It wasn’t until Alexandra studied finance at university that she considered pursuing a career in accountancy. She is now completing an ACA training agreement at Clement Keys. She says that studying while working full time is a challenge, but that support from her colleagues is helping her to balance both.
ICAEW route: Finance degree
Industry: Audit and assurance
Location: UK, Birmingham
I hadn’t even considered accountancy to be a career option when I was in sixth form; it wasn’t until I studied accounting and finance at university that I decided a career in accountancy was for me.
I now work for Clement Keys within audit and I can safely say I haven’t looked back. One of the main highlights for me is that in audit a typical working day doesn’t exist! Each week I am working with different clients in varying industries.
As an ACA trainee at Clement Keys I am required to work in a variety of departments to experience a diverse range of accounting services, including pensions and tax. Departmental experiences range from statutory audits to accounts preparations for sole traders.
Working full time and balancing study towards the ACA exams is definitely a challenge, however this is made possible thanks to the support from my colleagues at Clement Keys.
The ACA has without a doubt opened up many doors for me in terms of my career path; all businesses need accountants and having the ACA qualification gives you an edge.
In addition to this, the ACA qualification is also highly regarded outside the accountancy profession and can enable career progression within other industries.
For students considering a career as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, my advice to you would be to prepare yourselves for the challenge that is studying and working full time.
I also encourage you to get as much work experience as possible while at school and university, because this is definitely something employers look for later on.
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