Starting accounting at 30

accountant2017

Starting accounting at 30 by doing a postgraduate diploma, leaving it a bit late considering 21 year olds would be in the same position?

What are the options for employment when finished?

It is my understanding that after the diploma a further 3.5 years of working and studying for exams is required to become fully qualified?

Is there a part qualified option?

What are the typical career paths outside of the "big four"?

Thanks in advance for any input.

ASOT2012

accountant2017 wrote: »

Starting accounting at 30 by doing a postgraduate diploma, leaving it a bit late considering 21 year olds would be in the same position?

What are the options for employment when finished?

It is my understanding that after the diploma a further 3.5 years of working and studying for exams is required to become fully qualified?

Is there a part qualified option?

What are the typical career paths outside of the "big four"?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Just on your age, I have seen many people in their 30's start graduate positions, especially in the big 4 where they take on hundreds of people each September from all ages and backgrounds.

Once you have a few professional exams done you can call yourself part qualified. Its a broad term!

Outside big 4 its either a small firm or straight into industry really! I think starting your accounting career in practice gives you much broader experience and a better foundation for the rest of your career whatever route you decide to take after that.

accountant2017

ASOT2012 wrote: »

Just on your age, I have seen many people in their 30's start graduate positions, especially in the big 4 where they take on hundreds of people each September from all ages and backgrounds.

Once you have a few professional exams done you can call yourself part qualified. Its a broad term!

Outside big 4 its either a small firm or straight into industry really! I think starting your accounting career in practice gives you much broader experience and a better foundation for the rest of your career whatever route you decide to take after that.

Thank you for the feedback.

Obviously it would be better if I did not have to do the postgraduate, but it may help with getting a job/trainee contract.

ASOT2012

accountant2017 wrote: »

Thank you for the feedback.

Obviously it would be better if I did not have to do the postgraduate, but it may help with getting a job/trainee contract.

Do you think you will need the postgraduate?

A lot of people are taken on with no accountancy background. The bigger firms, especially Big 4 put a lot more emphasis on leaving cert results. And even then, this is just one part of it. They look at other things like your previous jobs, hobbies etc

Just be sure that doing the postgraduate will be worth the cost and time, because like I say its only one of many things they will look at.

accountant2017

ASOT2012 wrote: »

Do you think you will need the postgraduate?

A lot of people are taken on with no accountancy background. The bigger firms, especially Big 4 put a lot more emphasis on leaving cert results. And even then, this is just one part of it. They look at other things like your previous jobs, hobbies etc

Just be sure that doing the postgraduate will be worth the cost and time, because like I say its only one of many things they will look at.

Well leaving cert in that case will be a red flag since I got less than 350 points. Maybe some of the smaller firms wouldn't put as much stock in it.

Its just an option at the moment.

ZeroThreat

accountant2017 wrote: »

Well leaving cert in that case will be a red flag since I got less than 350 points. Maybe some of the smaller firms wouldn't put as much stock in it.

Its just an option at the moment.

lol I did my LC in 1997, would be pointless if someone started asking me about my LC since I've long forgotten what was on the chemistry HL paper nearly 20 years ago.

ZeroThreat

ASOT2012 wrote: »

Do you think you will need the postgraduate?

A lot of people are taken on with no accountancy background. The bigger firms, especially Big 4 put a lot more emphasis on leaving cert results. And even then, this is just one part of it. They look at other things like your previous jobs, hobbies etc

Just be sure that doing the postgraduate will be worth the cost and time, because like I say its only one of many things they will look at.

Just curious what hobbies do you need to have to be taken on by big 4 (I'm over 30 so I know they dont take on old folks)

ASOT2012

ZeroThreat wrote: »

lol I did my LC in 1997, would be pointless if someone started asking me about my LC since I've long forgotten what was on the chemistry HL paper nearly 20 years ago.

Then it would be pointless applying to them because its one of the first questions they will ask. Last time I checked it was a minimum of 420 but that could have changed I don't know.

The smaller firms will ask you the same question btw, but some don't put as much weight on the LC as the bigger firms. They will be more interested in your hobbies : )

ASOT2012

ZeroThreat wrote: »

Just curious what hobbies do you need to have to be taken on by big 4 (I'm over 30 so I know they dont take on old folks)

They just want to get a sense of what you can bring. If you play football or rugby etc you are a team player, if you are a captain of a team you show leadership. You know yourself...

ZeroThreat

ASOT2012 wrote: »

Then it would be pointless applying to them because its one of the first questions they will ask. Last time I checked it was a minimum of 420 but that could have changed I don't know.

