How to: get into Accounting!

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Ashley Pugh

Jan '19

Why should you become an Accountant?

There are many reasons why someone would want to become an Accountant. Accountancy can open open a wide variety of career opportunities and allow you to work almost anywhere in the world! There are many careers and industries that come in and out of ‘fashion’, with each generation having new careers to choose. Accounting is not one of them, having been a staple of the employment landscape for hundreds of years now.

Every business, in pretty much every country needs Accountants! Without someone to count the beans, how will companies know how many beans they have?

As well as the opportunity to work wherever you want, being a qualified Accountant can also allow you to work for whomever you want, with many qualified Accountants going on to become self-employed or open up their own firms.

Another, and arguably the finest reason, to become an Accountant, is the money. Due to the fact that Accountants are vital to the running of a business, and that a good Accountant can often find loopholes and save organisations money, the financial compensation can reach staggering amounts.

The average UK salary is around the £27,000 mark. However, a fully qualified AAT Accountant can expect to earn on average £37,000 a year! This is 37% higher than the national average salary. The money doesn’t stop there, fully Chartered Accountants with either AAT or CIMA (who have earned CGMA status) can start earning an average annual salary exceeding £60,000+! Of course, if you begin to work for yourself, there are no limits as to what you can earn!

How to fulfil your dream

So, after reading this blog, you’re set on becoming an Accountant, or working in finance but how do you go about doing it? First, you need to decide which route you would like to take. Do you want to become an Accountant and work in a traditional accountancy firm? If so, studying an AAT certification is a good route to take. If you would you rather work within an organisation, as a Finance Manager or Management Accountant, studying a CIMA qualification will be the best route to take.

The process for each has been outline below.

Studying AAT Certifications

AAT Certifications will take you all the way from entry level accounts, right the way up to a level where you can pursue Chartered Accountancy status with one of the bodies that award it. Once you have successfully completed the AAT Professional Diploma in Accounting (Level 4) and fulfilled the AAT work experience requirements, you will be able to apply for AAT full membership and achieve professional MAAT status, gaining the initials MAAT after your name.

AAT Award, Certification & Diploma

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 4 Professional Diploma in Accounting

Alternatively, you could pursue a pathway into Management Accounts with CIMA. Management Accounts is often attributed to be the bridge between the inhuman numbers, and human decisions and factors in a business.

Studying CIMA qualifications

CIMA is the world’s leading and largest professional body of Management Accountants, with over 100 years experience and an outstanding reputation in the business and finance sectors. They leverage their heritage and history to provide excellent training. Through CIMA study, passing the CIMA exams and gaining CIMA qualifications, you are able to both learn the required knowledge to start a career in Management Accounting or explore other professional Business Finance roles.