a good honours degree.

Oh and an accountant is more about analysis, advice and management than doing financial accounting...

Calahonda52

Jim2007 wrote: »

Start by finishing your degree and make sure you get a good honours degree.

Oh and an accountant is more about analysis, advice and management than doing financial accounting...

+1

Plan for a 1.1 degree.

Do you have a degree otherwise?
Practically look up what exemptions you might earn from completing your current degree
https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Prospective-Students/Apply-and-Join/Exemptions
https://www.accaglobal.com/ie/en/student/getting-started/exemptions.html

I wouldn't quit one course to start another. If you want to switch go straight for the accounting exams - you are already used to studying on your own.

Otherwise you will need experience, you could either find a job in some sort of accounting and start there or look for a training contract, which will structure your training.

Practically moving into something accounting related sooner rather than later would be better.

kodirl

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you have a degree otherwise?
Practically look up what exemptions you might earn from completing your current degree
https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Prospective-Students/Apply-and-Join/Exemptions
https://www.accaglobal.com/ie/en/student/getting-started/exemptions.html

I wouldn't quit one course to start another. If you want to switch go straight for the accounting exams - you are already used to studying on your own.

Otherwise you will need experience, you could either find a job in some sort of accounting and start there or look for a training contract, which will structure your training.

Practically moving into something accounting related sooner rather than later would be better.

Thanks for sharing those links. I currently don't have a degree but I don't want to spend another two years doing a degree that may not be entirely relevant if I chose a career in accounting. I'd imagine it would be very unlikely for me to get a training contract as I do not have a degree or experience in this area ?

Dublin1988

If you are interested in pursuing the ACA qualification, the bigger firms hire a certain amount of graduates from non accointing backgrounds for their training programmes i.e. Degree programmes that don't offer ACA exam exemptions or degrees that are solely accounting

kodirl

Dublin1988 wrote: »

If you are interested in pursuing the ACA qualification, the bigger firms hire a certain amount of graduates from non accointing backgrounds for their training programmes i.e. Degree programmes that don't offer ACA exam exemptions or degrees that are solely accounting

I am only half way through my degree, I was hoping to get in on a training program before I complete the degree.

vikings2012

I would strongly recommend finishing your degree and try to get a 1.1 or a high 2.1.

By completing a level 8 degree it demonstrates the following:
- Commitment - 4 year degree. Employers expect commitment for you to complete a 3 yr contract.

- Competence - If you graduate with a 1.1 degree it will show employers that you are capable for tough professional exams.

- Skills - team work/ leadership - all gained throughout degree. Very hard to demonstrate these skills if you drop out of a degree.


A lot of employees in Big 4 accounting and Big 5 law firms actually come from a non accounting/law background. Firms want candidates who come from different academic backgrounds to promote diverse teams and prevent group think.

SureYWouldntYa

I'm currently exploring the same myself

Say you get 6 months into your training contract and it's either not what you expected or you aren't able for it, how often does that happen

I imagine you're going to be fairly useless for a long time and the pay they give and exams they pay for are an investment that don't pay off in the first year at least, if you were to "give up" in the first year then it must be awful for an employer

kodirl

vikings2012 wrote: »

I would strongly recommend finishing your degree and try to get a 1.1 or a high 2.1.

By completing a level 8 degree it demonstrates the following:
- Commitment - 4 year degree. Employers expect commitment for you to complete a 3 yr contract.

- Competence - If you graduate with a 1.1 degree it will show employers that you are capable for tough professional exams.

- Skills - team work/ leadership - all gained throughout degree. Very hard to demonstrate these skills if you drop out of a degree.


A lot of employees in Big 4 accounting and Big 5 law firms actually come from a non accounting/law background. Firms want candidates who come from different academic backgrounds to promote diverse teams and prevent group think.

A 1.1 may be difficult to achieve as I am in full time employment with two children under age of three. I understand where you are coming from. I am in a Management position and have been with the same company for the past 7 years, surely that shows commitment as it is

Jim2007

kodirl wrote: »

I am only half way through my degree, I was hoping to get in on a training program before I complete the degree.

Accounting does not happen in a vacuum... The better you understand business the better the accountant you will be. You cannot expect to be able to give your client/employer good advice if you don't have a good understanding of what makes a business tick.

There are a few reasons for making sure you get your degree:
- Some multinationals have it as base requirement for joining and promotion, it does not matter if you have your ACA/ACCA or not...
- It is much easier to get a degree that a professional qualification and you many not get your ACA in the end, there are plenty of P/Q around.
- It looks better to complete it

Pablo Escobar

kodirl wrote: »

A 1.1 may be difficult to achieve as I am in full time employment with two children under age of three. I understand where you are coming from. I am in a Management position and have been with the same company for the past 7 years, surely that shows commitment as it is

I would caution further that professional level exams are on a totally different level to third level, whether it's ACA, ACCA et al. So, with young kids that is not going to be easy. Not impossible, of course, but it will consume pretty much all of your free time. That must be a consideration also.

Wabbit Ears

MY wife did the ACCA professional accountant level exams and she has a Masters in economics and finance. Those exams are brutal with high fail rates but doable if you can knuckle down and do the coursework. took here several years to complete it all.

If you are looking to get into accountancy or a finance department, the ACCA accounts technician may suffice to make that initial move in combination with a business degree.