How to become an Accountant without taking a degree?
Hi, I would like to train to become an Accountant due to the career prospects and the rewarding salary. I am currently 22 yrs old and have 9 GCSE'S and 3 A'levels. All C's and above. Also I have certificate of higher education for completing a year at university. I was not very proficient at maths but I am currently taking a course to improve myself, which is going very well. Ideally I do not want to go back to University again as after my first experience I feel they are a waste of time and money. So my question is, how can I become a top Accountant without studying at University? I am a very dedicated person when I put my mind to it and this is something that I know I can excel and progress at. How long can the training take and which routes do I need to go down? Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. David What sort of costs for the courses can I expect?
Financial Services - 3 Answers
People Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
The best route to go is the ACCA. You can study at night while working. There are 14 exams in total and most people do 2 per exam sitting and there are 2 sittings per year (June and December). This means you would take about 3-4 years of night classes to finish but in order to qualify you need 3 years work signed off by an accountant so it is fine. I followed this route and I have 1 exam left. It took me 5 years to get to here because I work long hours so I could only do 1 exam in most sittings but if you are prepared to work hard and study at night this is the way for you to go. Go onto their website and have a look. Most colleges to night classes of the ACCA and it is the best qualification for an accountant without doubt
Answer 2 :
Try to get a job at a company that will 'sponsor' you to do this ... otherwise it WILL be expensive ... (Google ACCA correspondence courses) PS be aware that with graduate unemployment rates what they are today, you will find it VERY HARD to get a job with a suitable company without a Degree - most major / international companies offer 'Graduate Training Schemes' that will be closed to you - you will have to focus on the smaller companies that do not offer such structured schemes - and this is where the 'contacts' you could make at University would help ..)
Answer 3 :
Have you considered doing the AAT course? Some people I know chose not to go to university but completed the AAT and went on to do CIMA / ACCA. I would look at the course providers such as Kaplan and go through recruitment agencies, see if they know of any companies that will sponsor you! Good luck!
Read more other entries :
