Do you wanna be an accountant?

Let me start by introducing myself, My Name is Nicola and I'm a 33 year old single mum of 2 teenagers from Liverpool. I am currently employed as an Assistant Management Accountant of a Pharmaceutical company. 

I have worked in Finance for around 10 years slowly working my way up by studying and gaining experience.

But i haven't always been in this rewarding career. 

10 years ago I had nothing! 

I was in a women s refuge after leaving my ex-partner with two children in tow, and had no qualifications.

I began applying for positions, but without qualifications the positions where offering minimum wage at £3.90 per hour.

I had 2 young children and rent and childcare to pay.

I knew I couldn't survive on that salary and wanted better for my children, 

So I started temping, Reception work, Admin work, anything which required no qualifications! 

I then began looking into college courses, anything I could fit around my kids to somehow drag myself out of the hole I felt I was in.

There was a course running in my Local Unemployed Centre for Sage Line 50, it ran 1 day a week for 6 months I began the course in the September and I loved it!

I gained an NVQ Level 2 in Sage Line 50 and decided there and then that this was what I wanted to do. 

After completing my Level 2 in Sage Line 50, I found a 2 year contract working as an Accounts Clerk of a Window Manufacturer near where i lived. I would never have gained this employment without Sage Line 50 course.

This allowed me actual hands on experience in all areas of accounts.

I then started my next course 2 evenings a week at Knowsley Community College Associate of Accounting Technicians (AAT). 

AAT is a route to becoming a Qualified Accountant without attending university and taking out a student loan. 

Don't get me wrong the course is hard! You have to do a lot of home study and sit several exams per year. When you are working full time, and studying most evenings it is hard! Especially when you are a single mother you have the added guilt that you should be spending all that time on your children.

I qualified October 2012 and graduated in January 2013 with newly gained letters after my name! (MAAT)

After AAT I decided I wanted to take on my professional exams, this would allow me to become a Fully Qualified Chartered Management Accountant!

As I am fully qualified AAT ,I was exempt from all the certificate Level CIMA exams (5 exams in total) so I began Operational Level October 2013 and in May 2014 i passed my final Operational Level exam and gained more letters after my name (CimaDipMA)

Now I work for a Pharma company, and I am still studying towards Managerial Level CIMA exams! 

I have 6 exams in total to undertake and 2 case studies before I will be a Fully Qualified Chartered Accountant. It'll take me a long time, and I’ll probably fail a few exams along the way! The exams are hard, and with the recent change in syllabus it is unknown territory.

But I’ll do it, and believe me if I can do it anyone can.

So good Luck! Thanks for reading my blog, please could you comment on why you began studying accountancy and which hurdles you have encountered along the way to get you to where you are today?

I hope this inspires young people and young mums out there who are struggling and with the recent changes in Tax credits and benefits it is near on impossible to live without a decent job.

I am currently working on my website www.wannabeanaccountant.co.uk whereby i am to discuss routes into accountancy and other Financial qualifications to Unemployed people who need advice and help with funding.

Feel free to use the contact form below if you wish to speak to me in private.

Thanks again

Nicola xx
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Email: donnellynicola7@gmail.com