j@utis wrote: » I'd love to see someone's answer to your questions because I am in almost the same situation myself (minus the kid and I have bachelors in maths, like computer programing, esp databases). My goal is to get a permanent part time job in accounting. Please please someone in the know help us out. Thank you!
freeze4real wrote: » And for the record 26 is not a mature student.
Taffy Kat wrote: » Hi, My final questions revolve around the feasability of training as an accountant now I am in my thirties, have a mortgage and a child. 1. Would I be considered too old? 2. How much, other than the higher diploma would it cost me in the long run? 3. How many years would it take me to train up, and what is the possibility of finding work as a part-qualified or trainee accountant? Thanks.
Johnny_Fontane wrote: » I'm not sure retraining for 4 years to get this sort of role would be the best use of your time. If you are looking for permanent part time accounting work, its generally better to maybe undertake the IATI, I'm not sure undertaking the full ACCA/CIMA/CPA route would be worth it. If you have any further questions you can always drop me a line.
kilburn wrote: » IT would not take you 4 years to retrain for some of the professional qualifications, if you took exams at each sitting you could do it a lot faster
Lion Killer wrote: » I know this is an old thread. I wanted to bump it to see how everyone is getting in or if anyone else in the same position. Thinking about doing the MACC programme at UCC next September.
Lion Killer wrote: » I have a bachelors degree in accounting and finance (2.1). I have CAP 1 exemptions. I need to apply and see if I have any CAP 2 exemptions; good chance I will get a couple of them at least.
I studied ACA as a mature student. I didn't get any exemptions because my degree was more than 10 years old. I probably wouldn't have taken them anyway, because I'd wanted to do CAP1 to make sure I didn't go straight into CAP2 and struggle because I didn't know as much as my exceptions said I should. To anyone with kids, my first lecture was when my first child was 1 week old. I split CAP 1 and CAP 2 over two years each, which made it much more manageable. Having lectures most nights of the week would have been too much with small children in the house.
I am starting my studies this year and have yet to decide on ACCA or ACA. The biggest query I have is that I have a 4 month old baby at home and am working full time in Industry. Was thinking of doing the ACA flexible route as I have full CAP1 exemptions due to my degree in Accounting & Finance. Was it still a lot to balance the 2 exams each year or is it manageable. Only reason I'm looking at ACCA is flexibility for exam sittings.
Having been in practice for 23 years now -
I would work in the day time and study at night.
A lot of what you study will be no use in the office.
How is your double entry bookkeeping ? T accounts ? Trial balances ? Learn that ****. You will need it from day to day.
I have seen so many people qualify and still cannot do the basic in the office. Because that is what is - applying the basics to your day to day duties.
Good luck .
I found it manageable, but it wasn't easy. CAP2 were harder exams, but by that stage, the kid was a bit older and I was managing to get a bit of sleep...
I'm doing the flexible route. You can basically do the study whenever you want. The exams will be in July for the CAP2 when is when you need to be ready to go. There are 4 CAP 2 exams in that one week but I've heard of some students doing less (doing 2 this year and two the next year) but it takes an extra year when really the exams are not that tough and if you wanted you could do 2 exams in July and do the other 2 in the repeat session which I think is about 3 or 4 months later. Deadline to enroll is 13th September and would recommend ACA over ACCA because the quality of the teaching and materials is much better. I started ACCA and switched to ACA when I seen how they did it.
CAP2 will cost about €3,200 but you can pay it over 3 installments during the year. That covers all the lecturers and books.
Do you work in an accounts department or is is something unrelated to accounts altogether?
Thanks for that. Yes I am going to go with ACA flexible route and aim to do 2 exams next July, then the other two from CAP2 the following year. I am going to enrol this week, just waiting to receive some transcripts to send off.
I'm working in the finance department with a finance manager and finance director of a manufacturing company. I'm hoping that they will pay the entire amount for my exams. Thanks for the reply and feedback, much appreciated!
Did the manager or director qualify with ACA or ACCA?
If you are working in an accounts department and your double entry is solid enough I think you will regret not signing up for all 4. If you don't sit them all so be it but at least you will have the option otherwise it takes an extra year which I think you will look back on and feel it was wasted time and there is nothing you can do about it after 13 September if you don't sign up for all 4. Good luck whatever you decide.
If you go ahead with 2 I would recommend you do the Financial Reporting with either Tax or Audit first.
I went back as a mature student. Degree at 29 in BA accounting and signed up to training contract with big four. In the middle of FAEs now at 35. Really enjoy the job to be fair. CAP2 exams I found where ok and if you have a accounting background degree you should definitely sign up for all four. Ps. Mortgage kids madra the whole nine yards here. Long journey but provided the fae goes ok I’ll be well chuffed when finished. Starting 3rd year of training contract next month
CAI offer a flexible route for a reason, it suits some people better.
Especially as Andrew93 is working in industry and might get very little time off to study, there's no reason to rush to get all the CAP2s done in one year. CAP2 is regarded by most (including myself) as the toughest year - if someone is comfortable taking their time with it, it seems like the most sensible thing to do.
Yeah that was my thinking I can't imagine I will get any time off from the company to study so will probably have to use some of my annual leave time to do so. I think two and 2 is the right choice for me with the circumstances. My finance director is ACA @9214 so she will be able to sign me off.
My final question to anyone that has done CAP2 would be what two would you recommend me to do together first?? Have seen plenty of ACCA content on which subjects to do together but nothing really on ACA.
I'd recommend splitting up your two toughest subjects. I did all 4 at once but if I could have split them I would have done FR (my worst subject) and SFMA (my best) together, and then Tax (my second worst) and Audit together. I feel like there's a lot to learn off with FR and Tax, whereas SFMA and Audit you can rely more on understanding the subject. But I'd say have a think about what your strengths and weaknesses are and tailor your choice around that.
I worked several dead end jobs, mostly in construction most of my life. At the age of 39 I decided I wasn't happy and went back to an adult education centre and sat my leaving cert and on to university and got myself a degree in Accounting and Finance first class honours 1.1. full cap 1 exemptions.
Now I was 44 years old when I graduated, but during the milk rounds I applied to well over 60 firms including the top 10 and didn't receive a call for one interview. I pushed on and finished the course and placed in the top 20 in a class of over 90 students. I spent the first year after graduation perfecting my CV and have applied for well over 100 positions and in that time was called for one interview which I was unsuccessful with. They will never openly admit it but the Accountancy profession is extremely ageist and I regret choosing it now. I always enjoyed math and accounting modules and this is evident when you look at my results over the years but I should have chosen a course where my age and life experience would have been an advantage like social work possibly. I'm now in a position where no accounting practice or industry will hire me because I'm too old and it seems that the administration jobs are also passing on me possibly because they see me leaving to finish the accountancy qualifications. My advice to any mature student thinking of making a career change into accounting is to be aware of the blatant ageism and consider another career.
That's awful olestoepoke, I'm sorry to hear it went so poorly for you. You deserve better treatment than that after everything you achieved.
Ah thank you but its all good, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of university. I don't blame the industry they have their reasons and its all business at the end of the day. I blame myself for not researching it more.
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