Is It Worth Paying for Accounting Training?

[Yasmin1]

Hi Everyone

I have completed my accounting and finance degree 5 years ago and I have not been able to find paying job in accounting. I have volunteered for a private accounting company but I really did not learn anything because they didn't have the time to train me and I was just given office work.

Couple of the accounting agencies I have tried expect me to have work experience and have used accounting software's like sage line 50 and quickbook.

What lets me down is that I don't have the confidence to sell myself because I don't know anything about the practical side of accounting. I don't even know the doube entry in bookkeeping.

I can't find any work experience so I was thinking of paying for training. I'm considering pitman training they offer sage line 50 teaching for £450 or KBM doing bookkeeping and Payroll for 3 months for £895 or 6 months for £1,600.

I don't have this money saved so I'm going to have to use a loan to pay for this. I would really appreciate your advise if its worth doing this.

Thanks

 

[roydmoorian]

Hi Everyone

I have completed my accounting and finance degree 5 years ago.....

I don't even know the double entry in bookkeeping......

Where did you get this worthless degree and how much did it cost

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Where do you want your career to go - are you planning on working in practice, industry etc.?

 

[Philip Hoyle]

I don't even know the doube entry in bookkeeping.

That's fundamental and your degree is pretty much worthless without it as it is the backbone of book-keeping and accounting. Without practical experience, you're really going to struggle to get a job as you'd have to be trained up from scratch, is if you were a school-leaver.

I'd suggest you find a local college that do a course for the AAT exams, which is a practically based "accounting technician" qualification, and will include basics such as VAT, payroll, sales & purchase ledgers, and double entry.

Alternatively, think carefully about what your degree taught you, and apply for relevant jobs that will utilise those skills.

Just out of curiosity, what did you learn on the "accounting and finance" degree if it didn't include such basics as double entry?

 

[Paul Norman]

Two points:

1. If a degree in Accountancy leaves you with no practical knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting, then that degree is worthless, which is why:

2. You need to study for a professional qualification in accountancy if you wish to pursue a career in this area.

 

[Yasmin1]

I know its seems shocking about my lack of knowledge in practical accounting. But in universities they teach you the theory side of it and lot of the models I took were taxation and Law. Not to forget that its been almost six years sense I left Uni and I have not studied accounting sense that time.

Well I do want to study for my ACCA sometime in the future. But before that I do want to get some work experience and maybe get a junior position. Because every position I have applied for asked for experience more than any qualifications.

I'm going to start teaching myself the basic concepts of accounting. I'm not sure how far that's going to take me. But I'm going to give it a go.

I would really like to hear your feedback on those training's that I'm considering.

Are any of you familiar with KBM accounting training or pitman?

Thanks.

 

[talkinpeace]

There is a reason why the CCAB bodies do not like Accounting GCSE, A Level and degrees.
Your degree has (sadly) just utterly proved their point.

 

[Yasmin1]

I'm going bring this thread up.