The smaller firms will ask you the same question btw, but some don't put as much weight on the LC as the bigger firms. They will be more interested in your hobbies : )

Obviously they're only into recruiting people around the ages of 21 or 22 then, it would be stupid dwelling on exams that have been of no relevance to an applicant for nearly 2 decades. They want young impressionable people who can be brainwashed & can be force feed all their americanised buzz words & bull****

FortySeven

Just put 470 on your cv. Do you honestly think they will be phoning your school over your leaving cert results?

On my cv I passed all my standard grade exams. I never sat them. Never questioned.

Any employer that hires on the basis of school leaving exams deserves the employees they end up with.

duffman13

FortySeven wrote: »

Just put 470 on your cv. Do you honestly think they will be phoning your school over your leaving cert results?

On my cv I passed all my standard grade exams. I never sat them. Never questioned.

Any employer that hires on the basis of school leaving exams deserves the employees they end up with.

Are you working accountancy? I did a temp role (a few years ago) for a few months recruiting for a grad scheme for one of the big 4, they did request a copy of leaving cert results and prioritised candidates based on points and university attended.

The reason I ask was I was very surprised by some of the criteria they used and wanted to see if this was common throughout the industry.

ASOT2012

ZeroThreat wrote: »

Obviously they're only into recruiting people around the ages of 21 or 22 then

I have worked with graduates in their 30's and 40's in the Big 4.

ZeroThreat wrote: »

They want young impressionable people who can be brainwashed & can be force feed all their americanised buzz words & bull****

They want smart people with a good attitude and strong academics who will be able to do the job while studying for a challenging set of exams

ZeroThreat

duffman13 wrote: »

Are you working accountancy? I did a temp role (a few years ago) for a few months recruiting for a grad scheme for one of the big 4, they did request a copy of leaving cert results and prioritised candidates based on points and university attended.

The reason I ask was I was very surprised by some of the criteria they used and wanted to see if this was common throughout the industry.

do you have to go back to your old school to get these?

duffman13

ZeroThreat wrote: »

do you have to go back to your old school to get these?

Yeah IIRC you can request a copy, most people had them handy although a few older candidates took a little longer.

accountant2017

Am I wasting my time with less than 350 leaving cert points. Is a degree and a masters both with 1.1 in technical fields not enough to make up for it?

I will check the applications but no point in studying accounting for a year if I am going to be pulled up on leaving cert points, hopefully some firms will be considerate.

TitianGerm

accountant2017 wrote: »

Is a degree and a masters both with 1.1 in technical fields not enough to make up for it

What's your degree and Masters in? A 1.1 in both would definitely get you in the door for an interview or at the very least have you on the list to be selected to be called for interview.

ASOT2012

accountant2017 wrote: »

Am I wasting my time with less than 350 leaving cert points. Is a degree and a masters both with 1.1 in technical fields not enough to make up for it?

The leaving cert points is an easy way for firms to differentiate 1000's of applicants who all have 2.1 degrees.

I wouldn't say a 1.1 would definitely get you an interview as its only one of a few things they look for. But its looks very good. Also, if the other areas of your application are good, work experience etc, then I would say that you have a very good chance.

accountant2017

emmetkenny wrote: »

What's your degree and Masters in? A 1.1 in both would definitely get you in the door for an interview or at the very least have you on the list to be selected to be called for interview.

Construction Management undergraduate and Computer Science (Conversion) masters.

Have work experience working as a Quantity Surveyor for construction companies.. Productivity reporting, profit and loss reporting, collating bills for clients, determining payment amounts to subcontractors, reviewing contract documents, etc.Recently returned from abroad.

I'm sure you've heard the construction industry is not exactly stable in Ireland.

TitianGerm

accountant2017 wrote: »

Construction Management undergraduate and Computer Science (Conversion) masters.

Have work experience working as a Quantity Surveyor for construction companies.. Productivity reporting, profit and loss reporting, collating bills for clients, determining payment amounts to subcontractors, reviewing contract documents, etc.Recently returned from abroad.

I'm sure you've heard the construction industry is not exactly stable in Ireland.

Both of those paths would have a lot of transferable skills to accountancy. The QS side you've dealt with tight deadlines, managed projects, worked as part of a team, developed relationship skills etc.

Are you dead set on working in the big four? There's loads of other great firms out there in the top 20 and beyond.

If I was you I'd look into what Practices have a high volume of builders/developers/architects etc apply to those. Your experience from the other side of the fence would stand to you very well.

ZeroThreat

ASOT2012 wrote: »

Then it would be pointless applying to them because its one of the first questions they will ask. Last time I checked it was a minimum of 420 but that could have changed I don't know.

The smaller firms will ask you the same question btw, but some don't put as much weight on the LC as the bigger firms. They will be more interested in your hobbies : )

sorry, just going through some of my past postings on this forum and had to laugh again at the reply to this

Best off avoiding places where their main worry is if you can describe in detail what you studied for the LC nearly 20 years ago.